Spy Kids: Armageddon was released on September 22, 2023, on Netflix. It is the overall fifth installment of the franchise, with its predecessor being All the Time in the World, which was released in 2011. Even though it picks up from where it left off regarding the Armageddon virus, the new movie is a total reboot of a new family of spies instead of the Cortez family.
We are introduced to the ‘Terrence-Tango’ family in the form of Nora Torrez and Terrence Tango and their two children. Similar to the other movies, the parents keep their secret hidden from their son Antonio and daughter Patricia. The truth is exposed once a powerful game developer gains control of the Armageddon virus and gains control of half the world’s technology.
Spy Kids: Armageddon could be the start of another long-running franchise. It is the first film that got released on OTT and has gained mixed reviews so far. Even though we got a few interesting gadgets and a cool plot, the film didn’t deliver in some aspects.
Spy Kids: Armageddon (2023) Cast
- Gina Rodriguez as Nora Torrez
- Zachary Levi as Terrence Tango
- Connor Esterson as Antonio Torrez-Tango, nicknamed Tony
- Everly Carganilla as Patricia Torrez-Tango, nicknamed Patty
- D. J. Cotrona as Devlin
- Billy Magnussen as Rey Kingston, nicknamed The King
- Joe Schilling as Heck Knight
Spy Kids: Armageddon (2023) Movie Plot & Summary
Spy Kids: Armageddon features children saving their parents and the world, just like any other kid’s movie, after creating the whole mess in the first place. The story actually begins with Tony winning a card game by cheating and getting early access to a new game named Hyskor. Unfortunately, it turns out to be a means through which the developer, Rey Kingston, hacks into the system of Terrence Tango and steals the Armageddon code.
Kingston creates this elaborate pan in order to hack all systems in the world and make people play Hyskor to get access to their daily activities. Meanwhile, the Terrence residence, gets attacked by personified versions of game characters. Revealing that they are spies, Torrez and Tango send their children to an underwater safehouse from where their spy training begins.
Before sending them off, Nora gave Patty a tracker in the form of a necklace. The two children are taken by Devlin to OSS for safety but Heck Knight, one of Kingston’s chums, manages to steal the other half of the Armageddon code which was inside a smart AI named Bronson. Patty then uses her mind to make Devlin reverse-track their parents with the tracker on her neck – something that the high IQ agents couldn’t think of earlier.
Spy Kids: Armageddon ends with the whole family reuniting, defeating baddies, and getting transported in Hyskor via pods. The ‘boss fight’ is between Tony and The King, while Patty and her parents engage with Heck Knight.
Spy Kids: Armageddon (2023) Movie Review
Children’s movies are overtly made to appeal to younger ‘uns. As such, not everything can connect on a deeper level. While certain stereotypes will make parents roll their eyes, the kids will love it. The point of the movie is that it plays on the fantasy of children – escaping from the gaming world where their favorite characters come to life and save the world. It gives them a sense of responsibility, uprightness, and of course, promotes gaming.
Spy Kids: Armageddon brings out simplistic themes such as following the rules, being kind to each other, and kids making adults a better person to have a better world. The advantages of technology are also seen. Patty and Tony are able to escape from trouble thanks to Bronson, the AI who follows each command. We also have remote-controlled smart cars and high-tech hovercrafts capable of flying.
Yet, there are questionable themes as well. Instead of letting The King go to hail, Patty chooses to make him play his own game as “Hyskor made a person better as the game progressed.” However, can educational games really cure all the crime in the world? Hyskor didn’t even seem educational; it was more of an action-fighting game with RPG elements and cringe character names like Rat Thickskull and Florella.
Spy Kids: Armageddon Fails To Deliver
The Spy Kids franchise is famous for its slapstick antics and portrayal of gadgets. However, the devices shown in the movie were nothing special. Augmented Reality has consumed the world, so an AR-based training system wasn’t all that marvelous, and neither was Bronson, a take on Siri. Also, the comedy seemed uninspired as the plot dragged on relentlessly and mostly revolved around the main characters explaining things to each other.
The cast is not wrong for Spy Kids: Armageddon. Zachary Levi is the perfect actor to bring silliness to a role, and so is Gina Rodriguez. Yet, Levi comes off as boring because he is depicted as a smart father while not enough pause time is given after his classic laughable exclamations. Gina plays a supporting role in the whole film, constantly saying ‘I love you’ to Zachary to ease his nerves, such that her rowdy character comes off as hollow.
Then come the kids. Tony and Patty dominate the first 20 minutes of the film, and it is an absolute borefest. They try to bring enthusiasm to their banter, Tony being a rule-breaker and Patty being a rule-lover, but their roles come off as too generic. Their ‘siblingness’ gets progressively better with the movie, yet their punchlines or cheeky responses rarely deliver.
The Movie Culture Synopsis
Spy Kids: Armageddon will definitely make an impression on video game-loving children. It has tremendous action, with glass-shattering fight scenes, spear fights, and sword duels. Parents will thrown off by the pacing of the sequences but children love a good action film based in a video game world, be it at the cost of comedy and the absence of high-tech gadgets.
The platform for a sequel was set by Spy Kids: Armageddon. Devlin spoke of an assignment for Patty and Tony as they geared up in their spy suits. We can only hope that the dialogues get better and the film plays less on stereotypes.
