Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8886 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-10-22
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 84 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Spy Kids is a James Bond adventure for wee ones, with all the trimmings. This affable fantasy begins with Carmen and Juni Cortez soon to find out that their favourite bedtime story, "The Spies Who Fell in Love", is really the story of their parents. When Dad and Mom (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) mess up their first mission after coming out of retirement, their kids must come to the rescue, equipped with some cool gadgets. The Cortez family gets involved in a bizarre plot hatched by a Pee-wee Herman-type entertainer named Fegan Floop (a wonderfully hammy Alan Cumming) that's as giddy as it is ridiculous. Needless to say there is plenty of derring-do concerning long-lost uncles, goofy monsters, double agents, evil robots, look-alikes, and energised chases. Did we mention the gadgets? Although Banderas and Gugino make terrific impressions, the movie is carried (as it should be) by the younger Cortezes, winningly played by Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara. Who would have thought an action/horror studio (Dimension) and writer-director Robert Rodriquez had this pleasing family film u p their sleeves? Rodriquez (who produced with his wife Elizabeth Avellán) seemed to be mired in cheesy horror films but here breaks out by capitalising on the talent that gave him instant status with his debut, El Mariachi (1992). Spy Kids has plenty of verve but never swerves into potty humour (OK, there is one good potty joke) or wicked gunplay. All 7-year-olds should have a film as fun as this in their film-going lives. --Doug Thomas, Amazon.com

Special Features
1.85 Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital 5.1
English

Synopsis
When the notorious husband-and-wife spy team, Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino), is kidnapped by the children's show host Fegan Floop (Alan Cumming), the two Cortez children are the only ones who have the right skills and the insider know-how to help. Together Carmen and Juni Cortez (Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara) set out on their first spy mission to find Floop and rescue their parents. SPY KIDS is a high-wire family adventure that lets the kids save the day.

Customer Reviews

Fab for kids and Adults
I took my kids to see this film and was absolutly enthrawled by this film. We were on the edge of our seats the whole time.

Imaginative, Fun Family Film
Carmen and Juni are two kids who are just trying to grow up. Carmen resents always having to look out for her brother, and Juni is constantly afraid of everything and is the bullies' favorite target at school. But one day, they learn that their parents are really spies who have been kidnapped. The kids soon realize that they alone must find and rescue them. Along the way, Carmen and Juni will have to learn to work as a family if they have any hope of returning home alive.

This is a delightful film the entire family can enjoy together. The plot is cleaver and entertaining so everyone will enjoy it, and the characters are endearing. I especially love the scene where Juni meets his hero Floop and gives him advice. There is definitely a strong message about the importance of family, but it is brought out by the story and never feels too preachy.

A movie with this much imagination doesn't come along very often. Children of all ages will enjoy this purely escapist adventure.

Excellent movie let down by lack of extras
Spykids was one of those cinema sleepers that is destined to become a classic.

I only went to see it when I had to look after two 8 year olds on a rainy day but was pleasantly surprised by the amount of fun, technical wiz-bangery and a reasonable plot.

The girls also loved the movie and decided that they wanted to be spys as well.

Since my own child is growing fast I had a perfect excuse to get the DVD 'for the child', looking forward to enjoying Alan Cummings in another over-the-top madman role and hoping my wife would appreciate Antony Banderas in one of his better roles.

Whilst the movie transfer was suitably impressive the DVD smacks of a lost opportunity. There are little or no extras beyond the typical trailers and eye-candy menus.

I suspect a special edition will be along in a couple of months which is why I've downplayed the marks for this release.

Buy it if you are not an 'extras' person as the movie is great, but wait a while for a more rounded release of this potential children's classic (that also appeals to adults) if you can.