Spy Kids 3: Game Over (PG)
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Caution: spoilers.
This is the third movie in the Spy Kids franchise, following Spy Kids 2. It was originally called "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over", because it was released theatrically in 3-D, but since I've only seen it in 2-D, I'm leaving out the "-D" part of the title. It came out in 2003, but I didn't see it until 2025. Everything about this movie is ridiculous and underwhelming, including all the CGI.
It starts with Juni working as a private eye, having resigned from the OSS in the previous movie. He only works small-time cases for other kids, and he's saving up to buy a new virtual reality video game called "Game Over". But that doesn't really work out. Then he's contacted by President Devlin (formerly the director of the OSS), who tells him that Carmen is missing. So Juni reluctantly goes back to the OSS for this one mission. He is briefed by Donnagon Giggles, a reformed villain who is now a technician, and his wife, Francesca (Salma Hayek). They explain that it's only Carmen's mind that is missing. She had entered the virtual world of "Game Over", which was created by a villain called the Toymaker, who I guess the OSS had trapped in virtual reality many years ago. Somehow he created the game as a way to take over the minds of all the kids who would play it, so Carmen went in to shut it down, but she had been captured. Now Juni has to go into the game to find her (on level four, as he incessantly reminds the audience), and then get to level five, the final level, where there is a switch that would shut the game down.
Inside the game, Juni meets a few players (beta testers), named Francis, Arnold, and Rez. They apparently trick him and send him to the Moon, where he has to fight in a mech battle against a girl named Demetra. At first she's much better than him, but he eventually wins. He also gets to choose one agent from his family to enter the game and help him out, and he chooses his grandfather, Valentin (previously seen in "Spy Kids 2"). Actually, this may have happened before the mech battle, I've already forgotten. But Valentin wandered off to chase a butterfly, leaving Juni on his own for awhile. But after the battle, he is returned to Earth, where he meets the beta testers again. They decide he is a legendary player called "the guy", who they hope will lead them through level 5. But first they have to lead him to level 4, so he can rescue Carmen. They all take part in a sort of car race, which Juni eventually (barely) wins. And he is reunited with Valentin, and the players are all joined by Demetra.
Once they get to level 4, the Toymaker releases Carmen, who joins the players. The Toymaker tries to guide them (without their knowing) to the end of the game, as he expected Valentin to release him from the game, in order to get revenge in the real world, since the Toymaker had caused the accident that lost Valentin the use of his legs, thirty years ago. The players also briefly meet the real "Guy" (Elijah Wood), though he doesn't last long. Anyway, the players eventually escape from the game, and it turns out that Valentin did in fact release the Toymaker. His giant (CGI) robots then attack the city, and for some reason the only way to see them is to wear special glasses. Carmen and Juni call on a ton of people from the previous two movies to come help defeat the robots, while Valentin confronts the Toymaker. And then there's a happy ending.
Well, none of this made any sense. I was disappointed that Carmen was absent for most of the movie, and that Juni was mostly pretty useless. All the "Spy Kids" movies are silly, but at least the first two were silly in a somewhat entertaining way. This one was just hard to watch. Still, I'm glad I've finally seen it.
Followed by "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World"