Rating: PG
Starring:
Jessica Alba as Marissa Wilson
Joel McHale as Wilbur Wilson
Rowan Blanchard as Rebecca Wilson
Mason Cook as Cecil Wilson
Jeremy Piven as Danger D’Amo
Alexa Vega as Carmen Cortez
Daryl Sabara as Juni Cortez
Danny Trejo as Uncle Machete
Belle Solorzano as Spy Baby
Genny Solorzano as Spy Baby
Ricky Gervais as Argonaut (voice)
Special Features:
Other Info:
Widescreen (1.78:1)
5.1 DTSHD-MA Sound
Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 88 Minutes
The Details:
The following is the official description of the film:
“The action packed franchise is back with the next generation of Spy Kids! Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba) has it all: married to a famous spy-hunting television reporter (Joel McHale), with a new baby and intelligent twin step kids, Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook). When maniacal Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven) disrupts her domestic bliss–threatening to take over the planet–Marissa comes out of retirement as a top secret agent. With Armageddon quickly approaching, Rebecca and Cecil are thrust into action! With a little help from some familiar Spy Kids friends, Carmen (Alexa Vega), Juni (Daryl Sabara), and their faithful dog Argonaut (Ricky Gervais) and some mind-blowing gadgets, they just may be able to save the world!”
“Spy Kids 4: All The Time in the World” is rated PG for mild action and rude humor.
Mini-Review:
Somehow I’ve managed to see every single “Spy Kids” movie. Having done that, I’ve recognized that Robert Rodriguez has a distinct pattern with his kids films. Things start out promising enough as he introduces the kids and the concepts. Eventually the kids are thrown into an adventure on their own. Along the way the story takes random twists and turns that defy logic. By the end there’s a major battle royal between everyone, some iffy special effects, and the main villain ultimately turns good and helps stop whatever problem he started. The day is saved, everyone’s happy, and the credits roll. “Spy Kids 4” is unfortunately no different.
That being said, it manages to do a few things right. First of all, Jessica Alba does a good job as the stepmother Marissa. She’s beautiful, tough, and funny as she waddles around fighting bad guys while in labor. Second, they got Joel McHale as Wilbur Wilson. I’m a fan of his from “Community,” so I was happy to see him in this role. He doesn’t do anything all that funny here, but he does emerge with his dignity intact. Then you’ve got Ricky Gervais as Argonaut. I never in a million years would have expected him to play a robotic farting dog, yet he does. And I’ve seen enough of his roles to tell when he’s improvising. He does that here and I think it helps take the character to another level. Then, of course, you have appearances by the now adult Alexa Vega as Carmen Cortez and Daryl Sabara as Juni Cortez. They help tie the four films together… and make you feel old.
While this movie has a little more coherent plot and fun actors, it’s still a “Spy Kids” film and it’s made for kids. Pick it up, pop it in the Blu-ray player, and let the kids be entertained for a while. They’ll enjoy the poop, fart, and puke jokes while you’ll enjoy 88 minutes of peace and quiet.
You’ll find a small selection of bonus features on the Blu-ray. There’s an interview with Robert Rodriguez conducted by a kid, some deleted scenes, and a featurette on Vega and Sabara passing the “Spy Kids” torch onto the new kids. There’s also a featurette showing the kids behind the scenes and another highlights Gervais as the dog’s voice.
