Review of Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002) by Samuel H — 22 Jul 2014

Better than the original Spy Kids 2 is hilarious. Here's the thing, you have to realize that the over the top corniness is intentional. If you were to attempt this type of humor with say more adult films (say a Quentin Tarantino movie) you would think it hilarious and masterful.

Unfortunately, when the actors are kids and the plot is less graphic, people fail to understand the humor in it and instead attribute it to poor acting or an unintelligent plot line. But if you realize the intentionality of the overzealous tackiness you must then realize the wonder of it.

In the dramatic zoom shots of a character's face, the characters say something that seems to be too commonly used in movies today. They say a catch phrase. But in this movie, those catch phrases are meant to come across as tacky.

There is intentional satire. Also, the scene in which Juni and the President's daughter dance is one of the most hilarious moments in modern cinema. Seriously. With all that being said, that's not to say that Spy Kids 2 is some sort of masterpiece.

It's not, by any stretch of the imagination. However, it is a dang good kids movie. And for that reason, it's a great watch.