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Stars: Antonio
Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Ricardo Montalban, Holland
Taylor, Mike Judge, Cheech Marin, and Sylvester Stallone
Writer: Robert
Rodriguez
Director: Robert
Rodriguez
Feature length: 84
minutes
Extras: Audio
Commentary By Robert Rodriguez, Ten-Minutes Film School, Alexa Vega In Concert,
Featurettes, Multi-Angle Examination, Set-Top Game, Trailers
Languages:
English, French, and Spanish Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Subtitles: English
Captions and Closed Captions and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Two-Disc Keep Case Within A Cardboard Sleeve
Chapter Stops: 29
Sound: Dolby
Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Year of Theatrical
Release: 2003/DVD Release: 2004
Theatrical
Distributor: Dimension Films
Home Video
Distributor: Dimension Home Video
MPAA Rating: PG
Reviewer: Mark A.
Rivera
“Spy Kids 3-D:
Game Over” is a fun action fantasy from Writer, Director, and Composer Robert
Rodriguez. The story is pretty thin, but the overall theme about the importance
of family, forgiveness, and second chances is what won me over in the end. Juni
(Daryl Sabara) enters into a virtual reality game to rescue his sister Carmen (Alexa
Vega), whose consciousness has been entrapped inside. If he can’t find his
sister, he too will become trapped and the sinister Toy Maker (Sylvester
Stallone) will enslave the minds of all kids who enter the game. Along the way
Ricardo Montalban reprises his role as the spy kids’ grandfather who serves as
both a guide in the realm of the game and has his own agenda too. There is a
connection between the Toy Maker and Montalban’s character that actually
serves as a nice thematic underpinning for the film. The CGI is not state of the
art, but it does not have to be for this film since most of the film takes place
in a cyber universe. What is interesting is how Robert Rodriguez used off the
shelf software and his own production company to achieve effects that bring
actors who were filmed months apart seamlessly together on the screen. The film
features guest appearances that include Elijah Wood, George Clooney, Tony
Shalhoub, Bill Paxton, Salma Hayek, Danny Trejo, Steve Buscemi, and Alan
Cumming. The film is completely family friendly, but more or less geared for
kids, which is as it should be.
I am not much of a
fan of cardboard 3-D glasses. One size does not fit all and while I did not get
a headache from them, I do think they strain the eyes unnecessarily. The picture
quality on both the 3-D version on disc one and the 2-D version on disc two is
very sharp with a well-mixed English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack.
Robert Rodriguez provides articulate and screen specific audio commentary for
both discs and even provides another one of his short “How To”
demonstrations on disc 2 (9:53), where he even sneaks in some home video of his
kids to illustrate how sound effects can liven even something as mundane as home
movies. A French and Spanish Language Soundtrack as well as English Captions and
Closed Captions for the hearing impaired and Spanish Language Subtitles are
encoded onto both discs as well. There are also separate 3-D and 2-D versions of
the DVD-Video set-top race game on each disc respectively. Four pairs of
cardboard 3-D discs are included within the single sized two-disc keep case and
there are some onscreen instructions on how one can order additional pairs.
A making of
featurette (21:14), multi-angle demonstration (1:08), pre-visualization concept
footage (6:42), and a vignette with Bill Paxton and his son shooting their
appearance for the film (1:41) are also included. Footage of Alexa Vega singing
three songs including the “Game Over” and look behind-the-scenes of her
recording session (1:01) are presented among the extras on disc two as well. The
interactive menus are fully animated with full motion scene selections. The
extra value features can be viewed separately or for the most part as one reel.
Bonus trailers for “Spy Kids” (1:41), “Spy Kids 2: Island Of Lost
Dreams” (1:52), Ella Enchanted (2:31), and “The Haunted Mansion” (1:18)
are among the sneak peeks too.
“Spy Kids 3-D:
Game Over: Collector’s Series: 2-Disc Set” is available on DVD-Video now at
retailers on and offline from Dimension Home Video.
© Copyright 2004
By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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