Reviewed by: Anita (first-time reviewer, with significant editing from Editor)
CONTRIBUTOR
Moral Rating: | Better than Average |
Moviemaking Quality: |
|
Primary Audience: | Kids Family |
Genre: | Action Adventure Kids Fantasy Sequel |
Length: | 1 hr. 40 min. |
Year of Release: | 2002 |
USA Release: |
August 7, 2002 |
Featuring | Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Steve Buscemi, Mike Judge, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, Matt O'Leary, Emily Osment, Ricardo Montalban, Holland Taylor, Alan Cumming, Taylor Momsen, Christopher McDonald, Dale Dudley, Troy Robinson, Ron Hayden, Brian Thornton, Mark Turner, Bill Paxton, Angela Lanza, Felix, Lynda, Alexandra, Victoria Sabates, Jasmine Marin, Tony Shalhoub, Deborah Abbott, Keith Bright, Ian Campbell, Deidre A. Cannon, Tiger Darrow, Nicole Dault, Eli DeGeer, Ken Edwards, Justin D. Hilliard, Vincent Johnson, Landon Kash, Michael S. Koenig, Andrew Rice, Jordan Walker Ross, Laila Sadeq, Spencer Scott, Jess Sherman |
Director |
Robert Rodriguez |
Producer | Dimension Films, Troublemaker Studios, Elizabeth Avellán, Robert Rodriguez, Bill Scott, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein |
Distributor |
Dimension Films, a division of The Weinstein Company |
“Huge new adventure—slightly larger spies”
“Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams” is the sequel to the wildly popular “Spy Kids” of 2001. The fun action of the original was generally regarded as non-offensive and good for the whole family. “Spy Kids 2” is along the same lines, though there is some content that parents may find objectionable (like some crude humor, gratuitous body noises, nose picking jokes, Carmen’s bare pot-belly in a formal dinner scene, etc.) And, like the original, the shitake mushroom joke is again rehashed.
The positives elements of “Spy Kids 2” are basically the same as in the first installment: the Cortez family still loves each other and sticks together no matter what. The language is very clean. There is no sexually explicit dialogue or action (although the mother Ingrid, played by Carla Gugino, makes a suggestive remark near the end that turns out to be pretty innocent in nature).
The children’s maternal grandparents are introduced to us in this sequel. Initially, they show their dislike of the father Gregorio (Banderas), but eventually learn to accept him. They become instrumental in helping to track down the children who have gotten lost on “the island of lost dreams.”
In the story, a scientist who lives on the island has created mutant creatures upon which he is fearful of. He never leaves his lab because of it. He wonders aloud if God stays in Heaven because He is afraid of what He created on Earth. But, as Christians know, the good news is that God didn't stay in Heaven: His omnipresence, and revelation to mankind in so many ways, is made most evident in the birth of a baby in Bethlehem—Jesus Christ. God himself dwelled among us, on Earth. He is not afraid of us, but instead loves us deeply.
Enjoy “Spy Kids 2” with the whole family. Be sure to stick around for the end credits and bloopers.
Spy Kids (2001)
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.