Spy Kids 3: Game Over

I saw this movie and I loved it! Granted, it's not the best in the series (hands down to 1 and 2, I'm not sure which is better)and the story focuses mainly around Juni (my least favorite character). The plot for this movie is the toymaker has a new game called Game Over (hence the title), and the main puropes is for him to take over children's minds. He kidnaps Carmen, and it's basically up to Juni to save her. Arnold and his friends so could have been left out, or, portrayed by people that can act. The story starts out strong, the action is always there, and other than the fact that the movie is focused on Juni and him alone, that's probably the only glich that this movie has. Don't let the 3-d thing get to you, it's not that hard. However, if one is going to see it, they had better come with an open mind about movie making and special effects.

I will say this, the Spy Kids franchise was certainly a different piece of movie fare on the grand landscape of kids movies. Sadly, while Spy Kids 3D was interesting and different, it also proves to be rather shoddily acted and written. It seemed to lack the charm of the original movies, and while the 3D effects and the story seemed attractive and what-not, it just didn't fall through. This will definitely be the weakest of the saga, but fun nonetheless.

I just came home from watching it, and everyone is running for the Advils, it seems that the 3-D gave us all headaches. Anyways, here is my review.

I have had a 3-D book since I was a kid, and it came with it's own pair of 3-D glasses. You know the old fasioned kind, the red and blue shaded glasses that gives everything the red & blue tint. It is a very cool book with the old kind of 3-D.

Now, I remember in the 80's, all the NEW 3-D movies had a whole new 3-D. No longer were 3-D movies limited to the red & blue tint that required the red & blue shaded glasses, the glasses that were needed were clear & POLORIZED....it kept the movie in FULL color and gave the 3-D film a cleaner and sharper image.

I heard that this movie was a whole new approach to 3 demention, so I was excited about seeing this. But imagine my surprise when I bought the tickets when they handed me red & blue shaded 3-D glasses.

The only new approach is the computer graphics used in creating 3-D images. Instead of throwing real items towards the camera to make you duck in your seat, now there are computer generated items floating around and flying towards you. The special effects were, as always, top quality...but honestly...there was nothing new or special about the special effects. In reality, you feel as though you've seen it all before.

As for the 3-D effects. I must say how disappointed I was. The color in the film during the 3-D scenes seemed dull and almost a sepia tone, except for the red & blue tint used to make the images in 3-D.

I REALLY expected at LEAST a POLORIZED image for a bolder color and clearer 3 demention. Instead, all I got was a trip down memory lane with the old fashioned 3-D.

Now, if you have never SEEN a 3-D movie, dont get me wrong, it STILL is a spactacular thing to see, and you SHOULD experience it. The kids will LOVE it.

As for the storyline in this film....well, forget it. This wasn't created to carry a plot, it was created to become a cash-cow in the Spy Kids series and used 3-D to draw you in. It worked, but this plot didn't.

And if THIS film doesn't KILL Sylvester Stallone's movie career, then it's ALREADY DEAD! I was never more embarressed for an actor before than I was for him in this one. This was almost like seeing him wave a white flag and admit to being an aging Hollywood cast-away who is grasping at ANYTHING to stay on screen. Think Bette Davis's charactor in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?"

Oh well. Your kids will love this 3-D mess, and if your easily amused, you might also.

What a mess. There are clever ideas here and there, a few laughs, the occasional decent special effect (I saw this on TV so didn't see it in 3D, which perhaps would have made the generally disappointing effects more impressive), but the lame, tossed-together script and the lack of any cohesion to the final product make this only barely watchable. This movie seems to just be going through the motions; you can't even call it formulaic because it barely attempts to even stick with any formula, it's more like random stuff thrown in here and there. As for the ending, well, it's main purpose was to create an excuse (and not a very good one) to have cameos by everyone who was in the first two movies (allowing them to list Bandaras first in the credits even though he's on screen for only a couple of minutes), and the final showdown is so utterly moronic that words fail me.

At the same time, I didn't actually hate it. I wasn't in pain watching it. It was a mindless Saturday afternoon movie and I watched it as mindlessly as I could and occasionally enjoyed it. But after the very fun second movie (which I thought superior to the first), this was a great disappointment. I'd advise skipping it.

My daughters are aged 9, 14, and 15. They all loved it. I liked it much better than the bogus spy kid 2. That film we had to watch sheep goo on kids heads for a full hour. This film was fast paced and made more sense if you play video games. There are many references to video game levels and how much strength left. I did not care for the one chosen "guy" who was only in it for a few seconds and please drop the computer nerd stuff and the movie did not need nerds.

The 3 D was not great but probably better in digital which only a few theaters have. The terror of the Wax museum 30 years ago had much better 3 D. All in all a fun film. Ricardo Montalban still makes an impact.