Yahoo Movies Spy Kids: Armageddon review: Franchise return is cheesy fun for the whole family
The film is out on Netflix now
🎞️ When is Spy Kids: Armageddon out on Netflix: 22 September, 2023
⭐️ Our rating: 3/5
🎭 Who's in it? Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Connor Esterson, Everly Carganilla, Billy Magnussen.
👍 What we liked: The story may be easy to follow but it was a delight all the same thanks to the charming cast and funny script.
👎 What we didn't: The visual effects could have used some work, but it is serviceable as a kids film.
📖 What's it about? Tony and Patty inadvertently help a game developer to launch a virus across the world they must help save their parents, who are the world's greatest secret agents, and save the day.
Back in 2001, Robert Rodriguez began his Spy Kids film franchise, a series of family films about children following in the footsteps of their spy parents and taking part in various missions.
The last film was released in 2011, and so the director has decided to give the franchise the reboot treatment for Netflix, introducing viewers to a new family: Parents Nora Torrez (Gina Rodriguez) and Terrence Tango (Zachary Levi), and their children Tony (Connor Esterson) and Patty (Everly Carganilla).
Read more: Everything you need to know about Spy Kids: Armageddon
In this new chapter for the Spy Kids franchise, Tony and Patty are the children of the world's greatest secret agents, and they soon follow in their parents footsteps in order to save the world after they unwittingly help game developer Rey 'The King' Kingston (Billy Magnussen) to unleash a computer virus called Armageddon around the globe.
Spy Kids: Armageddon is a fun addition to the franchise, while the basic premise isn't new Rodriguez approaches the narrative from a modern perspective, making it feel fresh and interesting for viewers who are familiar with the franchise as well as a great place to start for any newbies.
The filmmaker has penned an amusing script with his son Racer, giving the characters witty dialogue and a constant stream of quips that all land remarkably well. It may sometimes be cheesy, but the film breezes by thanks to the easy comedy that Rodriguez and his son have injected into the narrative.
Esterson and Carganilla do a good job of leading the production, delivering their performances with confidence that mirrors their characters Tony and Patty's approach to spycraft. Levi and Rodriguez also seem to revel in portraying Terrence and Nora, making their characters even more fun to watch, while Magnussen is a comic villain but one that works well for a children's film.
The only downside to the film, perhaps, is its visual effects. Spy Kids: Armageddon features a number of CGI characters, beings that are transposed from The King's game into the real world and face Tony and Patty on their mission.
They have a tendency to look a bit out-of-place, or perhaps out-of-time because the CGI is reminiscent of early noughties visual effects. That's not to say it's bad, but with so many films relying on CGI these days it's hard not to notice when it isn't on par with the "standard" of today. But the children who watch the film are unlikely to notice.
Spy Kids: Armageddon is a film that will be fun for the whole family to watch, and its amusing script and heartfelt story will certainly keep viewers engaged until the credits roll.
Spy Kids: Armageddon is out on Netflix now.
Watch Robert Rodriguez talks Spy Kids: Armageddon:
