Spy Kids

Written and directed--startlingly enough--by guns-a-blazin' Tarantino protégé Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn), this zestfully fun family film is a glossy, MTV-and-CGI modernization of the throw-away adolescent caper matinees Disney used to crank out in the early 1970s. The plot: A husband-and-wife team of super-duper secret agents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) get kidnapped and it's up to their children (Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara) to save them. The baddie: A surreal kiddie show host (scene-stealing Alan Cumming) with a funhouse fortress HQ, who captures spies and diddles with their DNA, turning them into uncanny, toy-like Technicolor mutants. Spy Kids is flawed and far too easily sidetracked by gadgets, gimmicks and the confusing details of the endlessly meandering plot. But it's an extremely entertaining romp with a capricious video game sensibility that made me wish I could jump into the movie and play along. Recommended, especially given the sell-through price. (R. Blackwelder)[Blu-ray Review—Aug. 2, 2011—Lionsgate, 91 min., PG, $19.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2001's Spy Kids sports a fine transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Blu-ray extras include a “Growing Up Spy Kids” retrospective featurette (48 min.), a “Robert Rodriguez Ten-Minute Film School” segment with the director (8 min.), production featurettes on stunts (7 min.) and special effects (7 min.), a “Ten-Minute Cooking School” recipe segment (6 min.), trailers, and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a fine Blu-ray debut for this family film franchise launcher.]