When the last film is called SPY KIDS 3D: GAME OVER, shouldn’t that allude to the series ending? Apparently not, since the fourth installment of the SPY KIDS series is coming out tonight. The third film was one of the first to hop on the 3D bandwagon, so how did director Robert Rodriguez up the anti for the 4th? By adding smell, of course!
Yes, the 4th dimension is something called Aroma-scope (better known as “Smell-o-Vision), where the audience is given a scratch and sniff card and, when prompted, they’re supposed to scratch and sniff the card to smell what’s going on in the movie.
The story is all about twins Rebecca and Cecil Wilson (Rowan Blanchard and Mason Cook) who learn that their step-mother, Marissa (Jessica Alba), is a retired spy from the Organization of Super Spies (OSS). But when the earth is threatened by a madman known as “The Timekeeper” (Jeremy Piven), Marissa is called back to action, leaving behind a red-sapphire necklace (the key to the Timekeeper’s plan) with Rebecca. Soon enough, the kids become part of the mayhem and the three of them – with the help of their talking dog and the famous Cortez children – have to come together to fight the Timekeeper!
So far, many have debated whether or not the film should have been made, due to it being, um, a lame movie. But there’s one character that’s happy it was made: the dog that plays the talking dog, Argonaut. Apparently the dog was going to be put down, but the producers rescued him before hand and cast him for the movie.
“I’m not the star of this film, it’s the dog, he’s the cutest dog in the world … He was a rescue dog, they were going to put him down but the crew saved him and put him in the film and made him a star,” actor Ricky Gervais said in an interview on a British talk show. Gervais went on to say that he got to ad lib most of his script (which were actually the best lines in the whole film).
The smell thing, combined with the lack-luster writing and the fact that it’s the 4th film in a series, makes the whole movie (literally) stink of gimmicks. But since its production saved a dogs life, we can’t help but love it. – 2/5