Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams Review
by Karina Montgomery (karina AT cinerina DOT com)September 3rd, 2002
Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams
Rental
The first Spy Kids was a total trip, tons of fun, laughs, cool gadgets, and a submerged lesson about family. Spy Kids 2 (technically Robert Rodriguez' first foray into a Sequel in the franchise sense of the word) is just like any other typical II I have seen: not quite as fun, more in-jokes from the previous film, a reliance on our affection for the previous film, and special guest stars! In this case, the special guest stars include Ricardo Montalban and Steve Buscemi, which I am always in favor of, but it can smack of desperation for something fresh.
The film starts with an expensive but visually stunning CGI theme park based on a wicked faced cartoon character who is clearly mischievous. The rides are extreme times ten, horrifying to insurance companies and concerned parents alike, and quite funny to see on screen. The president's daughter blah blah blah and the Spy Kids are needed!
Now, the film's central and obvious plot comes out; instead of being a message about family, it is a message on overreliance on technology and underutilization of one's brain. Bravo, and all that, but check out that cool CGI stuff! So we have some punk "bad guy" spy kids (my companion identified the girl as an Osment family member) and we have our cool kids from the first movie, Juni and Carmen, competing to jobs and trying to retain honor in the face of corruption. Valuable lessons for kids, as well as sort of encouraging them to not use technology so much, but this lesson is diluted by, well, contradicting itself. And there was hardly any Alan Cumming or Tony Shaloub, a crime.
So we must rely on the simple diversion of action and comedy. One bizarre visit to Steve Buscemi on the Island of Lost Dreams later, and we still have not gotten anywhere but mixing up the story a little further. Don't get me wrong, there are some very amusing little jokes strewn in here, and some lines made funnier just by the fact that Buscemi is saying them. The score has a delightful recurring lietmotif of the "nanny nanny boo boo" tune.
In addition to his usual job writing, directing, producing, and editing his films, just like the $7,000.00 El Mariachi days, Rodriguez has decided to compose and direct photography as well. Perhaps this is what caused him to lose his way. All his previous films, even his more adult-aimed films, were filled with a childlike glee and delight, and Spy Kids 1 was especially effective in balancing kid with adult. Overworked? Hubris? You be the judge. Rodriguez is a shining example of Local Boy Makes Good but we don't want him becoming the next George Lucas, now, do we? Trapped in an ivory tower, immune to reality? I doubt that is the problem. It could be simply that Harvey and Bob Weinstein smelled franchise (McDonald's carried the toys this year for this film) and made him do it. Either way, it lacks the joy and fun of his normal work, and it pales in comparison to the original. Many sequels do, but in this case, all the fancy gadgets were what tripped him up this time. Ooh maybe that was his subtle statement to the studios? I hope so.
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These reviews (c) 2002 Karina Montgomery. Please feel free to forward but just credit the reviewer in the text. Thanks.
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