SPY KIDS 2: ISLAND OF LOST DREAMS
US, 2002, 105 minutes, Colour.
Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alexa Vega, Darryl Sabara, Mike Judge, Ricardo Montalban, Holland Taylor, Christopher McDonald?, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marron, Steve Buscemi, Alan Cumming, Tony Shalhoub.
Directed by Robert Rodriguez.
In the eyes of writer-director, Robert Rodriguez, the original Spy Kids was meant to be just a holiday entertainment for youngsters and their families. It was a huge success around the world during 2001. Rodriguez and his wife, co-producer Elizabeth Avellan, have three children of their own, so they decided to do a follow-up. This time they had more time and money available to do a sequel that was better than the first film. They have succeeded.
It is worth noting that Robert Rodriguez is something of a movie genius. From a large family in San Antonio, Texas, he made short movies while a child. In his early twenties, he made a Mexican Western for $7,000.00, El Mariachi, which was taken up by a major American studio for distribution. It was a great success and Rodriguez has never looked back. His film to be released early in 2003 shows his ambitions. It is called Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
In the meantime, he went back to his childhood fantasies to create Spy Kids 2. In the first film, Carmen and Juni discover that their sedate and scholarly parents were actually top spies. When they are captured, the children have to rescue them. Now they are fully-fledged members of the children's division of the secret service of the US. They go on missions - initially to rescue the daughter of the American president from a fun fair show, The Juggler, where the machine literally juggles the cabins with people in them.
Rodriguez' imagination did not end there. He has the children, as well as a rival brother and sister pair of spies, go to a mysterious island where a man scientist (like Dr Moreau) is making hybrid creatures as well as their miniatures to recover his powerful shield device. This takes us into the realm of those old Ray Harryhausen movies like Jason and the Argonauts where the heroes do battle with sword-wielding skeletons. There are some of these here too along with a strange menagerie, including a Spork (swallow and pork) reminding us that pigs might fly.
Not only are Carmen and Juni and their parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugini) back but grandma (Holland Taylor) and grandpa (Ricardo Montalban) also turn up to help, grandpa in his flying wheelchair.
Rodriguez, who drew and designed the creatures and effects, photographed, edited and composed the musical score keeps the inventiveness coming so that there is a breakneck pace for those in the audience who like action - and quite a number of funny deadpan comments to make the adults smile as well. Who could ask for anything more!
1. The popularity of the original? The sequel offering more? The younger and older audience?
2. Robert Rodriguez's imagination: the fun fair, the juggler, the White House reception, the vehicles for travel (the magnet etc.), the island and the ruins, the décor, the jungle? Romero's laboratory, the creatures? The range of technology, weapons, communication? The parents and their contact with the children, the grandparents and Grandpa's flying wheelchair? The interactions and fights? The overall inventiveness?
3. The Secret Service and the kids' division? Going on missions, the president's daughter with the owner of the fun fair, her determination, strong will, wanting to go faster, on the juggler? Her having taken the disc? Her needing to be rescued? Juni and Carmen climbing, Gary and Gertie having better equipment? Juni rescuing the girl, Gary rescuing the device and getting the glory? The rivalry between Juni and Carmen and Gary and Gertie?
4. The parents, their awkwardness with their children, the father trying to get affirmation, the mother supporting them? Family love? Gregorio not given the post as expected? The reaction? Gary flirting with Carmen? Juni doing ballet-dancing with the president's daughter? The waiters and their headdress, drugging the adults, stealing the device and disappearing?
5. The special mission, Juni and Carmen, Gary and Gertie? The vehicle, going to the island? Its being shielded by the device? The encounter with Romero, his background? The search with the animals and creatures, the confrontation with Gary and Gertie, Carmen and Gertie in the nest and their discussions about the truth? The fights, the friendliness? The sequences in the cave, falling down holes, the pirates' treasure, the fighting skeletons, Juni taking the brooch? The flying pig and its nest? The final fight, Donnegan and his using his children? The parents and the grandparents arriving? Romero and his bewilderment? The resolution of all the problems?
6. Romero, the mad scientist, his creations, the miniatures? His own fears and staying inside? Helping?
7. Donnegan as the villain, at the Whitehouse, the plot, his relationship with the president, using his own children? Gary in the image of his father, dominating the others? Gertie and her seeming to betray everyone, the moment of truth?
8. Uncle Felix, his not really being an uncle, his betraying them - and the nature of the threats? The glimpses of Tony Shalhoub and Alan Cumming from the original?
9. The portrait of family, the bonds, the grandparents arriving, watching and trying to keep in contact, Grandpa and the necklace and his keeping in touch, the shrewdness of the children with their not wanting to be found and seeming to have disappeared? All arriving in time? The President of the United States, his needing to talk to his daughter?
10. The great technology available to the kids, the failure of the technology and their having to use their wits?
11. The final awards, Juni just wanting to be himself? The humour of the credits, the songs and the playing of the guitar - and the batteries not being in the transforming machine?
