Robert Rodriguez Month - Spy Kids (2001)

         Hey guys, Chuck here, and we're pretty much halfway done with Robert Rodriguez Month. And, throughout the month, we've been talking about films that Robert Rodriguez made that were more intended for adults, although Alita: Battle Angel does have a PG-13 rating. But, today, and for the next several days, we'll be taking a look at a franchise that marked Rodriguez's first foray into making movies for families and children. And that franchise is Spy Kids. Released in 2001, the original Spy Kids came as something of a surprise, as not only was it Rodriguez's first time making a movie for kids, but it still has the signature Robert Rodriguez style. 

       The movie focuses on the Cortez family, which consists of parents Gregorio and Ingrid, and their two children Carmen and Juni. Years before, Gregorio and Ingrid were spies working for rival agencies, and were assigned to take each other out. However, the two instead fell in love, got married, started a family, and became consultants for the OSS (Organization of Super Spies). And, much like how they keep their past secret from their children, Gregorio and Ingrid learn that both Carmen and Juni are keeping secrets as well, as Carmen skips school twice a month, and Juni is essentially the class punching bag and has no friends. 

       Also, Juni's favorite television series is a children's program called Floop's Fooglies, which is hosted by a man called Fegan Floop, who is being funded by a corrupt businessman named Mr. Lisp to build an army for Lisp. Unfortunately, most of what Floop has are a group of OSS agents, including an agent named Donnagon Giggles, who were mutated into the Fooglies, as well as the Thumb-Thumbs, which are robots whose arms, legs, and heads are oversized thumbs. However, Floop's latest creation is a set of five-hundred robotic children called Spy Kids. Unfortunately, the robotic children have no artificial intelligence, and are thus incomplete. 

         Now, back to the Cortezs, eh? Anyway, Gregorio is called out of retirement to find the four missing agents, including Donnagon. Ingrid, hungry to get out in the field again, joins him, and they leave Carmen and Juni in the care of fellow agent Felix Gumm, who is like an uncle to the children. Unfortunately, en route to a rendezvous point, Ingrid and Gregorio are captured by Floop, and Felix is forced to get Carmen and Juni to a safehouse, as the Cortez house is attacked by Floop's forces. 

       After a pretty kickass boat chase aboard the NIX SuperGuppy, Carmen and Juni arrive at the safehouse, which is stocked with rations, emergency cash from around the world, jetpacks, spy gear, and a rehydrator to prepare the rations. After looking around, and gearing up, Carmen and Juni decide to find a way to rescue their parents, when Ms. Gradenko and a selection of OSS agents arrive to keep the children safe. And, it's here where she reveals that Floop is a villain, and Carmen remembers Felix's message for the OSS: the Third Brain lives. However, it turns out that Gradenko and her men are not with the OSS, but are working with Floop. So, Carmen and Juni nab the Third Brain, and a pair of jetpacks, and escape, evading the bad guys by changing into clothing to hide in plain sight. 

        As for what the Third Brain is, well, it was an attempt by the OSS to create an advanced form of artificial intelligence, filled with spy knowledge, and both Gregorio and Donnagon were directly involved with the project. However, the OSS realized how dangerous the technology would be if it fell into the wrong hands, and thus the agents working on the project were ordered to destroy it. But, Gregorio couldn't bring himself to destroy his life's work, and thus kept it hidden instead. 

       But, Floop and his aide Alexander Minion get word that Carmen and Juni escaped with the Brain, and send two robotic children, oddly duplicates of Carmen and Juni, to fetch the Brain, which they do successfully. Out of options, Carmen and Juni head to a spy shop owned by a man named Machete, who is photographed with Gregorio in one of the pictures from Gregorio and Ingrid's wedding. And, it turns out that Machete is Gregorio's older brother Isador Cortez, and has all a manner of spy tech, as well as a single-passenger spy plane fast enough to get to Floop's castle, which is where Gregorio and Ingrid are being held. However, Machete is unwilling to help, but is willing to let Carmen and Juni stay with him for the night. 

        After a night's rest, Carmen and Juni grab some gear, the map to Floop's castle, and take the spy plane to reach the castle. Unfortunately, the plane malfunctions, forcing the two to eject into the water below just before the plane crashes. Carmen and Juni then arrive at the castle through an underwater entrance, and the two go in search of answers. Getting a top from the Fooglie version of Donnagon, they learn that their parents are in the dungeon. But, the two get separated after a chase with the robotic children, and Juni winds up in the Virtual Room, where he comes face to face with Floop himself. 

       And, it's here where Juni learns that Floop is not the bad guy, and all of the diabolical things that the movie led us to believe were all the work of Minion. Turning OSS agents into Fooglies, building the robotic children, hijacking the Third Brain, and locking Floop in the Virtual Room once he was of no further use. All of it was Minion. And we see Minion confront Gregorio and Ingrid, and Gregorio is turned into the Fooglie that Juni drew. Juni, using a Machete Elecrro-Shock.Gumball, decides to help Floop get out, so that Floop can help save Gregorio and Ingrid and stop Minion's plan. But, when Floop asks Juni what his show needs to make it more successful, Juni remarks that "it needs children."

       So, Juni and Floop make their way to the dungeon, reuniting with Carmen on the way, and save Ingrid and Gregorio, with Floop making it so the mutation process can be reversed. Mr Lisp, however, has already arrived to collect the army of robotic children, and is greeted by Minion and Ms. Gradenko. Minion is called away, where he is confronted by Floop and the Cortezes, who turn him into a four-headed Fooglie. And, upon confronting Lisp, the newly mutated Minion, and Ms. Gradenko, the Cortezes find themselves surrounded by the robotic children, but Machete arrives to help his family . However, Floop is able to rework their programming, and the robotic children attack Lisp, Minion, and Ms. Gradenko instead. Gregorio and Machete reconcile after many years, and the Cortezes are now a proper family of spies. 

        Some time later, and all of the Cortezes are at home, watching Floop's show, where he reveals that the robotic counterparts of Carmen and Juni are now characters on the show called Carmenita and Junito. However, family breakfast is interrupted by OSS director Devlin, who has an assignment for Carmen and Juni, but they are only interested if the whole family goes on the mission together. 

        Spy Kids was my first experience of watching a Robert Rodriguez film, and it was a fun one. Many people who've seen it have described it as "Willy Wonka meets James Bond, and I definitely agree with that particular sentiment. The character of Floop is very much what you'd get if Willy Wonka was a children's television host, and even looking at the outlandish attire Floop wears, you can tell a lot of inspiration was taken from Willy Wonka. And big props to Alan Cumming for such a stellar performance in the role of Floop. 

       Speaking of the performances, Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino as Gregorio and Ingrid were fantastic, and looked absolutely fantastic on screen together. The duo of Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara as Carmen and Juni were great, and they felt like genuine siblings, which was great. The villain trio of Robert Patrick as Mr. Lisp, Tony Shaloub as Minion, and Teri Hatcher as Ms. Gradenko were all fantastic villains. And, yes, Robert Rodriguez regulars Cheech Marin and Danny Trejo as Felix and Machete were both great. And, I thought it was nice getting to see George Clooney as Devlin and Mike Judge as Donnagon. 

       The visual effects were also fun. They felt like they were something kids can enjoy, but were still very much in the style of Robert Rodriguez. The makeup effects for the Fooglies, the gadget designs, the Thumb-Thumbs, all of them genuinely feel like they couldn't fit in a world outside of this one. And, that's what I love about Spy Kids. It genuinely feels like a world that is very much in the signature Robert Rodriguez style, just aimed at a younger demographic. I'm giving Spy Kids a rating of 5/5. 

       Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll be back tomorrow to continue Robert Rodriguez Month with Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams.