“Spy Kids: Armageddon” Revives the Charming Franchise in an Amiable Netflix Reboot

Film Review: Spy Kids: Armageddon – A Pleasant but Visually Flat Reboot

Robert Rodriguez brings back the beloved Spy Kids franchise in the new Netflix reboot, Spy Kids: Armageddon. For late millennials, the original films hold a special place in their hearts, evoking memories of childhood fantasies and thrilling adventures. The 2001 original was a wacky and grandiose affair, with cartoonish stakes and futuristic gadgets that captured the imaginations of young viewers. Now, Rodriguez aims to tap into this nostalgia with mixed success.

A Nostalgic Adventure Aimed at Children

Spy Kids: Armageddon understands the wells of nostalgia it’s tapping, but it doesn’t always reach them. However, one could argue that it doesn’t need to. Just like the original, this 94-minute film is squarely aimed at children, who will be captivated by the world-threatening circumstances and the heroic acts of the young protagonists.

In Spy Kids: Armageddon, the ultimate responsibilities and heroics fall upon Tony and Patty Tango-Torrez, wonderfully portrayed by Connor Esterson and Everly Carganilla, respectively. These two young actors step up to the challenge, delivering commendable performances. Meanwhile, the adults, including the bumbling operators of the spy group OSS, play more of an extraneous role.

Austin, Texas: The Setting of Adventure and Family

The reboot, like its predecessor, is set in Austin, Texas, where the Tango-Torrez family lives seemingly ordinary lives in a gadget-filled home. The parents, Terrence (Zachary Levi) and Nora (Gina Rodriguez), are secret super-spies in possession of the Armageddon code, a powerful tool that can hack into any device in the world. However, their children, Tony and Patty, just want to play video games and resent their father’s strict tech rules. They see their video game of choice as training, while their father views it as brain-rot.

A notable nod to the adult audience is the character of The King, portrayed by Billy Magnussen. The King, a mercurial and power-hungry tech baron, reads as a parody of Elon Musk. He covets the Armageddon code to manipulate every operator and electronic device into playing video games. Tony and Patty, being experts in gaming, find themselves perfectly positioned to unlock secret codes and combat the robot video game villains unleashed by The King.

A Cheeky Battle for World Domination

The film takes viewers on a cheeky and ever-sunny battle for world domination, filled with fantastical tools and set primarily in The King’s retro video game castle. It successfully maintains Rodriguez’s ability to evoke a child’s sense of adventure and absurdity. The fantasy of being immersed in the video game world and becoming the hero remains intact.

However, while the franchise has always boasted a futurist gusto, the transition to Netflix and the reliance on CGI have resulted in the loss of some of the original films’ magical visual depth and silliness. The King’s castle does offer video game pleasures, with blocks materializing and disappearing into thin air and platforms wobbling over rivers of blue and orange lava. Yet, there’s a palpable feeling that the playfulness of the Spy Kids ethos is clashing with the limitations of digital production.

Ultimately, Spy Kids: Armageddon gestures towards the successes of the original films but falls somewhat short. While it may not fully recapture the magic and originality, it is a film that the new generation, to whom it is explicitly marketed, will likely appreciate and enjoy.

A Nostalgic Reminder of Childhood Delights

Spy Kids: Armageddon may not have fully lived up to the high standards set by its predecessors, but it did remind me of the blind delights of childhood. It is a film that will likely bring joy to the hearts of young viewers, who will be thrilled by the adventure and captivated by the charming performances of the cast.

Spy Kids: Armageddon is now available for streaming on Netflix.