Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002)

"Spy Kids 2" is creative,energetic and and lots of fun...while at the same time being quite weird and not making a whole lot of sense.This really can't be considered a spy movie,because it goes pretty far off from the idea that these 2 kids could be spies.This movie really has more in common with the "Men in Black" and the "Mummy" movies than it does with James Bond,but it's a very enjoyable flick anyway.

I got to wonder...does this spy organization,the OSS...do they take on really bizarre assignments and leave the serious work to the FBI and CIA? That's the only way this organization could ever exist.

I enjoyed all the creatures made for this movie.It looks like they had alot of fun thinking them up.The gadgets are a bit far fetched but pretty damn cool anyway.The kids are solid in this and likeable.Steve Buscemi has an interesting and enjoyable role has a mad scientist.

This movie is weirder and more out there than the 1st Spy Kids,which was quite weird and out there.Even though both are hard to believe,and even though both don't make too much both sense,both are great entertainment and great fun.Both movies are funny,colorful,creative and full of imagination and action.I'll give the edge to the first "Spy Kids" as the better movie,but "spy Kids 2" is a worthy sequel.

Fmovies: While I maintain the original film wasn't that good, it was still better than this film. Not that 'Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams' is god-awful or anything, it just didn't manage to eliminate the same problems the first film had. That was artificiality! This one felt even more artificial than the first! The visual f/x were fairly were decent in parts but also very fake in others, but the overall artificiality remains in the world of the Spy Kids themselves.

In the sequel, we see an established Spy Kid network which our heroes, Carmen and Juni Cortez (Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara), find themselves having some competition from the Giggles children (Matt O'Leary and Emily Osmont) in the field of saving the world. The plot involves the Cortez kids heading to a mysterious island to retrieve a stolen weapon, while encountering genetically mutated (very fake) looking creatures, as well as a scientist named Romero (Steve Buscemi). Now, Romero is falsely advertised as the villain of the film, but from the onset he befriends the pair. Meanwhile, the Spy Kid's parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) are looking for them with the grandparents (Ricardo Montalban and Holland Taylor) assisting them in their search.

Now, the problem with sequel is the overall storyline is not as good as the first film. There isn't a moment where I am drawn into this bizarre universe nor am I ever afraid for the characters, or feel they are overcoming major hurdles in the adventure or amongst themselves. It is this sort of artificiality that bothers me about 'Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams'. I've seen plenty of kids movies in my time, and many feel like they are genuinely overcoming a hurdle, or uniting a family rift or having a character reach a point of enlightenment. The sub-plot with the grandparents and Gregorio (Antonio Banderas) just didn't work for me at all, although the outcome was decent, the lead up to it was rather formulaic and uninteresting. Similarly, the father/son rift subplot was extremely tame and bland. 'Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams' also lacked villain power, as if the bad guys were doing their thing for the sake of doing it, rather than establishing some madness behind their methods. The overall plot was generally disappointing.

However, there is some decent moments. The interaction between Alexa Vega and Darly Sambara work very well and they are an extremely likable, but the writing and Robert Rodriguez's direction are just having them going through the motions, and the pacing of the film even seems awkward. Cheech Marin, Alan Cummings, Tony Shaloub and Danny Trejo all return in limited roles to further the plot. Mike Judge, of 'Beavis and Butthead' fame, returns in a bigger role as Donnagon Giggles and their is another decent cameo (which I won't spoil). Overall, for the reasons stated, the film lacks the magic of other kid's films and this is partly due to the artificiality of the story/characters and some of the visual effects.

**½ out of *****!

I enjoyed the first Spykids movie MUCH more than I thought I would, as it turned out to be a film that had appeal to BOTH kids and the parents forced to accompany them to the movies. It was well-written and innovative.

So what went SO wrong with THIS movie??!! Completely lost was all the charm of the first. Instead of naive agents who SOMEHOW defeat evil, the once-cute kids are now James Bond Juniors with super gadgets and powers!!! And, to make things worse, the movie is even more special effects drenched than the first. It's a total mess with unlikeable characters, a muddled plot and hackneyed writing. Adults or anyone with an IQ larger than their shoe size should stay away at all costs! If you LIKED seeing a good film followed up by a HORRIBLE sequel, you might also try watching Babe: Pig in the City. Somehow it manages to make an even better original movie and transform it into an even more unwatchable sequel! Only masochists should watch!

Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams fmovies. As the story begins, Juni and Carmen Cortez are agents on the rise in the new Spy Kids division of the OSS. Despite all of their skills and accomplishments, they're denied a promotion in the agency as a result of blatant nepotism. Still determined to make their mark—and more importantly to upstage a pair of rival agents—they intervene in a mission to travel to a mysterious island and retrieve a sophisticated thingamajig that could be a potent threat if it falls into the wrong hands. Engaging sequel is far less cheesy than its predecessor, has a much better story, and lots of imaginative visual effects accompanied by exciting, cliffhanger action scenes. Overlong, and still corny at times, but has just enough ingredients to entertain all audiences. ***

Not sure why there are such bad reviews for this movie. I recently re-watched this for the first time since childhood and was surprisingly impressed. The movie somehow portrays what is impossible as somewhat believeable (like the CGI is not THAT bad).

The movie has OUTSTANDING tempo. The sound effects, dialogue, and editing make for a riveting pace. This tempo makes up for the lackluster kid acting in my opinion.

It was interesting to see the terribly outdated mentions of technology ("latest nanotechnology"), but also the creepingly accurate depictions of modern/tech start up esque workplaces in the OSS Junior building. Actually pretty cool.

Wildly imaginative! a wonderful family movie, great action, great fun, lots of wit & humour. Every parent should be thankful for a movie their kids will love and they will love too. Excellent messages cloaked in fun. Really a great movie for anyone who still has the heart of a kid!