In the ’50s, the newest gimmick in filmmaking was used to
lure audiences into the cinema. Using nerdy two-color glasses, 3-D
movies made objects appear to leap out at the audience, usually
riding the wave of novelty with a paper-thin plot. The aptly titled
“Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over,” which is now a 2 disc DVD
set, falls into this pattern.
Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) has become a private investigator
since the events of the second film, earning money to buy the most
realistic video game ever. The stakes increase, however, as
President Devlin (George Clooney) informs Juni that his sister
Carmen (Alexa Vega) is being held hostage in the game by the
creatively titled Toymaker (Sylvester Stallone). Juni has to enter
the game in order to save Carmen. Juni’s grandfather (Ricardo
Montalban) and virtually every actor from the “Spy
Kids” movies show up to help Juni before their time runs
out.
While the sound is presented in crisp Dolby Digital Surround,
the video presentation is an animal all its own. While the 2-D
version is crisp, it serves no purpose, as viewers lose the main
attraction of the movie. The film is migraine inducing, either
because of the glasses or Stallone in his five roles.
The multitude of extras in this set make up for the
disappointing feature. Robert Rodriguez hosts a “Ten Minute
Film School,” in which he shows how the shots for the films
were composed. It also includes amusing home movies of his children
playing with trains, but with over-the-top sound effects. Rodriguez
also provides an informative feature-length commentary of the film.
There is also a multi-angle storyboard-to-screen featurette of one
of the scenes. While the movie will be a disappointment to viewers
over the age of 12, the extras are its redeeming quality. With the
kiddie trilogy out of the way, Rodriguez is now free to concentrate
on more “grown up” films, such as
“Desperado,” which gave him Hollywood influence and
allowed him to make “Spy Kids” in the first place.
Movie: 2 out of 5 stars
Picture/Sound: 3 out of 5 stars
Features: 4 out of 5 stars