screening room | Spy Kids 3-D
by: Matthew Hundley
Get in line. Get your tickets. Grab some popcorn and soda. Strap yourself in to the stadium seating. And take off on this hour-and-a-half amusement ride.
The film snob in me was left behind to drown his sorrows in Bergman and Wenders films. The kid in me was heading out for a 3-D adventure with my boys in tow (and even mom).
Not too many movies give you a prize at the door. But with this one we all received our pair of 3-D specs. Quite fashionable in their faux metallic luster with one blue lens and another red.
Next stop, snack bar. Lots of popcorn and soda and even a box of candy – fuel for the ride. We found our places at the back of the ride – uhmm – I mean back of the multiplex stadium seating.
After a smattering of theatrical teasers the show was about to begin. Much like the Disney rides of today there was a narrator who came out to introduce the 3-D concept. Next we were treated to a short feature within the feature, which demonstrated all the coolness that is 3-D.
Then it was glasses of for the first 15 minutes of the film. We were warned. This is the part that plants the premise of this whole spectacle.
So here it is. The plot spoiler (skip this paragraph if you don’t want to know the set-up): Juni has excommunicated himself from the secret service. When he finds out his sister, Carmen, is caught in the Toymaker’s (Sylvester Stallone) virtual world then he decides to jump back into the OSS along with your Fantasy Island host, Ricardo Montalban.
Yes there are plenty of Hollywood cameos in this one: Cheech Marin, Antonio Banderas, Sylvester Stallone, Steve Buscemi, Mike Judge, Salma Hayek, Matt O’Leary and others.
Back to the movie...
Director Robert Rodriguez was in this for fun. You can see that in the casting and in the kinds of special 3-D effects he throws at you.
Really this is every kids dream – to enter their video games and play for real. It’s kind of eerie really to think we’re this close to stepping inside the digital universe – but not as eerie as the digital world of say, Total Recall (not a kid film).
Spy Kids 3: Game Over is a great ride. It takes you out of the reality zone for a while and puts you in a surreal world of digital villains and unhuman contests.
If you’re looking for depth, plot or compelling story lines this one’s not for you. It’s campy. It’s cheesy. It’s fun. Make sure you go with a child and you will double your fun in this one.
Posted: August 04, 2003  
|
