Spy Kids (2001)
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Two children must navigate a world of high-tech espionage to rescue their parents from a sinister plot.
The story
Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez are secret agents who shield their children, Carmen and Juni, from the dangers of their profession. While working as consultants for the Organization of Super Spies (OSS), they are suddenly called back to active duty to find missing agents. They suspect a children's television host, Fegan Floop, has kidnapped the missing agents and transformed them into 'Fooglies'. When the parents are captured by Floop's robotic 'Thumb-Thumbs', the children are left with their 'uncle' Felix. Upon learning the truth about their parents' identities, the siblings must embark on a dangerous mission to infiltrate Floop's castle and rescue their parents from the villain's clutches.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez are secret agents who hide their identities from their children, Carmen and Juni. When they are captured by the villainous Fegan Floop, the children are left with their 'uncle' Felix, who reveals the truth: they are all part of the Organization of Super Spies (OSS). The children learn that Floop plans to use 'The Third Brain'—a powerful AI—to control the world by replacing world leaders' children with robots. The siblings must navigate a series of traps, including a treacherous journey to Floop's castle, to rescue their parents. Along the way, they encounter various allies and enemies, including the treacherous Ms. Gradenko and the formidable Mr. Lisp. After a series of high-stakes actions, the children successfully infiltrate the castle, rescue their parents, and defeat Floop's henchman, Alexander Minion. The film concludes with the family reunited and ready to accept new missions together as a team.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 88
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Robert Rodriguez
- Writers
- Robert Rodriguez · writer
- Cast and characters
- Alexa Vega · Carmen Cortez; Daryl Sabara · Juni Cortez; Antonio Banderas · Gregorio Cortez; Carla Gugino · Ingrid Cortez; Alan Cumming · Fegan Floop; Teri Hatcher · Ms. Gradenko; Cheech Marin · Felix Gumm; Robert Patrick · Mr. Lisp; Tony Shalhoub · Alexander Minion; Danny Trejo · Isador "Machete" Cortez
- Genres
- spy action comedy; adventure; children's
- Themes
- family; bravery
- Tone and mood
- action; fantasy; adventure
- Premise and plot tags
- spy; robots; kid-friendly
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was described as a 'kinetic and fun movie' and an 'intelligent, upbeat, happy movie'. It also gained a cult following and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 92% · scale: percentage · review count: 132; Metacritic · score: 71 · scale: 100 · review count: 27
- Awards and nominations
- Best Fantasy Film · Saturn Awards · Nomination; Outstanding Song in a Motion Picture Soundtrack · ALMA Awards · 2002 · Nomination; Music Award · ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards · Win
- Production trivia
- The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2024.; The film was the first to be promoted as part of a two-year deal between Miramax Films and Pop Secret.; The film's production included a special edition with a deleted scene released in theaters in 2001.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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