 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
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Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams
- Review Date: May 19, 2003
- PG
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2002
Common Sense Media says
An imaginatively joyous adventure.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there's some brief gross-out humor (most kids will love it) and some tense peril (no one gets hurt). Everything that appears very scary at first turns out to be friendly and cooperative. As in the first film, the movie is outstanding in showing women and Latinos in key roles.
What's the story?
Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) are back in SPY KIDS 2, and they're now full-time operatives of the spy organization OSS and its new kids unit. After a close call involving the President's young daughter and their top competition, the Giggles siblings, Gertie (Emily Osment) and Gary (Matt O'Leary), Carmen and Juni get the chance to prove themselves and save the day once again. At a big party, the Giggles kids' father is mysteriously appointed director of the OSS, all of the adults are knocked out by drugged champagne, and the all-important Transmooker device is stolen. The Giggles kids are assigned to get it back, but the Cortez kids substitute themselves and are off to a mysterious island. On the island, they have to keep ahead of all kinds of strange creatures and the Giggles. A mad scientist (Steve Bucscemi) has been using the island for genetic experiments, and he has stolen the Transmooker. The Transmooker turns off anything that works with electricity, so the kids have to solve most of their problems with the two things that do work -- their brains and the last gift from their gadget-master uncle Machete, a rubber band. He tells them that it has "999 uses, and you have to figure out which one to use."
Is it any good?
Hurray for Spy Kids 2, an imaginatively joyous adventure. Like the first one, this is fresh, funny, exciting, and brilliantly inventive. The OSS party scene is simply marvelous, as a cordon of Secret Service agents move from side to side in perfect formation to allow the President's daughter to have enough space for her ballet dance.
It was sheer inspiration to bring in another generation of spies, with the magnificent Ricardo Montalban and Holland Taylor as Ingrid Cortez's parents, far more terrifying for Gregorio than the most powerful of bad guys. The story sags slightly toward the middle, and the part with Cheech Marin (who has appeared in all of the movies made by screenwriter/director Robert Rodriguez) seems awkward and unfinished, as though some scenes are missing. It is still a wonderful family movie. I just hope they make another one every year.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the President's daughter's feelings about not getting enoough attention from her father. What do you think about Juni's advice to her? What do you think will happen? We see three different families in the movie. How are they different? How do you think Gary's view that "a good spy makes no binding connections wth family or friends" makes him feel as a son? As a spy? If that is your rule, how do you know who to trust and how do you know what is right? How have Carmen and Juni changed since the first movie? Why was it hard for Ingrid's parents to accept Gregorio? What should he do about that? How do both Carmen and Juni and their parents show their need to be independent?
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AGE
Almost said the word s--t. "You're so full of shittake mushrooms."
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AGE
Flat
This movie features two kids who are trying to be cool with their "spy flick" (crap!) Terrible movie. This involves a freak scientist who unleashes monsters onto the island. Furthermore, a bunch of adults are trying to take over, but lose to 2 kids. Dumb, and they are tring to make this movie "cool". Don't waste your $$.
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AGE
Boo! Crappy story! It TRIES to be cool, but ends up being a drool.
Oh, yeah, I loved this when I was a kid, like eight or seven or something. But now I watch it again and I realizen how lame it is. Yes, its imaginative, but it just isn't very intelligent and its sort of predictable. The only thing that saves this movie is the eensy-weensy bit of fun in it and the gadgets. Kids will love it but for anyone who has matured- its boring and very corny. Parents, there is, of course nothing offensive here, just a little action violence. Your kids will love it, but those who are mature will hate it.
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AGE
This movie was full of adventure and action. It was funny and great!
I think this movie was intresting and funny. It was great and had a lot of action in it. Well not that much but it was great. i loved it. it was about these kids that know about a lot of ideas of how to plan a great plan they had. i liked everything in it. There wasn't anything i didn't like. it was good, funny and not scary. i enjoyed everything they showed. i didn't hate anything.
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AGE
greate sequel and family movie!
good sequel usually the sequel isn't as good but in this case I found it better! Good messages about family. Carmon and Gerti (Emily Osment's character) are strong female characters, and Juni and Carmon have good chemistry between each other. Like the first it's a family movie
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AGE
Not as good as the first spy kids, scary for little ones.
Watched this with my 3 1/2 year old after he loved the first Spy Kids movie but it was way to scary for him.
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AGE
There WAS a 4-letter word! The S word. I was shocked!
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AGE
This adventure is a good one, really tense and exciting...
This fun kids movie pulls you to the edge of you seat and grasps you into the plot. I definitely would see this one again, though it's not my personal favorite. I think kids ages 6-11 will really love this one...
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AGE
.ok
my cousin little cousin loves this show but i'm not crazy about it.
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| Topics: | adventures, book characters |
| Studio: | Dimension |
| Director: | Robert Rodriguez |
| Cast: | Alexa Vega, Antonio Banderas, Daryl Sabara |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 100 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | August 7, 2002 |
| DVD release date: | February 18, 2003 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | action and mild language |
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