Spy Kids
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| Spy Kids | |
|---|---|
 Spy Kids poster |
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| Directed by | Robert Rodriguez |
| Produced by | Elizabeth Avellan Robert Rodriguez |
| Written by | Robert Rodriguez |
| Starring | Antonio Banderas Carla Gugino Alexa Vega Daryl Sabara Alan Cumming |
| Cinematography | Guillermo Navarro |
| Editing by | Robert Rodriguez |
| Distributed by | Miramax Films (DVD only) Dimension Films |
| Release date(s) |  USA 18 March 2001(premiere) USA 30 March 2001 |
| Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English/Spanish |
| Budget | $35 million (est.) |
| Gross revenue | $112,692,062 (USA) |
| Followed by | Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams |
| Official website | |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Spy Kids is the first film of the Spy Kids trilogy. It is directed and written by Robert Rodriguez. It stars Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara and was released in 2001. Rodriguez also produced with Elizabeth Avellan and Guillermo Navarro and was the editor of the film. The film was released in United States theaters on March 18, 2001 and on DVD on September 28, 2001.
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[edit] Tagline
- Real Spies...only smaller
[edit] Plot
Carmen and Juni Cortez live with what they think are their boring parents. One night, Carmen asks Ingrid to tell her a story, and with Juni listening, Ingrid recounts the tale of two spies who, though they are on opposing sides and originally supposed to kill each other, end up falling in love and getting married. What Carmen and Juni don't know is that this is the true story of Gregorio and Ingrid. The newly married couple makes a big decision. They retire from the Office of Strategic Services, the spy organization they were working for, to raise their family.
Ten years later, the family is facing some problems. Carmen enjoys tormenting her younger brother, who does not have many friends. In fact, the only enjoyment in his life comes from watching "Floop's Fooglies", a children's TV show starring a man named Fegan Floop, his sidekick Alexander Minion, and strange, humanoid Fooglies that speak in gibberish. Ingrid longs to return to spy work, while Gregorio just wants everyone to be happy.
Trouble begins when Gregorio is called in on a mission to locate some OSS Agents that have gone missing. The latest disappearance was that of Donnagon. The next morning, as Juni watches Floop's show, the strange host introduces a new Fooglie character- "Donnamight." Gregorio and Ingrid realize that the strange character resembles Donnagon. The camera reveals that Floop is actually working for a villain named Mr. Lisp, and was paid quite a lot of money to develop an army to take over the world. Lisp is unhappy with the Fooglies, and is prepared to cut all funding for the project. Floop and Minion quickly present their latest idea - the Spy Kids, child-sized robots that have the athletic prowess and intelligence of the world's best spies. Unfortunately, the robots are currently brainless-but Floop has a plan...
Back at the house, Gregorio and Ingrid receive a message that the missing spies have been located. They call an old ally, Uncle Felix, to watch the kids. Unfortunately, the message was a trick - Ingrid and Gregorio are captured in Floop's twisted, fun-house like castle. When Lisp's allies attack the house, Felix reveals the secrets of their parent's pasts to Carmen and Juni. They protest- "They're not cool enough!" But when Felix opens the secret passage that leads to the parent's secret spy workshop, the kids are convinced. Felix manages to program a sub to take them to a safe house just as he is captured. His last message is "Find the OSS! Tell them the Third Brain lives!"
In Floop's Castle, Ingrid and Gregorio escape their holding cells, staring at the Fooglies that speak desperate gibberish to them. They find Floop in his dining room, where he uses a TV to demonstrate his evil Fooglie technology on Felix. Minion turns a clay version of Felix's head into a disgusting, bald-headed creature and presses a button, transforming him into "the new character for the Christmas season." Gregorio asks why they have been captured, and Floop reveals that he wants the Third Brain. It seems that long ago, Gregorio worked on the "Ten Brains" project for OSS. Its mission was to create extremely life-like brains out of technology. OSS canceled the project, but Gregorio decided to keep the one he was working on. Now, Floop plans to use the brain to make his Spy Kids intelligent - and has Carmen and Juni versions ready to recover it
At the safe house, the kids experiment with gadgets until a lady appears at the door - Ms. Gradenko. She claims to be with the OSS, and reveals Floop's plots to the kids. She also reveals that the gibberish the Fooglies speak is just a desperate cry for help backwards- "Floop is a mad man, help us, save us!" Carmen gives Gradenko Felix's message, and she and her men tear the place apart until they find the Third Brain. Carmen and Juni realize that they are actually plotting with Floop, and use the gadgets in the safe house to stop them long enough to recover the brain and escape, but not before sending a jetpack into Gradenko and, while still on, burning off her long hair in the process.
While exploring San Diablo, Carmen and Juni run into the robotic versions of themselves, who manage to steal the Third Brain. The kids need help, and turn to an old wedding photo of their father and another man for a clue. The man is Machete, the children's uncle. He makes spy gadgets for a living. When the Cortez's beg for help, Machete refuses, as he and Gregorio had a fight years ago. Instead, the kids steal some gadgets and sneak off to Floop's castle themselves.
In the castle, Floop has become troubled by all of the evil deeds he must perform - all he really cares about is his show. Unfortunately, Minion has bigger plans, and turns on Floop. He traps him in the Image Room where the show is filmed and mutates Gregorio into a Fooglie. While this is happening, Carmen and Juni sneak into the castle and begin to explore. The two are separated, and Juni finds Floop in the Image Room. They talk, and Juni angrily yells at Floop for being evil. Floop explains that he is actually just cowardly, and terrified of what stronger people might do to him if he disagrees. Juni inspires him not to give up, and helps him to escape. Inspired, Floop frees Ingrid and turns the captured Fooglies back to their old selves. Juni then uses his amazing ability to mimic voices to lure Minion to the Transforming Room, and the family teams up to transform him.
Floop realizes that the Third Brain has already been copied and ingrained into every Spy Kid's head, and runs off to try to reverse the process before they can leave the castle. The Cortez's team up in the main room and prepare to fight Lisp, Gradenko (with burnt hair from the last encounter with Juni and Carmen), and even Minion, who now has four heads and three hands on each arm. Minion summons the Spy Kids, and the family prepares to fight, even Machete, who appears at the last minute to provide support. Floop is suddenly struck with inspiration thanks to Juni's words. The Spy Kids are programmed to do only evil deeds... so he changes their understanding of right and wrong. The newly happy robots play by tossing Minion, Lisp, and unfortunately Gradenko into the air, and, after watching, the whole family returns home. In the end, Floop uses the Carmen and Juni robots on his show, which prove to be just what it needs, and the chief of the OSS (George Clooney in an obvious cameo) summons Carmen and Juni to another mission.
[edit] Cast
[edit] Main
- Alexa Vega - Carmen Cortez
- Daryl Sabara - Juni Cortez
- Antonio Banderas - Gregorio Cortez
- Carla Gugino - Ingrid Cortez
[edit] Supporting
- Danny Trejo - Machete
- Cheech Marin - Felix Gumm
- Alan Cumming - Fegan Floop
- Tony Shalhoub - Alexander Minion
- George Clooney - Devlin
- Robert Patrick - Mr. Lisp
- Teri Hatcher - Ms. Gradenko
[edit] Soundtrack
| Spy Kids: Music from the Dimension Motion Picture | |||||
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| Soundtrack by various artists | |||||
| Released | April 10, 2001 | ||||
| Genre | Soundtrack Rock Pop |
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| Length | 31:03 | ||||
| Label | Chapter III Records | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| Robert Rodriguez film soundtrack chronology | |||||
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The film score is written by John Debney and Danny Elfman, with contributions from a variety of others, including director Robert Rodriguez and Marcel Rodriguez. Among Elfman's contributions is "Floop's Song (Cruel World)", which is performed by Alan Cumming. Los Lobos covers the Tito Puente song, "Oye Como Va" (adapted as "Oye Como Spy" by David Garza and Robert Rodriguez). The song was nominated for "outstanding song in a motion picture soundtrack" at the 2002 ALMA Awards. The closing theme, "Spy Kids (Save the World)", is by the Los Angeles indie pop band Fonda.
The score won an award at the ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards.
[edit] Track listing
- "Cortez Family" (Gavin Greenaway, Heitor Teixeira Pereira, Harry Gregson-Williams) – 1:39
- "My Parents Are Spies" (Danny Elfman) – 2:09
- "Spy Wedding" (Los Lobos, Robert Rodriguez) – 2:11
- "Spy Kids Demonstration" (John Debney, Robert Rodriguez, Marcel Rodriguez) – 1:06
- "Parents on Mission" (John Debney, Danny Elfman, Gavin Greenaway, Heitor Teixeira Pereira) – 1:17
- "Kids Escape House" (Gavin Greenaway, Heitor Teixeira Pereira) – 3:14
- "Pod Chase" (John Debney, Danny Elfman, Harry Gregson-Williams) – 1:38
- "The Safehouse" (John Debney, Danny Elfman) – 0:47
- "The Third Brain" (John Debney, Robert Rodriguez, Marcel Rodriguez) – 1:00
- "Buddy Pack Escape" (Danny Elfman) – 1:39
- "Oye Como Spy" (Davíd Garza, Tito Puente, Robert Rodriguez) – 2:59
- Performed by Los Lobos
- "Floop's Song (Cruel World)" (Danny Elfman) – 0:59
- Performed by Alan Cumming
- "Spy Go Round" (Gavin Greenaway, Heitor Teixeira Pereira, Marcel Rodriguez) – 2:11
- "Minion" (Chris Boardman, Gavin Greenaway, Heitor Teixeira Pereira, Robert Rodriguez) – 1:03
- "Sneaking Around Machetes" (Danny Elfman) – 0:35
- "The Spy Plane" (John Debney, Danny Elfman) – 1:29
- "Floop's Castle" (Chris Boardman) – 1:29
- "Final Family Theme" (Harry Gregson-Williams) – 1:44
- "Spy Kids (Save the World)" (Emily Cook, David Klotz and Dave Newton) – 2:20
- Performed by Fonda
[edit] Filming locations
- Atacama Desert, Chile
- Austin, Texas, USA
- Bahamas, USA
- Reñaca, Viña del Mar, Chile
- San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Santiago, Chile
[edit] Release and Reception
The film received very positive reviews, getting a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[1]
[edit] Awards
| Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALMA Award | Won | Outstanding Director in a Motion Picture | Robert Rodriguez |
| Nominated | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Antonio Banderas | |
| Outstanding Motion Picture | Spy Kids | ||
| Outstanding Screenplay (Original or Adapted) | Robert Rodriguez | ||
| Outstanding Song in a Motion Picture Soundtrack | Los Lobos For the song "Oye Como Spy" |
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| ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards | Won | Top Box Office Films | John Debney |
| Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Horror, USA | Nominated | Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film | Spy Kids |
| Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | Nominated | Best Family Film - Live Action | Spy Kids |
| Kid's Choice Awards, USA | Nominated | Favorite Male Action Hero | Antonio Banderas |
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Nominated | Best Family Film | Spy Kids |
| Young Artist Awards | Nominated | Best Family Feature Film - Comedy | Spy Kids |
| Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actress | Alexa Vega |
[edit] Special edition
A special edition with deleted scenes was released to theaters on August 8, 2001. There were plans to release the special edition to DVD but it never materialized, despite the fact that a director's commentary and interviews were already recorded for it.[2]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Spy Kids at Allmovie
- Spy Kids at the Internet Movie Database
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