Spy Kids 4: All The Time in the world: Blu Ray Review

Rating:PG
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

So, the popular Spy Kids franchise gets another outing.

Superspy Marissa (Jessica Alba) is back - and this time, heavily pregnant and on the tail of a villainous baddie called Timekeeper.

But when she rounds up one of his underlings, Tick Tock, she's forced to quit the spy game as her waters break just after busting the bad ass. So, with a baby in tow and a step family after marrying Joel McHale's TV reporter, she decides to settle for the quiet(ish) life.

However, Timekeeper's not one for keeping his plans under wraps for long and Marissa's forced out of retirement to try and catch the bad guy - only this time she's not alone as she inadvertently gets her step kids Rebecca and Cecil involved too...

Spy Kids 4 is definitely one for the younger end of the spectrum. It's bright, brash and kiddy in tone and plot - plus the younglings will adore the use of the 3D which has been shoehorned in as much as is humanly possible for one film.

There's slapstick along the way and a reasonable performance for the cast - including some typically deadpan and dry humour for Ricky Gervais' mechanical dog which protects the family. The story's fairly disposable and while it's not a patch on the original film, it's a smart and sensible way to extend the franchise and keep it a little fresh.

It won't win any awards and it won't be one the adults will be able to endure - but in all honesty, the kids will love it - and enjoy some of the fart humour and general silliness of the franchise.

Extras: The Blu Ray repeats the "Aromascope" experience of the movie's cinematic release by throwing in scratch and sniff cards which must be rubbed off everytime a number pops up. A nice touch but really something which is just of use the one time. Deleted scenes are also thrown in.

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