Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams

I liked this movie the first time I watched it - of course, I was probably 6 years old. Although definitely a movie for kids, visual effects are outdated and most likely they are not able to capture attention nowadays. Without a particularly interesting plot either, this movie may fall short even to expectations from kids of today.

This film is so great not only because of the amazing invention (like the ones seen in the first film) but because of the cool new landscape. It adds something more to the film series narrative. And it gets pretty deep for a kid’s movie, delving into the themes seen in Frankenstein. Even though the graphics haven’t aged that well, it still doesn’t take you out of the film. Overall great for all ages.

If you never watched the Spy Kids franchise when you were a kid, I really worry for your childhood, because they were a defining feature of mine. Two kids have now progressed to be full-agents at the spy agency and they get so many cool gadgets. The kids have to defeat a villain by themselves with no adult help, and when they get to the island they find that none of their equipment works and they have to rely on their own intelligence to get them through. Although when I've watched it back, the special effects are very outdates, and the film is really meant for kids, so I'm not sure I'd recommend watching it if you're above the age of about 12.