Spy Kids 3D: Game Over [PG]

Although retired from the Spy game, Juni finds himself in the service once more when he learns that, whilst on a special assignment, Carmen went missing. Juni must now face his toughest assignment ever as, in order to save Carmen, he must enter the world of a 3D game, progress to the highest level, and then get both him and Carmen out without releasing the game’s power-hungry creator: the Toymaker, who’s intent on taking over the world by brainwashing its youth. Along the way he’ll face Programmers, Tinker Toys, Deceivers, and all sorts of interactive nightmares that, in the world of cyberspace, pose a very real threat. 

The first Spy Kids is without a doubt, hands down, the best one of the lot. I did enjoy the second one, but it started to get a little silly. But this one…. as far as stupidity goes, it takes the cake! I’ll admit that if they’d waited for the 3D technology to really take off as Cameron did for Avatar, then this’d have some highly redeeming features. I’ll admit that the sets and the cyberspace world that they created were actually pretty impressive, the stuff geek dreams are made of… come on, we’ve all had them. My only major (and this is a very big MAJOR) issue was the script…in the name of everything sacred did someone actually get paid for that? People thought it fit to call it writing?! ARGH NO! 

Although retired from the Spy game, Juni finds himself in the service once more when he learns that, whilst on a special assignment, Carmen went missing. Juni must now face his toughest assignment ever as, in order to save Carmen, he must enter the world of a 3D game, progress to the highest level, and then get both him and Carmen out without releasing the game’s power-hungry creator: the Toymaker, who’s intent on taking over the world by brainwashing its youth. Along the way he’ll face Programmers, Tinker Toys, Deceivers, and all sorts of interactive nightmares that, in the world of cyberspace, pose a very real threat. 

To be brutally fair, the only huge letdown for the movie was the phenomenally horrid script. The intended macho one-liners that are supposed to have loads of comedy behind them floundered, the dialogue in general was bland and (for lack of a better word) crap, and the cheesiness of the ending thrust it into a universe all its own! I honestly cannot believe that all these big stars came on board to do this…some hardly even qualify in having lines. The entire last 10 minutes is a terrible, terrible, terrible montage of cameos for the sake of cameos: a device used to flesh out the remainder of the running time and cram some big names into the bill. UGH! 

Having said all that, the special effects are actually rather cool, and the performances were pretty solid considering that most of the acting consisted of having to interact with creatures and objects that aren’t there…a big blue screen party is what this film was. 

Starring Daryl Sabara, Alexa Vega, Carla Gugino, Antonio Banderas, Cheech Marin, Sylvester Stallone, Holland Taylor, Salma Hayek, Ricardo Montalban, Elijah Wood, Steve Buscemi, Allan Cumming, Tony Shaloub and George Clooney, Spy Kids 3D: Game Over is a 3D novelty that sort of just destroys the brilliance and family fun of the first one. Filled with interactive creatures, action, romance, drama, family, and comedy, you have to laugh at how bad it is if for no other reason.