I thoroughly loved the original Spy Kids. It was a movie filled with all of the elements that make a great spy movie for adults, yet its heroes are a couple of kids. It is fun and enjoyable to watch whether you are a kid or an adult. And its sequel (Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams) is no different.
What is different this time around is the fact that the "Spy Kids" Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) Cortez begin the film as bona fide spies, employed by the OSS. In fact, the organization seems to have caught on to the idea of kid spies, and thus Carmen and Juni are just two of a network of children spies (can anyone say, "Child Labor"? - haha). Therefore a rivalry emerges between these two main characters and two other kid spies, Gary (Matt O'Leary) and Gerti (Emily Osment) Giggles.
In an attempt to out-do each other, the four kids soon find themselves in over their heads and so this time it is up to the parents, Gregorio (Antonio Banderas) and Ingrid (Carla Gugino) Cortez to locate and save the kids. In fact, even the grandparents are called upon (and here two neat little cameos are made by Ricardo Montalban and Holland Taylor as the Cortez grandparents). All are pictured above.
Along the way, the kids make use of their really cool gadgets (such as a robotic "pet" spider, a spy watch that does everything but tell time, and even helicopter hair). They also encounter strange creatures such as "Spider Monkey" and run into perhaps stranger people such as the always entertaining Steve Buscemi (pictured below) as a sort of mad scientist.
In the end, however, the kids find that they cannot always rely on their gadgets and gizmos but can rely on their family. Thus once again we are given a great message told in an entertaining way for kids and adults alike.
Lighthearted, adventuresome, and fun!
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