Critic Reviews
Spy Kids (2001) Rank 3 Reviews
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ShowBIZ Data
Dimension Films presents a film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. Running time: 90 minutes. Rated PG (for action sequences and brief language). March 30, 2001 Robert Rodriguez, who has received his fair share of critical praise for violent, ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at ShowBIZ Data
Moda Magazine (Brian Orndorf)
Also delightful is the Ray Harryhausen-influenced creatures of the island. Recalling the heyday of the stop-motion animation pioneer ("Jason And The Argonauts," "Clash Of The Titans"), Rodriguez can barely contain his glee when it ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Moda Magazine (Brian Orndorf)
The King's Room (Paul Perkins)
There is all kind of movie that people like. Some Women
like love stories, Men like action movies. One of the great action directors is Robert Rodriguez who has made some great films as Desperado, EL Mariach and From Dusk to Dawn. All his film has ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at The King's Room (Paul Perkins)
Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
Reviews of this movie convinced me I missed out on something great. Actually, the movie isn't especially impressive, but it is lively and high-spirited. The kids (Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara) are entirely engaging -- a good thing, because it balances out ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
Susan Granger
The family that spies together, stays together. That's the homespun philosophy behind this fantasy that pairs two "retired" spies with their unsuspecting children in a rousing adventure. It all begins with the Cortez kids, 8 yearold Juni (Daryl Sabara) ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Susan Granger
Edward Johnson-Ott
One of the best things about my job is that, every so often, a film still catches me by surprise. "Spy Kids" certainly did. An adventure story aimed primarily at children, the movie is smart, zippy fun. The production neither panders nor talks down to ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Edward Johnson-Ott
Tracksounds! (Christopher Coleman)
Not really a veteran of family-oriented films, renegade director, writer and composer, Robert Rodriguez, delivers one of the strongest pro-family films to come out of Hollywood in some time. With The faculty, From Dusk 'til Dawn, Desperado under his ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Tracksounds! (Christopher Coleman)
Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
One of the pleasures of regular moviegoing is being dragged to a picture you thought you couldn't care less about, only to find yourself enjoying it almost against your will. "Spy Kids," written and directed by Robert Rodriguez (whose last movie was the ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
DVDActive (Richard Schuchardt)
Spy Kids deserves all the praise that it gets. It is harmless fun for all the family. Robert Rodriguez has created a movie which surpasses any recent children’s adventure movies. The movie is not just for children though, as it has enough special ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at DVDActive (Richard Schuchardt)
SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
Spy Kids comes from Robert Rodriguez, the American director who made a big splash with the zero budget feature El Mariachi (1993) and went onto the revved-up action balletics of Desperado (1995) and genre films such as the vampire-getaway ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Before making a name for himself as a director of hard-edged action-oriented vehicles such as El Mariachi, Desperado, and From Dusk till Dawn, Robert Rodriguez made a number of award-winning short family comedies. With Spy Kids, loosely ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Planet Confusion
Ein Regisseur von Extrem-Action und Splatterfilmen, der plötzlich einen Streifen für Kinder produziert? Geht dass? Zunächst mag es ein wenig verwirren, dass ausgerechnet Robert Rodriguez, der sich mit Filmen wie "El Mariachi", "Desperado" und vor ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Planet Confusion
DVD Verdict (Michael Rankins)
Robert Rodriguez takes a huge leap by casting his film primarily with non-Anglo leads. The city where the Cortez clan resides is a multicultural, bilingual community—street signs and billboards appear both in Spanish and English. (Some of the exteriors ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at DVD Verdict (Michael Rankins)
Jarrette Moats - www.guerilla-film.com - review
Reel Criticism - Honest Reviews
Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Lively, imaginative, with a playful sense of humor. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Film.com (Ernest Hardy)
A highly recommended treat. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Film.com (Ernest Hardy)
Film Values/Family Values (H. Arthur Taussig)
Hispanic cast. Kids see what their parents gave up for a family. Good production values, clever writing, high-energy direction. Great for kids and parents. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Film Values/Family Values (H. Arthur Taussig)
RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) (Harry Guerin)
Pitched somewhere been the swagger of James Bond and the out there ambience of Willy Wonka, Spy Kids is a real treat. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) (Harry Guerin)
Baseline.Hollywood.com (Ted Murphy)
Spy Kids is flat out a good time for the whole family. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Baseline.Hollywood.com (Ted Murphy)
Movie Marshal (Jason Szabo)
Hollywood Jesus Visual Reviews
I can?t remember the last time I watched a film starring kids that I have enjoyed as much as Spy Kids. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Hollywood Jesus Visual Reviews
artechock (Michael Wegscheider; Ruediger Suchsland)
Es ist wohl nicht ganz unzutreffend, die Begeisterung, die einen angesichts der Präsentation von James Bonds neuesten Ausrüstungsgags bei jeder neuen Folge wieder überkommt, eine kindliche zu nennen. Und so kommt dieses Stereotyp des Agententhrillers ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at artechock (Michael Wegscheider; Ruediger Suchsland)
Wolfpack Productions (Sujit 'Chief' Chawla)
Packed with a lot of humor and excitement, Spy Kids is fun for the whole family. While geared towards kids, the movie has enough adult humor and certainly enough fun for people of all ages to enjoy. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Wolfpack Productions (Sujit 'Chief' Chawla)
Christian Spotlight on the Movies
The story steps into the action as smooth as the first long hill of a roller coaster, and once you crest the hill it is non-stop. Mom and Dad are drawn out of retirement as many former spies disappear. An evil minion named Minion (Tony Shaloub) kidnaps ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Christian Spotlight on the Movies
Greenwich Village Gazette (Eric Lurio)
Here's a mystery for you: Jeremiah Chechik's version of "The Avengers" was every bit as ridiculous as Robert Rodriguez's "Spy Kids," yet the former sucked and the latter's a heck of a lot of fun. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Greenwich Village Gazette (Eric Lurio)
DVDnett.no
Regissør Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn og Desperado) er ikke akkurat en mann man forbinder med barnefilmer. At han skulle ende opp med å lage filmen Småspioner, som i stor grad henvender seg til det yngre publikum, kom nok overraskende på ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at DVDnett.no
Kidzworld
What starts off as a bedtime story about a pair of spies quickly turns into a real life spy adventure for Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) Cortez. A plot to take over the world is being hatched by the TV star Floop and the malevolent Mr. Lisp. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Kidzworld
JoBlo's Movie Emporium reviews "Spy Kids"
DVD Authority.com ("Fusion3600")
This family aimed film from director Robert Rodriguez was a surprise success, taking in over one hundred million bucks and winning a substantial audience. Although this seems like a kids' movie, a lot of parents were impressed also and as such, word of ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at DVD Authority.com ("Fusion3600")
The Trades (Jonathan Sudduth)
And while usually such thrilling trailers cause disappointment when the actual product unspools, Robert Rodriguez (who's normally known for second rate films like "The Faculty"), directs his vision with enough precision to get it just like the trailer ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at The Trades (Jonathan Sudduth)
A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
Although director Robert Rodriquez deservedly gained fame for his low budget "El Mariachi" and bigger-budget follow-up "Desperado", nothing since then has really suggested the same level of talent. "From Dusk Till Dawn" has since become a cult hit, but ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
filmcritic.com entertains Spy Kids
There are few respectable filmmakers in the world that would take on the difficult challenge of creating a children’s movie. I don’t mean those hack directors who just sit behind the camera and yell "action" and "print," but those few who take on the ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at filmcritic.com entertains Spy Kids
Cinema Blend
"Spy Kids" stars Daryl Sabara and Alexa Vega as the underaged offspring of two super-spy parents. When their parents, played by the rapidly falling star Antonio Banderas and the more lucious than ever Carla Gugino, are captured, Cheech Marin comes in to ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Cinema Blend
Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
A lot of people were shocked when Robert Rodriguez announced he was doing a film for children, but not I. No, I thought back to my El Mariachi/Desperado DVD and remembered that there was a short film on there called Bedhead. It's one of his earliest ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
Popkorn Junkie's review of Spy Kids
Here’s the basic story… Gregorio Cortez (Antonio Banderas) and his wife Ingrid (Carla Gugino) are retired spies who have settled down to raise a family in the suburbs. Well, they are not exactly retired, they are now “consultants” doing their ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Popkorn Junkie's review of Spy Kids
ninth symphony films
It's a rare feat when a filmmaker can create a children's film that isn't so offensive to parents that hearing it played over and over again isn't torture. But Spy Kids director Robert Rodriguez has done just that. The film is a very well made children's ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at ninth symphony films
Deranged Video Dude (Robert Wurth)
I imagine it's a universal truth that kids think their parents are boring and that everyone else's parents are so much more cool. It wouldn't surprise me even the children of presidents and movie stars think this way. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Deranged Video Dude (Robert Wurth)
Moviehole
In a time when the best kids/family entertainment seems to be a Japanese bucket of pokemon or digimon, how great it is to see the return of the brilliant family film. One which adults can enjoy just as much as children, and one whose budget and ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Moviehole
Tiscali UK
Despite their best efforts, the Cortezes are captured by their arch-nemesis and sentenced to slow deaths as hideously disfigured characters on Floop's TV show. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Tiscali UK
The Cranky Critic (Chuck Schwartz)
Spy Kids is one of those remarkable movies that works for both kids and grownups. It is frenetic but not confusing. The fight scenes, such as they are, manage to keep any heavy duty physical contact off to the side. While the kidlets of the story ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at The Cranky Critic (Chuck Schwartz)
USA TODAY
By emphasizing surreal humor and fast-paced action instead, Rodriguez has crafted a prepubescent version of James Bond without aping that series' style. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at USA TODAY
Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
"Spy Kids" is a smart, upscale, slick comedy adventure film that has something for everyone from kids to adults. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
iF Magazine
There’s nothing wrong with making movies that unabashedly please their intended audiences and director Robert Rodriguez knows that. But sometimes he takes his knocks for it too. Some hated the energetic DESPERADO for simply being a bigger budget ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at iF Magazine
Fantastica Daily (Mervius)
Exciting, humorous, and very cute. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Fantastica Daily (Mervius)
Greg's Previews at Yahoo! Movies (Greg Dean Schmitz)
Very entertaining... refreshing. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Greg's Previews at Yahoo! Movies (Greg Dean Schmitz)
efilmcritic.com (Collin Souter)
A movie drunk on fantasy and high on life, Spy Kids comes on the screen blazing and never lets up. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at efilmcritic.com (Collin Souter)
Hollywood.com (--)
Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik)
If there’s one thing Spy Kids doesn’t lack, it’s imagination. It’s the kind of movie that shows kids doing things most kids would love to do. It’s full of neat gadgets, strange characters, evil villains, world travel, and funny moments. You ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik)
Brandon Herring
After the genuinely repellent "family" comedy "See Spot Run"...I was starting to think that the good family movie genre was out. Alas "Spy Kids" opens and goes against all I just said, but it is the best family movie to come out in long time, and is the ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Brandon Herring
The UK Critic (Ian Waldron-Mantgani)
One other big flaw, a little harder to overlook: Rodriguez sometimes bites off more than he can chew in terms of the visual effects department. He wants to have so much crazy stuff going on, especially in the villain's lair, that a lot of the digital ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at The UK Critic (Ian Waldron-Mantgani)
Globe and Mail (Rick Groen)
Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Robert Rodriguez's Spy Kids is a high-octane children's fantasy in which a couple of kids find out that their parents are not only retired secret agents, but they have been kidnapped by an arch-villain and it is up to the two kids to save the day. It's ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)
"You have to give him points for imagination," one character remarks with mixed emotions about flamboyant villain Fegan Floop (Alan Cumming), who hosts a bizarre children's TV show, in Robert Rodriguez's "Spy Kids." The same can be said, at least in ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)
Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
"Being good" is emphasized as well as the worth and power of kids! Good action, but I can remember not a single gun shot, nor any blood. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
If I had seen this as a child, I would have thought it was the greatest movie ever made. Having seen it as an adult, I felt like a kid all over again. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
The Onion A.V. Club (Noel Murray)
Robert Rodriguez's earliest amateur films were made in his backyard with his younger siblings as stars. Now that he has three kids of his own, the Texas action director often casts his progeny in mini-epics that the family thinks up and shoots together ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at The Onion A.V. Club (Noel Murray)
Movie Mom's review
Imagine James Bond crossed with "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and you might have an idea of what to expect in "Spy Kids," the best family movie of the spring. It has just the right combination of giddy fantasy, exciting adventure, wonderful ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Movie Mom's review
New York Daily News (Jami Bernard)
An adorable family movie. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at New York Daily News (Jami Bernard)
Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)
The children's thriller Spy Kids is just a glorified gizmo movie, but, as directed by the semigrown up Robert Rodriguez, the gizmos have a loopy, babes in toyland vivacity. The story, about a brother and sister (Daryl Sabara and Alexa Vega) who become ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)
San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
It's not about a dog. It's not about a wizard. It has the pace of an action movie and the immediacy and spectacle of a video game. Yet there's nothing in it that can't be seen by young children. It's entertaining and inoffensive, a rare combination in ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
Chicago Tribune (Mark Caro)
A throwback to the family films of the 1970s, like one of Disney's goofy capers crossed with "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Chicago Tribune (Mark Caro)
eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)
It's a big, extended live-action pop-up book that adults will be able to smile with alongside their own kids. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
For Rodriguez, who began his career with great promise as the hotshot director of the $6000 wonder, El Mariachi, it has been a while since he has been embraced by the critics or the public. Spy ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Movie Hell (Michael J. Legeros)
SPY KIDS is an entirely cute, sometimes self-aware, and, alas, all too draggy kid's pic that blends the higher-tech James Bond movies with, well, WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. Antonio Banderas and Julia Roberts lookalike Carla Gugino play ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Movie Hell (Michael J. Legeros)
The Self-Made Critic
The triumphant film in question is none other than Spy Kids, the action-packed thriller with absolutely zero scenes featuring dismemberment or decapitations. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at The Self-Made Critic
Palo Alto Weekly (Jose Antonio Vargas)
Steve Rhodes
Carmen is a confident charmer, who makes a great role model for young girls. A spunky hero, she says what goes for the story's only profanity. "Oh shiiiiitake mushroom!" she exclaims once when things go really bad. And Juni, who conquers fears so ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Steve Rhodes
Film Written Magazine (Jaime N. Christley)
A sincere, joyful, well-constructed piece of action cinema. Children are likely to have a ball. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Film Written Magazine (Jaime N. Christley)
Mr. Brown's Movies (Michael Dequina)
Even the biggest skeptics of the 'kids as super spies' conceit will likely find themselves looking forward to the already-in-the-works sequel. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Mr. Brown's Movies (Michael Dequina)
Lawrence Journal-World (Dan Lybarger)
Like the speedy vehicles that can be seen throughout the film, "Spy Kids" moves at an agreeably quick pace, never letting up for such petty things as catching your breath. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Lawrence Journal-World (Dan Lybarger)
Houston Chronicle
It also was the first American film released in Spanish. Spy Kids is a much more polished movie, and it's in English, but at the same time the adventures of the Cortez family have a casual multicultural feel that is welcome. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Houston Chronicle
Brilliant Observations on 1173 Films (Clayton Trapp)
They didn't make 'em like this in the old days, mainly because they didn't have special effects. Not that they didn't have any, but, you know...Alan Cummings' gruesome children's television show creatures are hyrids from the celluloid genes of Ronald ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Brilliant Observations on 1173 Films (Clayton Trapp)
Three Movie Buffs (Eric Nash)
Spy Kids is one of those movies that as an adult you really have to allow your imagination out. Children love this movie and enjoy all the unrealistic action and supposed suspense. However, us adults may have to find our inner child to appreciate what ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Three Movie Buffs (Eric Nash)
Friday & Saturday Review
The surprising thing about “Spy Kids” is that just about all of these fears come to pass, but Rodriguez is enough aware of them that he tones them down and works around them. To his credit he avoids these traps by having a genuinely interesting ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Friday & Saturday Review
The Movie Chicks
PHOTO: RICO TORRES - A DIMENSION FILMS RELEASE © 2001 Gregorio (Antonio Banderas) and Ingrid Cortez (Carla Gugino) have the typical mom and dad scene going - 2 kids and an SUV; only they happen to be retired international spies (they just ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at The Movie Chicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
OK, if "Charlie's Angels" could be considered to be either "Mission: Impossible" with two X chromosomes or a James Bond movie with a feminist slant, what would that make "Spy ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)
What happens when the deadliest Latino secret agent and the swiftest American female spy are sent to off each other? Well, for Gregorio Cortez (Antonio Banderas) and Ingrid (Carla Gugino), they ended up falling in love, getting married, and quitting the ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)
ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Colourful, inventive, fast-moving fantasy adventure that kids will love and adults will be grateful for.Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino play retired super-spies Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez, currently embarked on the far more dangerous mission ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
The Cincinnati Enquirer (Margaret A. McGurk)
Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez brings the same dashing sense of style and pace to this family-values adventure as he did to El Mariachi, Desperado and From Dusk to Dawn. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at The Cincinnati Enquirer (Margaret A. McGurk)
Looking Closer (Jeffrey Overstreet)
Robert Rodriguez, famous for his tongue-in-cheek action pictures like "Desperado" and "From Dusk Til Dawn", must have decided to give something to folks that snubbed his hyperviolent hits. "Spy Kids" is a frivolous but fun adventure movie that will give ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Looking Closer (Jeffrey Overstreet)
Filmtracks (Christian Clemmensen)
Ironically, the best material in the Spy Kids score comes from the
auxiliary composers. Director Rodriguez has a habit of producing Latin flavoured
films, and it is inherent therefore that this score would be injected with Latin
guitars. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Filmtracks (Christian Clemmensen)
Flipside Movie Emporium (Eric Beltmann)
When I first saw El Mariachi, I was convinced that Rodriguez was a director born to make pictures move, driven to create images despite ethnic and financial barriers. In fact, one could read El Mariachi's tale of a musician forced to ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Flipside Movie Emporium (Eric Beltmann)
Palo Alto Online (Jose Antonio Vargas)
Carla Gugino, Antonio Banderas, Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara in Spy Kids. Finally, a kid's movie worth the money, time and popcorn. And all thanks to 32-year-old Robert Rodriguez. who wrote, produced, directed, shot and edited Spy Kids, an irresistibly ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Palo Alto Online (Jose Antonio Vargas)
DVD Net (Gavin Turner)
With his edgy action films (El Mariachi, Desperado, From Dusk â€til Dawn) writer-director Robert Rodriguez has endeared himself to cult audiences around the world. But who would have thought that the exact same ingredients that have made these films so ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at DVD Net (Gavin Turner)
FILMtabs
Die Gute Nacht-Geschichte von den zwei Spionen, die sich als Gegner gegenseitig fanden und als Familie zur Ruhe setzten, erweist sich als die wahre Geschichte der Eltern von Carmen (Alexa Vega) und Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara). Als Papa Gregorio (Antonio ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at FILMtabs
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
No one who has seen any of Robert Rodriguez's other films, most of which have been drenched in blood, would assume that he had the ability to craft such a fine, relatively non-violent example of pure family entertainment. Spy Kids is fun without being ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
sneersnipe (David Perilli)
Comparing humour between different social and geographical groups is a fascinating exercise not just confined to compilation programming showing us what 'crazeee' programs they watch in Japan. Where Mr Bean soon grew stale here, Eastern Europe couldn't ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at sneersnipe (David Perilli)
Detroit News (Susan Stark)
FOCUS Online
Geschäftstüchtigkeit – das lieben die Amerikaner mehr als alles andere. Auch und vor allem in der Filmbranche. Entsprechende Hochachtung verdiente sich vor zehn Jahren ein damals 23-jähriger, aus Mexiko stammenden Texaner namens Robert Rodriguez. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at FOCUS Online
Xiibaro Productions (David Perry)
Turns out that there really is nothing to worry about for the Cortez family -- mom and dad seem to have created a nice, non-hostile environment for Carmen and Juni that has kept them out of harm's way. But the call of the job hits and Gregorio decides ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Xiibaro Productions (David Perry)
Entertainment Insiders
Robert Rodriguez's double feature DVD "El Mariachi/Desperado" includes a student film he made with his little sister and brother. This sweet, funny fantasy showed a lighter side to Rodriguez. Therefore, it was no surprise to me that the man who brought ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Entertainment Insiders
kids-in-mind
A brother and sister (Daryl Sabara and Alexa Vega) discover their boring parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) are actually spies, but when their parents are kidnapped (parentnapped?), the spy kids must come to the rescue. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at kids-in-mind
filethirteen.com
It takes a while but "Spy Kids" eventually wins you over. Surely the films saving grace is the titular kids, Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara who have as much charm and innocence as they do talent and chutzpa. Sabara, in particular, is a marvel of young ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at filethirteen.com
WHSmith.co.uk review
Needcoffee.com
Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez (Banderas and Gugino) are the world's greatest spies. No, really. They just look like entrenched suburbanites, minivan and all. They have two very intelligent, energetic kids (Vega and Sabara). Everything's just peachy. But ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Needcoffee.com
Harvey's Movie Review (Harvey O'Brien)
Entertaining and imaginative children's film which plays like a mixture of James Bond and Dr. Seuss. Adult spies Antonio Banderas (The Mask of Zorro) and Carla Gugino (Snake Eyes) have given up their life of international espionage to get married and ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Harvey's Movie Review (Harvey O'Brien)
Haro Online
Too often these days, children's films are junk. They condescend to the filmmaker's idea of what children will like. The result is a stupid film with fart jokes and bad acting. Which makes Spy Kids unique. This is what children's film should be. It is ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Haro Online
MovieEye.com (David Litton)
With gadgets and gizmos galore, and a story that has the essence of James Bond in spades, "Spy Kids" reworks an old pro-family message into a frenzy of lighthearted, supercharged fun. The plot concerns two young pre-teens, Carmen and Juni (Alexa Vega and ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at MovieEye.com (David Litton)
Mr. Showbiz (Michael Atkinson)
Rodriguez has made a movie for kids, and the most and least that can be said about it is that parents, while hardly being catered to, will experience profound relief that the movie knows how to entertain and does so. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Mr. Showbiz (Michael Atkinson)
DVD Town (John J. Puccio)
Before we begin, I´d like to thank two of my neighbors, Zaid and Sahar Farhadi, eight and ten, and my wife, Penny, older than ten, for their input and opinions regarding "Spy Kids." The youngsters had seen it before and came over to watch it again on ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at DVD Town (John J. Puccio)
PopMatters (Tracy McLoone)
I did not see the first version of Spy Kids, released in March, and I don't think I gained much by waiting, except that I spent a 100-degree day in an air-conditioned movie theater rather than outside. The much-heralded, newly added shark scene, the ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at PopMatters (Tracy McLoone)
Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Anyone who's been a child on the verge of adolescence can empathize with 12-year-old Carmen Cortez (Alexa Vega) when, awash in disbelief, she manages to gasp, "My parents can't be spies. They're not cool ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
PopMatters (Cynthia Fuchs)
Television and movies designed for children are notoriously commercial. But what if the primary goal of Saturday morning cartoons was not to sell kids the latest Teletubbies lunchbox or Powerpuff Girls action figure? Just how ooky would it be if these ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at PopMatters (Cynthia Fuchs)
Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
When some kids discover that their parents have been kidnapped because they're former super spies, they set out to rescue them and stop the villains and their diabolical plans. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
Movie Magazine International
Two films by directors 35 years apart in age, are attracting widespread critical & popular acclaim this spring. Their surprising message is that deception is dangerous & deadly & that keeping a family together is exciting & glamorous. The fact is that ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Movie Magazine International
DVDTown.com (John J. Puccio)
...fast paced, full of colorful, fanciful imagery and high good humor. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at DVDTown.com (John J. Puccio)
www.susangranger.com (Susan Granger)
"The family that spies together, stays together. That's the homespun philosophy behind htis rousing fantasy/adventure." ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at www.susangranger.com (Susan Granger)
Washington Post (Stephen Hunter)
As a piece of almost dadaist filmmaking, Spy Kids is great fun with its continual spirit of invention. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Washington Post (Stephen Hunter)
LA Weekly (Paul Malcolm)
It's whiz-bang, techno fun, with a touch of Latino flavor. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at LA Weekly (Paul Malcolm)
Variety (Lael Loewenstein)
Fulfills kids' empowerment fantasies and features enough techno-wizardry and cool f/x to satisfy those weaned on videogames. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Variety (Lael Loewenstein)
TV Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
The high-profile cast -- play their roles with just the right mix of seriousness and tongue-in-cheek self-awareness. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at TV Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
Chicago Reader (Reece Pendleton)
A slyly subversive adventure tale that should appeal to children and adults alike. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Chicago Reader (Reece Pendleton)
Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
One of those gentle surprises, a kids' picture made with enough thought and care to keep adults entertained too. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
The New York Times (Elvis Mitchell)
An enjoyable and charming if overactive fantasy. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at The New York Times (Elvis Mitchell)
Dallas Observer (Andy Klein)
It's funny and exciting on enough levels that adults are likely to enjoy it just as much as the rug rats. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Dallas Observer (Andy Klein)
B Fatt. & Lazy Movie Reviews
allesfilm.com (Markus Steiger)
Gregorio (Antonio Banderas) und Ingrid Cortez (Carla Gugino) sind Spione im Ruhestand. Ihre beiden Kinder Carmen und Juni (Daryl Sabara) wissen nichts von der früheren Tätigkeit ihrer Eltern und wachsen wie normale Teenager auf. Carmen als Ältere ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at allesfilm.com (Markus Steiger)
Planet Sick-Boy (Jon Popick)
Leave it to Robert Rodriguez to make a high-octane kiddie pic largely set in Mexico and full of music straight from his Hollywood calling card, El Mariachi. If I had seen Spy Kids as a child, it would have blown my mind, and it's easy to envision the ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Planet Sick-Boy (Jon Popick)
TheWorldJournal.com (Giancarlo De Lisi)
While retaining all the characteristics of a conventional action flick ' Spy Kids' will appeal to both adults and children alike. From its' opening sequence displaying its' rough, taut adventurous look to the subtle transition to our child heroes, this ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at TheWorldJournal.com (Giancarlo De Lisi)
iofilm.co.uk
Those suffering from the after effects of Rocky & Bullwinkle, take comfort. With a little love, devotion and childish enthusiasm even a silly story can inspire hope in the future of the nursery world. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at iofilm.co.uk
The New York Times - Family Movie Guide (Peter M. Nichols)
Carmen and Juni are officially unaware of their parents' prior calling, but their inborn spylike tendencies make them pariahs at school. Back in the field, the rusty Gregorio and Ingrid are quickly undone and made prisoners by Floop. Now their elders' ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at The New York Times - Family Movie Guide (Peter M. Nichols)
eye WEEKLY (Catharine Tunnacliffe)
Two weeks ago, a distressed parent wrote to Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert complaining about the poor quality of kids' movies after taking her family to See Spot Run. Ebert replied, "I wish they were more liberal in permitting adult content for ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at eye WEEKLY (Catharine Tunnacliffe)
The (Georgetown) Hoya
After a nine-year marriage and hiatus from espionage, these parents return to their old roles as their former associates, the world’s best spies, start disappearing. But before the parents can accomplish anything, they are captured by the forces of ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at The (Georgetown) Hoya
hybridmagazine.com
I’m old enough to remember EMIL AND THE DETECTIVES, which came on as one of those Saturday morning children’s movies. Kids, with some missteps, figure it all out and save the world—or at least their small corner of it. Fun and funny, filled with ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at hybridmagazine.com
Apollo Guide (Scott Weinberg)
Director Robert Rodriguez has set his sights on the family market, and his latest feature is set to explode. Spy Kids is one of the finer family movies of recent years. The director’s trademark penchant for flashy action is evident throughout, but the ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Apollo Guide (Scott Weinberg)
The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews
Two retired spies with a family are kidnapped, and it's up to their kids to save them. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews
The Phantom Tollbooth
It hadn't been a great season for intelligent kids fare, at least not until Spy Kids came long. That film, however, neatly combines the more outrageous elements of James Bond spy movies with the fun aspects of kid flicks. Carmen and Juni are two normal ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at The Phantom Tollbooth
Sci-Fi Weekly
Carmen's 8-year-old brother, Juni (Sabara), has his own worries. He's afraid of almost everything, which results in warts that he wraps in bandages, giving him "mummy" fingers. His only joy in life is the bizarre children's show Floops Fooglies, ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Sci-Fi Weekly
Audio Revolution
As the title basically states, "Spy Kids" is aimed at children, but it's also very entertaining for adults. Which makes it something of a pity that Dimension Home Video's DVD release has virtually no extras. A commentary track, a making-of documentary, ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Audio Revolution
Apollo Movie Guide (Scott Weinberg)
With junk like Pokemon 3 and The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas masquerading as â€family entertainment’, this movie is a welcome sight indeed. This crazy little adventure is packed with enough creatures, gadgets and action to please anyone from six to ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Apollo Movie Guide (Scott Weinberg)
Nitrate Online (Elias Savada)
Director-writer Robert Rodriguez has dropped his stylish macho action façade for a stylish action fantasy geared for the younger (and the younger at heart) set. Willy Wonkas of the twenty-first century rejoice! It's a daring departure for the man who ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Nitrate Online (Elias Savada)
FilmHead.com
Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino play Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez: two former full-time spies who fell in love, raised a family and now work as consultants/part-time spies. Their children Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) don't know their ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at FilmHead.com
The Flick Filosopher's take
Movie Geek Central
CinemaZone.dk
Instruktøren Robert Rodriguez er ikke lige et navn, man ville associere med familie-/børnefilm. Den 'selfmade' 90’er-instruktør, der fulgte i fodsporene på Quentin Tarantino, da han ledte vejen for en generation af håbefulde, unge instruktører, ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at CinemaZone.dk
The Boston Phoenix
What ever happened to Robert Rodriguez? You may remember him as the promising filmmaker who 10 years ago whipped together the hip, low-budget thriller El Mariachi. Since then he’s produced the dismal Four Rooms and The Faculty and now this ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at The Boston Phoenix
MediaCircus (Anthony Leong)
The spy genre has grown rather tiresome in recent years, with each entry into the James Bond film series (such as "The World is Not Enough") sinking the venerable franchise further into banality. Even last summer's "Mission: Impossible 2", with Hong Kong ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at MediaCircus (Anthony Leong)
Flak Magazine (Sean Weitner)
Unlike almost any of the other late-'90s Wunderkinder, Robert Rodriguez came onto the scene as an exceptional film talent who was also a straight-up popular artist. Instantly famous for making the gleeful action fest El Mariachi for ludicrously little ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Flak Magazine (Sean Weitner)
Time Out
Ingrid (Gugino) and Gregorio Cortez (Banderas), semi-retired government spies, are called back to the ranks following the demise of their erstwhile colleagues at the hands of kids' puppet-show host and techno wizard Feban Floop (Cumming) and his assorted ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Time Out
Philadelphia City Paper (Cindy Fuchs)
Television and movies designed for children are notoriously commercial. But what if the primary goal of Saturday morning cartoons was not to sell kids the latest Teletubbies lunchbox or Powerpuff Girls action figure? Just how ooky would it be if ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Philadelphia City Paper (Cindy Fuchs)
Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
Give credit to producer/writer/director Robert Rodriguez for rebounding from an awful movie about teen-agers in "The Faculty" to a spirited entertainment about and for children in "Spy Kids." Amid a recent downturn in family films, when even hallowed ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
Jiminy Critic (Jon Kern)
Spy Kids weee! Spy Kids weee! Spy Kids whoop whoop wee hee! This movie is neat with a capital O. I didn’t like it when everyone started acting like my mom telling me to eat my vegetables and kiss my wrinkly grandma. Yuck! But most of the time, most of ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Jiminy Critic (Jon Kern)
BBC Films
Whether or not films with blazing guns or rivers of blood cause youngsters to stop arguing with their parents and annihilate them instead, violence has certainly affected director Robert Rodriguez. Now a family man himself, the film maker who let blood ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at BBC Films
DVDRAMA
Un excellent travail signé Disney. Les couleurs sont tout simplement sublimes et parfaitement saturées magnifiant ainsi un master 16/9 remarquable. La définition est idyllique offrant à l’ensemble une très belle fluidité. Les contrastes sont ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at DVDRAMA
Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
Cool writer/director Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi) has re-invented himself as a dad, and as a side effect of fatherhood, he has now made the coolest kid flick in ages. It doesn't reach the artistry of the Babe movies, but it's done with flair and wit ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
Cinopsis
Un couple d’espions reprend du service après quelques années de mise au vert. Capturés par le méchant de service, leur salut se trouve dans les mains de leurs petiots. N’écoutant que leur courage, leur sale gamine et son benêt de frère ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Cinopsis
DVDRAMA
Le zone 1 nous avait déjà plus que séduit, le zone 2 fait de même. Ce qui nous enchante, c?est avant tout la restitution parfaite des tons chaleureux du film. C?est simple, on a rarement vu une image aux couleurs aussi magnifiquement saturées. Les ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at DVDRAMA
Anchorage Press (Brenda Sokolowski)
This goofy, imaginative kiddy film is filled to the brim with exotic details: evil island lairs, rocket backpacks, cars equally capable of outrunning bad guys (in this case, a gruesomely funny looking bunch of "thumb-thumbs") on land, in the air or ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Anchorage Press (Brenda Sokolowski)
Fantastica Daily
Hollywood Entertainment News DVD Review (Staci Wilson)
Plugged In
Family secrets. They’re about as common as cheek-pinching second aunts commenting, "Look how BIG you’ve grown!" But the Cortez family secret is in a class by itself. It seems Gregorio and Carla were spies from opposite sides of the world sent to kill ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Plugged In
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Spy Kids," a visual knockout of an action-adventure film, offers a few innovations for the 21st-century movie family, among them electroshock bubble gum, amphibious submarines, smart-jetpacks and parents who aren't total dorks. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Jam! Movies
A special mission brings them back. When that mission goes awry, the couple's children -- played by Daryl Sabara and Alexa Vega -- step in to rescue their folks. Sabara plays a nervous little boy who learns to be brave, and Vega is his courageous older ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Jam! Movies
That Cow (Andrew Bradford)
My first exposure to Robert Rodriguez was El Mariachi, his first feature on only a thread of a shoestring budget, well documented in his book Rebel Without a Crew. That movie showed some real creativity, kept with its story elements and characters, and ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at That Cow (Andrew Bradford)
kvikmyndir.com
Þegar ég var aðeins yngri voru myndir á borð við Goonies, myndirnar um Indiana Jones og Back to the Future það allra heitasta og maður lifði sig fullkomlega inn à þessar myndir. Auk þess var James Bond aðal töffarinn sem allir ungir ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at kvikmyndir.com
Dustin Putman
"Spy Kids" is a funfilled, if slight, children's variation on James Bond, with two child protagonists, lots of action, spiffy special effects, and an overabundance of neat gadgets. There are no lifethreateniong weapons to be found here, nor is there any ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Dustin Putman
SPLICEDwire (Rob Blackwelder)
One of the bad guys in the cool juvie adventure flick "Spy Kids," is a PeeWee Herman meets Willie Wonka meets the Wizard of Oz wacko who -- when he's not trying to take over the world -- hosts his own super-surreal Saturday morning kiddie show from an ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at SPLICEDwire (Rob Blackwelder)
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Twelve-year-old moviegoer Chrissy Hauze, who skips a lot of movie dates she's offered, speaks of "Spy Kids" hesitantly and with misgivings. ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
FilmHead.com (Matt Heffernan)
Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino play Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez: two former full-time spies who fell in love, raised a family and now work as consultants/part-time spies. Their children Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) don't know their ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at FilmHead.com (Matt Heffernan)
Dark Horizons (Garth Franklin)
"Desperado" never interested me, I really got a kick out of "From Dusk til Dawn" (despite a yawn inducing first act), and "The Faculty" proved very much a so-so movie. With "Spy Kids" however Robert Rodriguez has gone in a completely different ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Dark Horizons (Garth Franklin)
Jigsaw Lounge (Neil Young)
Another cheesily enjoyable romp from the director* of The Faculty and From Dusk Till Dawn, Spy Kids is a zappy spoof of Bond, Mission Impossible, Austin Powers and Charlie’s Angels – for the under-twelves. When their undercover secret-agent parents ...read the complete Spy Kids movie review at Jigsaw Lounge (Neil Young)
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