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This topic contains:
- details about Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams'
classification and consumer advice lines
- a review of Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams completed
by Young Media Australia (YMA) on 18 January 2003.
About the movie
This section contains details about the movie, including its classification
by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) and the
associated consumer advice lines.
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Name of movie
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Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams
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Rating
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PG
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Consumer advice lines
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Low level violence
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Length
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100 minutes
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YMA review
This review of the movie Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams
contains the following information:
A synopsis of the story
Spy Kids 2 continues on with the exploits of the Cortez
family, a family of spies. Juni and Carmen are the children of Gregorio
and Ingrid who find themselves being undermined by another set of
spy kids, Garry and Gerti Giggles. The movie sees the two families
in competition with each other for recognition as the number one
spy of the OSS.
The Spy Kids are equipped with gadgets, such as jet-pack shoes,
watches that do everything but tell time, and various inflatable
devices. Garry and Gerti's dad, Donnagan, is the 'baddie' of the
movie as he aspires to be the director of the OSS and take over
the world.
Carmen and Juni go on an assignment to a remote island where a
reclusive genetic scientist, Romero, has created mismatch zoo creatures,
which he is scared of, and a device that can control the earth's
power. Juni and Carmen have to fight the creatures on the island,
a gang of skeletons and the Giggles Spy Kids.
Use of violence
- The movie shows children fighting effectively against adults.
In the real world it would be a very frightening thing for a child
to have to defend themselves against adults.
- Juni and Garry get into a fight on the back of two creatures.
Juni's creature gets squashed by a stone pillar by Garry's creature
that is attacking Juni.
- Spy dads Gregorio Cortez and Donnagan Giggles get into a fight
at the end of the movie. This is done in a very comical way.
Material that may scare children
Under sevens
- Romero, the genetic scientist, lives on a remote island with
his 'mix-and-match' zoo creatures which he fears. The creatures
are half one animal and half another. For example half spider
and half gorilla or half snake half lizard. Some of these creatures
may scare young children especially as they attack Juni and Garry.
- Juni and Carmen come across a room full of jewels on the island.
Juni takes a necklace from the room which awakens the skeletons
who then begin to attack her and Carmen with swords. The Spy Kids
are backed onto the edge of a cliff by the skeletons and Carmen
is swished away by a flying creature. The skeletons are scary
looking and may frighten young children.
- Juni and Carmen are floating in the sea when a huge two headed
creature attacks them, biting into their flotation suits.
- Servant-like creatures with huge hands and fingers and a man
with four heads and a whole lot of hands.
- The 'Troublemaker Theme Park' rides shown at the start of the
movie may confuse or upset young children if they are scared of
heights or prone to motion sickness.
Seven to twelve
- Most children in this age bracket will enjoy this movie without
feeling any threat to their personal safety or wellbeing. Parental
reassurance may by necessary for some children with existing fears
that could be exacerbated by the scenes described above.
Sexual references, nudity, substance use and
coarse language
There are no sexual references, nudity or substance use in this
movie.
There is no swearing throughout the movie until right at the very
end where Carmen tells Garry that he is 'full of shit' when she
starts to finally see him for what he is.
The movie's message
Values parents may wish to encourage include:
- the importance of family support and loyalty
- the importance of 'just being me'. At the end of the movie Juni
turns down the opportunity to be a level one spy kid, something
which he has been striving for, as he comes to the realisation
that just being himself is fine.
- gratitude when help is given. Romero, the scientist, gives Juni
a present at the end of the movie to thank him for helping him.
Values parents may wish to avoid or discuss with their children
include:
- the stereotype that being fat is bad or to be laughed at. When
Carmen and Juni are floating in the sea in their inflator suits
Carmen says 'Oh! Great I'm fat'.
- that girls are weaker than boys. Gerti doesn't help her brother
Garry when he is fighting Carmen, stating 'Don't look at me you're
fighting a girl'.
- solving conflict by using physical violence. Although the fight
scenes are portrayed in a comical manner, parents and caregivers
may wish to discuss with their children the real life consequences
of such violence and that in real life alternative ways of solving
conflict are preferable.
Overall comments
This movie is highly recommended for children between the ages
of seven to twelve. It is a very entertaining movie and with the
right parental guidance children should be able to enjoy this movie
without any negative effects.
Parents would need to consider how their child would react to the
zoo creatures, the other visual images and the 'fight' scenes. This
is a good children's action movie which parents can enjoy too.
Children under 7
This movie is not recommended for children under seven.
Children aged 8-12
Highly recommended. Some children may need parental guidance.
Children over the age of 12
Could see this with or without parental guidance.
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