Opened: March 30, 2001

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez

Starring: Alexa PenaVega, Daryl Sabara, Danny Trejo, Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alan Cumming, Teri Hatcher, Cheech Marin, Robert Patrick, Tony Shalhoub, Mike Judge & George Clooney

From the mind of a great action writer/director and featuring a strong cast, Spy Kids holds up better than you might remember.

Former spies Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez (Antonio Banderas & Carla Gugino) come out of retirement for a personal mission but are taken hostage by kid’s TV show host Fegan Floop (Alan Cumming). Carmen (Alexa PenaVega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) must work together to save their parents.

The film contains all the elements a spy film could have but keeps them relatively tame so both parents and children can watch the film together. The action, comedy and performances don’t suffer from this making it a legitimate film.

PenaVega and Sabara work well together and match the strength of the more seasoned cast, including fantastic turns from Banderas, Cumming and Danny Trejo.

Final say: Spy Kids isn’t just for kids. ★★★★★