Jackson Booth-Millard The first film is the only one to bother with, the second was okay and the third was awful, I did not have high hopes for this fourth instalment, which in 4D meant for cinema goers meant 3D effect and smelling or feeling things, not for me watching on TV, directed by Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City). Basically Marissa Wilson (Jessica Alba) on the surface appears to be just an ordinary mother with a new baby and married to famous spy hunting television reporter Wilbur Wilson (Joel McHale). Her intelligent twin stepchildren Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (The Lone Ranger's Mason Cook) don't want her around, thinking she is uncool, in fact, with her husband unaware, she is a retired secret agent. Her true identity is only revealed to Rebecca and Cecil when they enter the underground layer of the house, full of spy gadgets and gizmos, and they become entangled in a world domination plot, the maniacal Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven) threatens to take over the planet by slowing time. Marissa is wanted back in action by the Organization of Super Spies (OSS), home of the greatest spies and where the now defunct Spy Kids division was created. Rebecca and Cecil are surprised by the revelation of their "boring" stepmother, and with their bickering ways they must put their differences aside and work together to save the world, and they get help from former Spy Kids, now teenagers, brother and sister Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) and Carmen Cortez (Alexa PenaVega), and robotic talking dog Argonaut (voiced by Ricky Gervais). In the end, after defeating the Time Keeper and his identical henchmen, Danger D'Amo and Tick Tick (both also Piven), time is intact and restored, and the Spy Kids program is revived, with Rebecca and Cecil going on to become recruiters of new agents. Also starring Danny Trejo as Uncle Machete, Chuck Cureau as News Anchor and Jeepers Creepers' Jonathan Breck as Wilbur's Boss. The previous instalment was a complete mess, it crossed the line between expensive trash and cheap rubbish with its use of special effects, unfortunately things have not improved with this fourth instalment, the special effects are pointless when you combine with a predictable and stupid story, I perhaps tittered at the voice of Gervais and some spoof references, but the charm has disappeared and it feels like the kids themselves are responsible for putting it together, this is one the kids and the family should not even bother with, a crap fantasy action adventure. Pretty poor!

jrmbarnach The real purpose of a movie is to entertain (escapism) - to distance you from your problems for a short period of time. If you will look at this movie from the perspective of a person viewing movies for entertainment purposes, then this movie is good (not very good since there are a lot of better escapist movies out there). If you look at it from the perspective of a movie critic, then this is a horrible movie, filled with clichés and poop jokes.The first film of this franchise may have had some cliché plot points, but it didn't rely on poop and fart jokes to move the story or try to make the viewer laugh.This movie has the usual 'stepdaughter-hates-stepmom' and the 'geeky brother' story lines along with the happily ever after ending. It seems the movie thinks that watching these story lines is entertaining to kids, when in fact, it's not (speaking from my perspective as a 13 year old kid). To be frank, it's quite annoying.However, this movie doesn't lack on the entertainment value. CGI all-around, gadgets everywhere, this movie has tons of cool stuff to keep the viewer at the edge of their seat. There are jokes that if you watch first may seem funny, but in the end will make you think "is that joke really funny, or is it offensive".Bottomline is, this movie can be good or bad, depending on your perspective. To me, it's escapism at its finest.

Chris Kay This movie is a very interesting thing indeed. Most people have given it terrible reviews.... And I completely understand why. This film has a lot of bad going for it. But it somehow still works.In my opinion, a bad film is a film that can't decently handle it's plot and pacing. The Room serves as a good example of a really bad film. Production comes second, which is what everyone is criticizing, and within reason.I think understanding this film all comes down to one thing: the director. Rodriguez is a good director and knows what he is doing (he made Sin City after all). The plot and script, while not to my taste (and with too many puns), work. Everything is tied up, the plot is consistent, and the lessons are learned without feeling forced.What makes the film really weird (emphasis on the word weird and not bad) is the production. The effects are really bad (and cheap) and the acting is just... Weird (there's no other word to describe it). The script is also just weird. Sort of "trippy" in a way. I felt like maybe the script writers were on some hardcore drugs at some points. Obviously, though, that's not the case. Rodriguez was just having fun making an over the top kid's movie. He didn't take it seriously, and neither should the critics. I think the most important thing to find out is do kids like the movie. Because if they do, Rodriguez definitely achieved his goal and this film was a success. Unfortunately I have no idea since my younger cousins haven't actually seen it.Why did I watch the film then, you ask. Curiosity on how one of my childhood movie sagas would continue. And in all honesty, while I haven't seen the originals in over a decade, I remember them a lot better. But maybe my expectations were just lower back then and this is a decent follow up.Either way, I give this film a 6 on 10. While the film has a strong script (as far as weird kid's movies scripts go), which makes the film watchable and definitely entertaining if the subject matter tickles your fancy, just everything else about it is a turn off for anyone but a kid. I would not recommend it to adults or teenagers. If you happen to have Netflix and are running out of good kids movies to occupy your child's mind, this isn't a bad choice. Otherwise, do not go out of your way to get this movie.

Atomic_Peace This is arguably the worst film that Showtime currently has to offer, so far.I don't know about you, but I was raised on the Spy Kid films, I loved the first one, it introduced me to a brand of films: the slapstick Three Stooge-Esq animation and action captured my attention as a small child, and this was even before I had a conception of what good acting was, truly, if you place a child in front of a monitor and put such a laughable film like this on, they'll think these are real people sadly. But, if you plop it front of them 10 years later, they're going to be laughing like a pack of hyenas, not at the jokes, but the story and acting.  Now that I am in my teens, I have a good conception of what a good movie is, and what a bad movie is, and I can say with pride; that this, Is the Worst Film 2011.  A few weeks-ago, I put the original trilogy on, because I hadn't watched it in a while, and I can still say that the movies still holds up, even after the 10 year gap of not watching them, they still manage a smile to my face, not out of stupidly, but because of the jokes and characters, (not to mention that they are one of many childhood gemstones of mine.)  This morning I was surfing Showtime and saw this listed, with no mind to the universal panning by critics, I put it on, because I'm one of those guys who, if I start something, I gotta finish it, and oh, my. Am I regretting that decision.  There are so many problems with this movie, that I could actually list them.  1) Jessica Alba, she is still acting 2) The kids in the movie are extremely annoying 3) The acting is just... terrible. 4) In the beginning of the movie, Jessica Alba's character is on mission during pregnancy. This is a recurring joke in the movie, in which while she fights crime, she has her toddler in a baby holster.  The extremely slow paced film soon becomes an bother of the viewer,to the the point where I checked the clock, what felt like 50 minutes, was a mere 20. If a film goes that far down the cutting room floor, I am forced to give the film, a: Negative 10.5 Ticket Stub out 10 Tickets.  A Note to Parents: if your kids ever misbehave, put this on, it Will scare them back into line.