SPY KIDS 3D: GAME OVER
US, 2003, US, 2003, 84 minutes, Colour.
Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alexs Pena Vega, Daryl Sabara, Ricardo Montalban, Holland Taylor, Sylvester Stallone, Mike Judge, Selma Hayek, Matt O' Leary, Emily Osment, Cheech Marin Danny Trejo, Alan Cumming, Tony Shalhoub, Steve Buscemi, Bill Paxton, George Clooney, Elijah Wood, Selena Gomez.
Directed by Robert Rodriguez.
The unexpected success of Spy Kids meant that a sequel was inevitable. It followed very quickly. This next sequel has also followed very quickly but it has an added gimmick: 3D. Because audiences have to wear special glasses, they have found it annoying or irritating. Director Robert Rodriguez has been shrewd in this regard and has actor Alan Cumming explaining to the audience at the beginning of the film when to wear them and when to take them off - and a sign comes on to the screen just in case we didn't realise. By drawing attention to the glasses and their effect, he has made us happier to wear them.
The centre of the story this time is Juni, played by Daryl Sabara. Having retired from spy activities, he is called back into action to combat the arch-villain, The Toymaker, who has invented a computer game that is unbeatable, Game Over. Juni's sister, Carmen, is now trapped in the game and Juni has to rescue her and defeat the Toymaster. The 3D effect is for watching the computer game.
On paper, it must have seemed a wonderful idea to have Sylvester Stallone as The Toymaster, to make him a villain and a comic at the same time. He may get away with it with young audiences, but his performance (along with characters based on other parts of his personality) seems very awkwardly less than funny. Much more effective is Ricardo Montalban who has a big role as Grandpa, the previous colleague of The Toymaker and then his victim. Juni is assisted along the way by a group of kids who enjoy their opportunity to be inside the computer game. Better still is that everyone from the previous movies is called in to help: parents, grandparents, friends, which makes it a happy reunion of all who worked on the series.
1. The popularity of the first two films? Espionage? Kids involved? Adult professionals? The move into computer games and action in virtual reality?
2. Home, the children, the cameo of the parents, being looked after by the grandparents, the benign grandfather and his help?
3. Virtual reality, 3D, the details of the game, the various levels, the difficulties and hazards, the conflicts, the fights? Fegan Floop explaining to the audience about putting glasses on and taking them off?
4. The Toymaker, Sylvester Stallone, former agent, multiple personalities, villain, power hungry, trapped in the game, Juni having to enter the game,not a spy but in private practice, the president’s call, going to OSS, the bosses, using his wits, his grandfather’s help, searching for his sister, confrontation with the Toymaker, the different agents within the game, the dangers, shot to the moon, the lava surf?
5. Juni and Carmen, known from the first two films, growing up? Relationship with their parents and the discovery that were spies? The care of the grandparents? Carmen, older, playing the game, becoming trapped, needing rescue?
6. The range of stars, the cameo appearances adding to the enjoyment of the film? The happy reunion al all at the end – including the Toymaker?
7. The target audience, children and age range, the response to the characters, the nature of the computer games, the invitation of virtual reality, identifying with Juni and Carmen?
