Is there anything better than the first “Spy Kids” movie?
Seriously, the first two “Spy Kids” films are classics, and any time they’re shown on television, millennials can’t help but watch to reminisce.
When the first “Spy Kids” movie came out in 2001, it was exactly the kind of movie that this generation of millennial children needed. It was colorful, fun, multicultural, strange and exciting.
The film told the story of siblings Carmen and Juni Cortez, children of spies Ingrid and Gregorio, played by Carla Gugino and Antonio Banderas, respectively. Not to mention the always great Danny Trejo as the siblings’ uncle Machete.
Seeing young Carmen and Juni fight bad guys while simultaneously bickering with each other was hilarious to children at the time. “Spy Kids” might not be as brilliant a movie as millennials once thought it was, but it’s still a good time nonetheless.
Now that the films are on Netflix, reliving a childhood highlight is only a click away.
At the heart of the cheesy and campy films is the Cortez family. The family was cast perfectly, and viewers can really believe they care for one another. Carmen and Juni are lovable characters, and in addition to the fun and colorfulness of the films, they were no doubt part of the reason the franchise has so many installments.
Carmen was the baddest child spy ever, and she was surprisingly well-rounded, a perfect strong female character to look up to for children. Juni was super relatable, always feeling insecure and suffering from low self-esteem. He felt inadequate, especially compared to Carmen, but in each film he eventually finds his own way, becoming a great spy in his own right.
Diversity is also a huge part of the “Spy Kids” films.
Because the movies are targeted at children, people may not think of them as revolutionary, but up until that point, millennial children had never really seen Hispanic representation in that way. Other than perhaps “Dora the Explorer,” children had never seen such prominent familial Hispanic representation. However, “Dora the Explorer” is a cartoon, and “Spy Kids” is a live action film, a much more important venue to see diversity.
“Spy Kids” made all millennials want to be child spies. Surely they attempted, using the “Spy Kids” line of Mcdonald’s toys as if they were real gadgets, probably much to the annoyance of their parents. Trying to be like Carmen and Juni was a millennial’s rite of passage as a child and honestly, they were great role models.