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A still from Spy Kids 2
Spy Kids are back!
This adventure is for the young and old

Arthur J. Pais

The witty and hyperactive comic adventure, Spy Kids2: The Island of Lost Dreams, makes up for the lack of interesting children films around that can also be enjoyed by the adults.

Like Stuart Little 2 and Lilo & Stitch, the new Spy Kids movie (a sequel to Spy Kids --- the surprise hit that grossed over $160 million worldwide over a year ago), is filled with many imaginatively conceived and well-executed episodes.

Much of the happenings in the movie are outrageous and inconceivable, but this is the kind of fun film you will find hard to resist.

Some viewers may complain --- and with justification --- that the playfulness of the first movie is diminished here because of the rivalry shown between two batches of spy kids.

Many of the actors from the previous instalment, including Antonio Banderas, who finally became a Hollywood star thanks to the success of Spy Kids, are back. There are some new faces this time, especially Emily Osment, sister of Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense,A I).

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With a bunch of lively actors, a flying pig and a sea snake, not to forget a cave with exotic loot and scary skeletons, the new movie offers guilty pleasures, especially to the adults who may find it difficult to resist its energy and charm. The previous Spy Kids movie as well as the new instalment were written and directed by Robert Rodriguez.

Like in the previous film, much of the story revolves around Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara), who devise smart plans to rescue their parents and the family spy business. Their father Gregorio (Antonio Banderas) has lost his clout because of internal politics at the agency. Worse, a rival pair --- Gary (Matt O'Leary) and Gerti Giggles (Emily Osment) get top assignments from their spymaster father.

Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara in Spy Kids 2 The Giggles children are sent out to recapture a device that can stall power transmission on earth. But Carmen and Juni have their own agenda and manage to reach the mysterious island where the device reportedly disappeared.

Carmen and Juli realise the gadgets they have brought with them are no match to the challenges they face. So the two try to depend on their own ingenuity. They bump into an eccentric scientist Romero (Steve Buscemi) whose exotic creatures both spellbind and worry them. Romero is an interesting character. He is so petrified of his own creations that he does not want to leave the lab. But as the new arrivals race against time to recapture the gadgets, they are also aware that the Giggles kids could defeat their quest.

Unlike in the first film, this time the parents and grandparents have to help the kids get off the mess. As the adventures and misadventures continue, the kids finally depend not only on their parents, but their grandparents, too, to help them out. A still from Spy Kids 2

Banderas has given yet another winsome performance as the clever spy who cannot help being insecure with his children and being overtly sensitive. But the truly charming performances come from children, especially Vega and Sabara.

Part of the first movie’s appeal was due to its premise that a family that stays together can not only spy together but also have a lot of fun. The thought continues in Spy Kids 2, too. The spy kids realise they cannot save the world on their own. Naturally everything ends on a giddy note. Spread the red mat for the third mini Bond movie.

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