Spy Kids: Armageddon

Spy Kids: Armageddon is a 2023 American spy action comedy film co-produced, shot, edited, co-composed, and directed by Robert Rodriguez, who co-wrote it with his son, Racer Max. It is the standalone sequel^[1] to Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (2011) and the fifth main installment in the Spy Kids film series. Produced by Skydance Media, Spyglass Media Group and Troublemaker Studios, the film stars Gina Rodriguez (no relation to the director^[2]), Zachary Levi, Connor Esterson, and Everly Carganilla.

Spy Kids: Armageddon
Promotional release poster
Directed by	Robert Rodriguez
Written by	Robert Rodriguez Racer Max Rodriguez
Produced by	David Ellison Dana Goldberg Don Granger Racer Max Rodriguez Robert Rodriguez Elizabeth Avellán
Starring	Gina Rodriguez Zachary Levi Connor Esterson Everly Carganilla D. J. Cotrona Billy Magnussen
Cinematography	Robert Rodriguez
Edited by	Robert Rodriguez
Music by	Rebel Rodriguez John Debney Robert Rodriguez
Production companies	Skydance Spyglass Media Group Troublemaker Studios
Distributed by	Netflix
Release date	September 22, 2023 (2023-09-22)
Running time	97 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Spy Kids: Armageddon was released on September 22, 2023, by Netflix. The film received mixed reviews from critics.^[3][4]

Premise

When the children of the world's greatest secret agents unwittingly help a powerful game developer unleash a computer virus that gives him control of all technology, they must become spies themselves to save their parents and the world.^[5]

Cast

• Gina Rodriguez as Nora Torrez^[6]
• Zachary Levi as Terrence Tango^[6]
• Connor Esterson as Antonio "Tony" Tango-Torrez^[6]
• Everly Carganilla as Patricia "Patty" Tango-Torrez^[6]
• D. J. Cotrona as Devlin. The character was previously portrayed by George Clooney in Spy Kids and Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over.
• Billy Magnussen as Rey “The King” Kingston, the main antagonist^[6]
• Joe Schilling as the voice of Heck Knight
• Solar Dena Bennett and Fabiola Andújar^[7] as OSS Agents
• Isaac Garza as the tournament host
• Krystle Gutierrez as a newscaster

Production

A reboot of the Spy Kids franchise was revealed to be in development in January 2021, with a film involving a plot that centers around a multicultural family. Series creator Robert Rodriguez returns as writer and director; the project is a joint-venture production between Skydance Media, Spyglass Media Group, and Double R Productions.^[8][9][10] Netflix acquired distribution rights the next year in March, making it the second Spy Kids project produced for the platform, while David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Racer Max (Rodriguez's son), and Elizabeth Avellán (Rodriguez's ex-wife) joined as producers.^[11]

The title was revealed to be Spy Kids: Armageddon, which was the original name for the previous film installment, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (2011).^[10] Along with the announcement of Max co-writing, and Rodriguez producing, the film's cast was revealed in the summer of 2022: Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Everly Carganilla, Connor Esterson, Billy Magnussen and D. J. Cotrona.^[12][13][14] Production wrapped in late August that same year.^[15][16][17]

Release

Spy Kids: Armageddon was released in the United States on Netflix on September 22, 2023.^[11][18]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 54% of 35 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "Spy Kids: Armageddon offers solidly diverting action for younger viewers, even if it's starting to feel like this franchise has run out of reasons to continue."^[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 55 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.^[20]

Samantha Bergeson of IndieWire says it "will certainly appeal to kids today, the kind that fall into the pre-tween age group who still dream about joining the CIA. As spy boss Devlin says at the end of the film, it’s simply onto the next mission for the 'Spy Kids' family. Will that sequel rival 'Spy Kids 2'? Stay tuned."^[21] Maggie Lovitt of Collider says it "may never be the generation-defining cult classic that its predecessors were, but it is still a long-overdue return to an unparalleled universe. In Rodriguez’s world, hopepunk rules, and very few storytellers feel compelled to tell stories where there’s unwavering optimism and hope for the future."^[22]

References

1. Polowy, Kevin (September 22, 2023). "Can 'Spy Kids' be the next James Bond? Robert Rodriguez has a plan". Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved October 23, 2023. "I wanted to reestablish a new family [in Armageddon]," he says. "It could still be in the same world, so if we get to make more films, there easily could be legacy characters that come back. But because it'd been so long [since 2011's All the Time in the World], it was important to just start the franchise fresh and then go from there. I would love to bring back [characters], I would love to connect the worlds. That would be so fun."
2. https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/spy-kids-easter-eggs-netflix#:~:text=Carganilla%2C%20who%20plays%20the%20pint,her%20mother%20in%20the%20movie.
3. Kroll, Justin (January 26, 2021). "Skydance Media To Reimagine The 'Spy Kids' Franchise With Spyglass Media And Series Creator Robert Rodriguez". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
4. "Film and TV Projects Going Into Production - Spy Kids". Variety Insight. from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
5. Keith, Chantel (June 25, 2022). "'Spy Kids': Netflix Introduces Cast and Plot for Upcoming Reboot". Spring Tribune.
6. "The 'Spy Kids' Franchise Is Getting a Reboot". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
7. Andujar, Fabiola (January 30, 2023). "Thank you for your gift and for powering our weekend @juiceland !!! When I was in Austin for "Spy Kids: Armageddon", I lived near JuiceLand and would pick up a Wundershowzen with an added shot of coffee on my way to set each morning. It always tasted the same, which I loved! I just ordered the usual, and it still tasted just as good as I remember!!! The compostable cups are also a huge plus🥤". Instagram. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
8. Kroll, Justin (January 26, 2021). "Skydance Media To Reimagine The 'Spy Kids' Franchise With Spyglass Media And Series Creator Robert Rodriguez". Deadline. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
9. Rubin, Rebecca (January 26, 2021). "Robert Rodriguez Rebooting 'Spy Kids' Franchise at Skydance Media". Variety. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
10. "Production Weekly – Issue 1300 – Thursday, May 26, 2022 / 17 Listings – 38 Pages". Production Weekly. May 25, 2022. from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
11. Grobar, Matt (March 30, 2022). "'Spy Kids' Franchise Reimagining In Works At Netflix; Robert Rodriguez Returning To Mount Next Film For Skydance, Spyglass". Deadline. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
12. Kroll, Justin (June 23, 2022). "'Spy Kids': Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Everly Carganilla And Connor Esterson Starring In Reboot For Netflix, Skydance And Spyglass". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
13. Cordero, Rosy (July 23, 2022). "'Spy Kids': Billy Magnussen Joins Netflix Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
14. Kroll, Justin (August 8, 2022). "'Spy Kids': DJ Cotrona Joins Next Installment For Netflix, Skydance And Spyglass". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
15. Rodriguez, Robert (August 31, 2022). . Twitter. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
16. "Robert Rodriguez on Instagram: "Just wrapped a new SPYkids for @Netflix, working with my son Racer Max! First foto is from the set of SPYkids 2 in 2002. Not much has changed, only now he's co-writer, co-producer, and a little heavier"". Instagram. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
17. "'Spy Kids' Reboot Has Wrapped Production". Collider. September 2, 2022.
18. "Robert Rodriguez Hints at 'Spy Kids: Armageddon's Release Window". Collider. May 9, 2023.
19. "Spy Kids: Armageddon". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
20. "Spy Kids: Armageddon". Metacritic. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
21. Bergeson, Samantha (September 22, 2023). "'Spy Kids: Armageddon' Review: Robert Rodriguez's Beloved Franchise Targets a New Generation". IndieWire. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
22. Lovitt, Maggie (September 22, 2023). "'Spy Kids: Armageddon' Review: Robert Rodriguez's Beloved Franchise Returns". Collider. Retrieved September 26, 2023.

External links

• Spy Kids: Armageddon at IMDb  
• Spy Kids: Armageddon on Netflix