Susan Granger’s review of “Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams” (Dimension/Miramax)
Buckle up for the fast-paced, live-action family adventure of the summer! The spunky junior espionage experts, Carmen (Alex Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara), are back with a new assignment, amazing accessories and two junior G-men rivals. The story begins as their father, Gregorio Cortez (Antonio Banderas), is passed over for an OSS promotion which is given, instead, to his dastardly rival Donnagon (Mike Judge), whose children, Gary (Matt O’Leary) and Gerti (Emily Osment, Haley Joel’s sister) Giggles are highly competitive with Carmen and Juni. “Remember, an agent is only as good as his gadgets,” Gary sneers, flaunting the latest gizmos. So when Gary and Gerti greedily grab a plum job, Carmen and Juni divert them and set off to reclaim the Cortez stature in the OSS. On a mysterious volcanic island, they discover a paranoid genetic scientist (Steve Buscemi) whose experiment to create a miniaturized animal zoo has gone amok. His creatures have become gigantic hybrids, like slizzards (a lizard/snake) and spider/monkeys. Far more threatening than the mutant menagerie, however, is The Transmooker, his top-secret device, which the evil, power-hungry Donnagon covets. In order to succeed this time, the spunky half-pint heroes abandon their techno toys and rely on their wits and ingenuity, along with the support of their father, mother (Carla Gugino) and skeptical grandparents (Ricardo Montalban, Holland Taylor). Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez makes good use of high-definition video cameras and imaginative visuals, inspired by sci-fi pioneer Ray Harryhausen. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams” is a cool, clever 8,. With traditional family values and kid-empowerment, it’s a rollicking good roller-coaster ride for its target audience.
