Spy Kids 3D: Game Over

3D movies are always more cool than good because the gimmick is the driving force, with plot and character development receiving little more than lip service. This is doubly true of this kiddie-action sequel since most of it takes place inside a video game, where Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) is on a rescue mission to save the mind of his sister (Alexa Vega), which has been trapped by a villain called the Toymaker (a hammy Sylvester Stallone). The game is like a 21st century Tron in which Juni joins forces with teenage beta testers from around the world who surf in lava, bounce around on "pogo-toads," engage in giant robot fights, and race rocket-cycles along dangerous high-rise tracks. The all-CGI, cartoon-inspired F/X are undeniably rad in three dimensions, and writer-director Robert Rodriguez gets a whole lot of mileage out of the movie's visuals. It's just a pity he aims so lamentably low in other aspects of the movie, with slapdash scripting, a determination to ignore common sense plot holes in almost every scene, and a bad habit of laying it on thick with the sentimental candy-store philosophy. Optional. [Note: DVD extras on this double-disc set include both 2-D and 3-D (with glasses) versions of the film, audio commentary by director Robert Rodriguez, the “Robert Rodriguez: Ten Minute Film School: Dream Screen Plus How to Make Cool Home Movies” featurette, a 21-minute “making of” featurette, the set-top game “Mega Race,” the three-song “Alexa Vega in Concert” at the film's world premiere in Austin, TX, a seven-minute “The Effects of the Game” montage, “Surfing and Stunts” multi-angle comparison segment, brief segments on “Making Traks with Alexa Vega” and “Big Dink, Little Dink” (with Bill Paxton and son James), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for the third chapter in the popular kids' franchise.] (R. Blackwelder)[Blu-ray Review—Aug. 2, 2011—Lionsgate, 84 min., PG, $19.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2003's Spy Kids 3: Game Over sports a fine transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Robert Rodriguez, a “making-of” featurette (21 min.), a “Ten-Minute Film School” on how to make a cool home movie (10 min.), the three-song “Alexa Vega in Concert” featurette from the film's world premiere in Austin, TX (10 min.), “The Effects of the Game” montage (7 min.), a brief “Surfing and Stunts” multi-angle comparison segment, brief segments on “Making Tracks with Alexa Vega” and “Big Dink, Little Dink” (on the cameos by Bill Paxton and son James), trailers, and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid Blu-ray debut for this threequel—although stripped of the theatrical version's original 3D.]