Spy Kids - Alle Zeit der Welt

Hopes were not high coming into Spy Kids: All the Time in the World. It is the fourth film in a franchise suffering from diminishing returns, plus it was using the stupid idea of smell-o-vision. And this family film does not disappoint.

Marissa Wilson (Jessica Alba) is a top OSS spy who retires after capturing a super villain, Tik Tok, and starts a family with her husband Wilbur (Joel McHale) and stepchildren Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook). A year later a new villain has emerged, the Time Keeper, who speeds up time using the Armageddon Device to punish humanity for wasting time. Marissa is called back by the OSS director, Danger D'Amo (Jeremy Piven), to recapture Tik Tok which should lead them to the Time Keeper. But the Time Keeper sets out to kidnap Rebecca and Cecil because Rebecca has the only thing that could stop the Armageddon Device.

There are many problems with Spy Kids: All the Time in the World. It's a cheap and unimaginative film where you could easily predict how they would play out. We have seen these story elements so many times before: the dad is a workaholic; there is animosity between step-mum and step-daughter as the step-mum tries to get closer to the children; the revelation of a lie, and so many others. The humour is crude, mostly poo, fart and vomit gags, basically the lowest common denominator which most children will easily outgrow. The other major route of humour is the barrage of puns: time puns, dog puns and smell puns – we're not stupid! The action is rudimentary; it is easy to expect much better from Robert Rodriguez who just uses poor CGI and quick cuts. And if you can't guess who the Time Keeper really is then you haven't seen enough movies. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World feels like it is a movie that is only made for a quick buck, not for any love of the material or the need to tell a good story.

A movie aimed at children should be able to enliven their imaginations: Spy Kids: All the Time in the World is not going to do that. The artificial CGI scenes just look too fake for children to accept and buy into the action and the basic predictable plot will mean that children will not love it. Adults and parents will feel nothing but suffering when watching this movie. This is just a mindless movie with no imagination, which is ironic considering it makes a point that children make better spies because they have more imagination. Children are smart; they ask questions, see plot holes and come up with ideas involving sci-fi concepts. The best family and children's movies are clever, well-plotted affairs and often have good ideas behind them. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World does not share those traits. Plus this movie carries on the awful trend of spies with babies not working.

Most of the acting is sub-par. The child leads are bland and not natural actors; it's your typical weak-child acting, and they are no Chloe Mortez or Kodi Smit-McPhee. McHale was truly unconvincing as the father and again a typical bad performance in a bad family movie. Alba was a punch bag for gags to be bounded off on. Ricky Gervais seemed to be having fun, but I'm sure that's because he got a paycheck for saying bad lines in a recording studio. Piven is much the same, having fun and just being over the top.

As movie fans we expect better from Rodriguez, who's done great movies like Sin City, From Dusk to Dawn and the "Mexico" Trilogy. Let's hope he is doing this movie so we can finally get Sin City 2.

And I am sure you are asking the big question – what was the Scratch-and-Sniff card like? It was just a bunch of sickly sweet smells and simply just a gimmick. But you already knew that.

Like Jaws 4 and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace. Spy Kids 4 or "Spy Kids: All The Time In The World" is a Franchise killer. Although it was a moderate financial success against its $27 million budget. It is such a poor movie, it ended any interest in any future movies.

Mason Cook (in his first movie) and Rowan Blanchard (in her 2nd) are not as annoying as most child actors and are certainly cute enough, but they lack the chemistry that Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabra had in the first three movies.

So Jessica Alba is pretty much left to carry the movie on her own. She tries hard but the movie is missing some of the charm and magic that made the first movies so likable. It also misses the talents of Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino.

I give it 4/10 1 for Alba, 1 for Vega. 1 for Sarba, and 1 for the kids

I'm sure most kids will like it, mine certainly enjoyed it, just not as much as the original three.

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D

When you've got two active adolescent agents in your home, you've got to ensure you have plenty of Flintstones Cyanide Pills on hand.

Fortunately, the step mom in this family adventure is an ex-intelligencer.

Trading in her cloak and dagger for diapers, femme fatale turned housewife Marissa (Jessica Alba) is called back into action after the villainous Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven) begins to steal time.

But when the Timekeeper targets her stepchildren (Rowan Blanchard, Mason Cook), Marissa must divulge her past, which ultimately leads to their tutelage under a former Spy Kid (Alexa Vega).

Now, the new recruits and their robot dog (Ricky Gervais) must stop the Timekeeper before it's too late.

The fourth installment of the Spy Kids franchise, All the Time in the World is a fart infused, infantile, chroma keyed atrocity.

Besides, as an undercover child agent, wouldn't most of your assignments involve you luring in online predators? (Red Light)

I have often said that in order to enjoy mindless movies like "Transformers", we should "leave our brains at the door of the cineplex". Well, in order to enjoy this "Spy Kids" sequel, we need to lower our IQ to the level of four-year olds! 'Mindlessness' doesn't quite cut it, it is juvenile indulgence, meaning, it is only for kids below five.

And if you have been following the cinema ads and promos, you would know that this movie comes in 4D - with the added dimension of 'smell'. For that, viewers are given a numbered card (called Aroma-Scope) so that they can scratch-and-smell when the number appears on the screen. This is a childish gimmick aimed at kids. For adults, it is more of a nuisance because the scents are faint and the exercise distracts us from the action on the screen. Although there are many fart and poop scenes, the Aroma-Scope only provides scents of chewing gum and other edible stuff (thank goodness for that). History has demonstrated that all smell-o-vision gimmicks mostly stink.

Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba) is such a dedicated spy that even when she is nine months pregnant, she manages to take down notorious villain Tick Tock (Jeremy Piven) before going into labor and retiring from her spy duties. Her aim is to devote all her time to her newborn and her step-kids, Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook) and hubby Wilbur (Joey McHale).

Soon, however, she may not have that much time. One year later, Tick Tock and accomplice, The Timekeeper (also Piven), are back at their attempt to rob the world of 'time' - and Rebecca, Cecil and their 'guard dog' Argonaut (voice of Ricky Gervais) must save the world (what else?). Also, they team up with Marissa's niece and nephew, Carmen and Juni Cortez (Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara reprising their former Spy Kids roles) to make this mission a family reunion of sorts.

Writer-director Robert Rodriguez seems to be milking the same old cinema-script cow, urging parents to spend more time with their kids. This 'message' has been used by almost all family movies throughout the decade. The time-theft and time-travel conceits can be puzzling to children even if they allow Rodriguez to make use of all sorts of time-related gags. Of course, Rodriguez cannot resist the poop and fart gags, as well as throwing food all over the place. These, I understand, are the laugh-out-loud staple for American kids below five.

Among the cast, Blanchard and Cook are suitably cute and effective as the new title characters. Bringing back former Spy Kids, Vega and Sabara, is a good idea, adding a nostalgic touch for parents in the audience. Ditto that for Danny Trejo's short cameo as Uncle Machete. However, the irony of Daddy Wilbur being a 'Spycatcher' on TV is lost on the kids and scores no points with the adults.

As for Jessica Alba (as Marissa, the younger sister to Antonio Bandera's character), she provides the main box-office lure, nothing more. Strictly kids' stuff. (limchangmoh.blogspot.com)

One of the most Awaited Movies of the year and it surely delivers. The idea of time being sped up is really well thought of by the director and come honestly how many $d movies have you seen Off lately. The added dimension to the movie of Aromascope is basically smell and you have to experience it its totally fun. The movie is fast paced and gripping and all the character do justice to their roles. The chemistry between Jessica Alba and the new spy kids is very endearing whereas Jeremy piven plays his part amazingly well. The movie is well justified keeping in mind the target audience and assures to entertain kids as well as adults. Totally worth a watch