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I have not yet seen the first two in this series, but liked this film for what it is. First and foremost, this is a movie for kids. I went with two kids, one 8, the other 11. The younger one loved the movie and the 3-D aspect and couldn't wait to log on to the website after she got home (difficult website, though, and she soon lost interest). The older one liked it also, but commented about the "Spy Kids" series, "They keep getting dumber and dumber." Very young children might be scared by some of the flashy scenes and have trouble with the 3-D part. So, the target audience is pretty narrow, but there are a lot of 5-12 year-old kids out there with parents who need to chaperone them....Now, for adults, this is a lot less painless to sit through than most movies for kids. Ricardo Montalban, for my money, gives a splendid performance and just steals the show from everyone else involved. He gets off a few classic lines ("I can do much, much more than that") and, for those who know his history, a few references to his earlier screen incarnations ("Don't touch that, it is Corinthian leather.") Obviously, the kids won't appreciate his history, but he is an outstanding actor who fills his grandfather role nicely.Sylvester Stallone gives an amusing performance. Selma Hayek is pretty as always, though she doesn't do much. After that, the supporting cast is pretty low-key. I thought Courtney Jines, who plays Demetra, gave a fine, laid back kind of performance that was perfect for the part. Nobody else really registered very strongly, the stars of the show are the situation and the special effects.The putative stars, the "Spy Kids" themselves, are innocuous and no threat to win any acting awards. I can see why children relate to them, they are portrayed as average kids who are not superior beings or anything like that. Unfortunately, they also are quickly moving out of the "kid" category, so I can understand why the people behind the series have said this is the last in the line.The 3-D gimmick worked for me. I stopped noticing the blue-red glasses after a while. Others say they strain the eyes, but they did not strain mine. I think it was a brilliant decision, although to tell the truth, the 3-D was not that big a deal. I have seen good 3-D, and this is minor league, but it was fun and something different for the kids.As for the plot, well, it involves entering a video game (as in the classic "Tron" and so many subsequent films) and solving a problem. Other than that, it makes no sense, especially the resolution, but I'm sure nobody spent too much time trying to make the plot mean anything. It is fun and has a lot of color and action, so the kids will love it. This is sure to do blockbuster business on dvd as a gift to children. I laughed a few times, so it doesn't have to be like going to the dentist for an adult, either. Recommended for kids and adults who have to see a kid's movie with them.
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