SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD - Blu-ray review

Robert Rodriguez has made his name as an innovative and visually inventive director in the action genre. He exploded onto the scene with the ultra-low budget "El Mariachi" before moving on to blockbusters like "Desperado," "From Dusk Till Dawn," and "Sin City." In between his R-rated pictures, Rodriguez has helmed the kid-friendly series of "Spy Kids" movies. It's not too surprising considering Rodriguez is the father of five boys.

It made sense that the third movie, "Spy Kids: Game Over," would launch the franchise into 3D. Eight years later, the fourth entry, "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World" was advertised as being presented in 4D. Time is considered to be the fourth dimension and while it plays a large role in the film, the 4D also referred to Aroma-Scope, Rodriguez's attempt to bring back Smell-O-Vision. Audience members were given scratch 'n' sniff cards, along with their 3D glasses, which gave them a whiff of scents like bubblegum, bacon, and chocolate. Perhaps, "Spy Kids 5D" will see the return of William Castle's "Tingler" gimmick where theaters are equipped with electrified seats. The following review is for the plain, old 2D version of "Spy Kids."

Jessica Alba stars as Marissa Wilson, the top agent for the OSS, the Organization of Super-Spies. In her final mission before retirement, Marissa tracks down and captures Tick Tock, a villain who uses weapons that can temporarily freeze people in time. Why is she retiring? Because she's nine months pregnant and goes into labor while battling Tick Tock's henchmen. Rodriguez was inspired to make the movie after watching Alba change diapers on the set of "Machete."

Marissa faces all new challenges as a happy homemaker. Her husband, Wilbur (Joel McHale), spends all his time working on his new reality show, "Spy Hunters," where he fruitlessly searches for spies hiding in society. Her step-children, Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook), can't stand her and are always pulling messy pranks on her.

Marissa is called back into action by her superior, Danger D'Amo (Jeremy Piven), when a new supervillain known as the Timekeeper begins stealing time. This causes the days to flow faster than normal. The Timekeeper's next move is to activate the Armageddon Device and the only thing that can stop it is a gem called the Chrono Sapphire. As it turns out, Marissa gave it to Rebecca as a gift. Thus, the kids are dragged into the mission and teamed with the original Spy Kids, Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara), who are all grown up. They receive help from a robotic attack dog named Argonaut (voiced by Ricky Gervais).

"Spy Kids" unfolds at a fast and furious pace, which is perfect for anyone who might have the attention span of a goldfish. It's a cinematic sugar rush; all candy colored and powered by hefty amounts of caffeinated cola. The youngsters will be entertained, but older folks might get a headache. The plot doesn't make a lick of sense and is bogged down by blunt messages about the importance of family. There's a disturbing amount of scatological humor with jokes about dog poop and farts. The heroes also incapacitate the bad guys with a dirty diaper and a bag of vomit. Joel McHale and Ricky Gervais are talented comedians, but neither man is given strong enough material to elicit even a modest chuckle. "All the Time in the World" also could have used the presence of past stars like Carla Gugino, Cheech Marin, and Danny Trejo (who only appears in a quick one scene cameo).

VIDEO:
The video is presented in 1080p with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The transfer is gorgeous with an extremely rich and detailed texture. The garish color scheme of "Spy Kids" comes off strong with the highlights being the holographic readouts from the OSS computers.

AUDIO:
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The Blu-Ray features powerhouse sound with plenty of sweeping 360 degree activity. The lossless audio will give your speakers one heck of a workout.

EXTRAS:
Robert Rodriguez Interview with Kid Reporter (6:58) finds a young lady interviewing the director as he discusses the making of the film, his own family, and working with child actors.

Spy Kids: Passing the Torch (7:59) focuses on the return of Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara and their work with Rowan Blanchard and Mason Cook.

Rowan & Mason's Video Diary (4:52) follows the young stars of "Spy Kids" as they visit make-up, wardrobe, and get ready for filming.

How to Make a Robotic Dog (3:46) introduces us to Elmo, the dog who plays Argonaut as well as the puppet that doubles for him in certain scenes.

Ricky Gervais as Argonaut (4:20) is an interview with the British comedian who talks about voicing the canine secret agent.

Spy Gadgets (3:51) is a featurette about the high tech gadgets employed by the Spy Kids division.

This 4-Disc combo pack also includes DVD and Digital Copy versions of the film as well as a bonus Blu-Ray 3D disc.

FILM VALUE:
It's ironic that the theme of "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World" is about living in the present and not dwelling on the past. The Weinstein Company has been cannibalizing their own past in an effort to resurrect their successful franchises to grab some quick cash. I don't know if anyone was truly clamoring for another "Spy Kids" movie and after watching this latest one, it's doubtful their minds were changed. "All the Time in the World" is the definition of junk food cinema, a movie lacking in substance and not at all healthy for consumption.