Spy Kids All the Time in the World Blu-ray review

            The Spy Kids franchise is one which continues to give opportunity for Robert Rodriguez to make films. Every so often he releases an adult-oriented piece of exploitation entertainment, or the occasional family film not involving spy kids, but it is this franchise which has stayed constant for Rodriguez. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World revives the story with new children and spies, though this doesn’t prevent the old spy kids from returning. They are simply no longer children and have become regular spies. The Spy Kids franchise is like the James Bond franchise; it can be revived for each new generation with new casting.

            All the Time in the World has a storyline surprisingly similar to The Spy Next Door, with only a step-parent bringing the kids into the spy world instead of the two spy parents of the original three films. Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba) marries a TV reporter (Joel McHale) with two children, Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook). When Marissa has a baby of her own, she decides to stop working as a spy. This former occupation is kept hidden from her new family, even when her husband launches a new spy-hunting television program. Only the return of the maniacal time-obsessed super villain Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven) is enough to bring Marissa out of retirement. In the process she inadvertently brings Rebecca and Cecil into the fight against the bad guy.

            This film is obviously directed at children, though there is enough to keep the adults mildly amused in the process. It is a silly film, but a fun one with plenty of bathroom humor and good actors giving up dignity to have a good time. The Blu-ray combo pack crammed with extras, even including a bonus 3D version, which I’m certain was the way this film was meant to be seen. I suppose this will be good to have in the off-chance that 3D TVs become a necessity in years to come. In the meantime it is an extra which can be used at some later date. There is also a DVD version of the film and a digital copy, making this a 4-Disc set.

            The special features include an interview with Rodriguez, along with a featurette on the new children and a featurette on the new gadgets. There are also trailers, deleted scenes and more miscellaneous bits and pieces.