Spy Kids

Directed by Robert Rodriguez, Spy Kids follows scrappy siblings Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) as they spring into action after their parents (Antonio Banderas’ Gregorio and Carla Gugino’s Ingrid) are abducted by an evil supervillain (Alan Cumming’s Fegan Floop). Filmmaker Rodriguez, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a briskly-paced endeavor that fares best within its engaging and entertaining opening stretch, as the movie benefits substantially from Banderas and Gugino’s predictably charming efforts and a lighthearted, inventive narrative rife with agreeable attributes. (It doesn’t hurt, either, that the picture’s supporting cast boasts such scene-stealers as Tony Shalhoub, Robert Patrick, and Danny Trejo.) There’s little doubt, then, that Spy Kids slowly-but-surely wears out its welcome as it progresses into a frenetic midsection focused on Vega and Sabara’s far-from-enthralling (and somewhat grating) figures, and it’s clear, too, that Rodriguez’s overuse of rather chintzy special effects only exacerbates the increasingly less-than-compelling atmosphere. By the time the overblown (and unsatisfying) climax rolls around, Spy Kids has confirmed its place as a misfire that seems designed to appeal solely to younger viewers – which is a shame, ultimately, given the potential inherent within the film’s seemingly foolproof premise.

*1/2 out of ****