Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World
Encyclopedia
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (often referred to as Spy Kids 4D, also known as Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World and Spy Kids 4D: All the Time in the World) is an American 4D family-oriented
adventure film
directed by Robert Rodriguez
and the fourth installment in the Spy Kids series. It was released on August 19, 2011. Filming began on October 27, 2010. It is the first of the series that uses "Aromascope" that allows people to smell odors and aromas from the film via scratch & sniff
cards (reminiscent of the infamous 1960s Smell-O-Vision
) last used theatrically in the 2003 animated film Rugrats Go Wild.
) is trying to fight a villain named Tick-Tock (Jeremy Piven
), when she goes into labor with a baby girl named Maria and manages to defeat him and send him to jail. She decides to retire so she doesn't put her stepchildren or her newborn in danger or find out about her being an agent. The film then revolves around twins named Rebecca and Cecil Wilson (Rowan Blanchard and Mason Cook) who always bet and compete against each other. Rebecca has no respect for her stepmother as she thinks she can't replace her deceased mother, and their father, spy-hunting reporter Wilbur Wilson (Joel McHale
), has little time to spend with them and has to go to work and has not even caught one spy.
When Earth is threatened by an organization led by a hyperion
mastermind
mysteriously known as "the Timekeeper" (Jeremy Piven
), Marissa is contacted and called back into action by the OSS and has to take the baby with her, leaving a red-sapphire necklace (the key to the Timekeeper's plan) with Rebecca. When the Timekeeper's thugs try to break into their home, Rebecca and Cecil escape and go into the Panic Room. A video is shown of Marissa, telling the children that she is a spy. They don't believe it until their dog Argonaut talks, as he is a robot dog, and they escape in rockets and go to the OSS but then are being chased until they avoid them by throwing bags of vomit at them. Carmen Cortez (Alexa Vega
) helps them by letting them have gadgets as souvenirs and wait in a room but they escape and wreak havoc around the OSS.
They later go to a clock shop as they uncover a code to where the Timekeeper is hiding and become frozen by Tick Tock but Marissa and Carmen help them by activating their gadgets and they all escape. Wilbur witnesses the fight and becomes upset, and is fired for destroying the evidence that Marissa is a spy and he is upset she didn't tell him and when he thinks he needs to helps them out.
The OSS brings back Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara
) since he is their best agent ever and they have Rebecca and Cecil stay back at the OSS so they don't cause trouble. But when the director of the OSS, Danger D'amo shows up and Rebecca notices his watch like the Timekeeper and Cecil scrambles the letters of his name saying Armageddon, they are locked in. They escape by setting Argonaut to attack mode and smashing the door. The OSS agents are all frozen except Juni because he doesn't have his badge on because Carmen threw it away. Juni uses his watch to connect to Rebecca and Cecil to get the necklace back, and he unfreezes all the agents.
However, with the end of the world pending and the necklace stolen by the Timekeeper, both Rebecca and Cecil find that they have no choice but take part in the battle. As they get some gadgets and help Marissa, Rebecca has to put her anger against Marissa aside to rescue the lives that are at stake and are able to get through Tick-Tock's minions. They stop the Timekeeper who reveals he is doing this to see his father back in time, as while working on something else, Danger got frozen as a boy and kept going back in time to see him and (after aging as a side-effect) accept time the way it is. Following that epiphany, he disables the Armageddon device and leaves the premises an older and wiser man. Rebecca tells Marissa that she and Cecil are her kids and "the best spies ever". Wilbur handcuffs Tick-Tock, knocks out his minions, and Argonaut comes with Maria. When Tick-Tock tries to charge and escape Maria flips him over her head. And Marissa saying "Baby's first bad guy". Carmen and Juni announce that they've decided to be co-leaders of the "Spy Kids" program. In the end we see Rebecca and Cecil choose new recruits and both say to the selected recruits "You are activated."
was prompted by an incident on the set of Machete
to start envisioning a fourth film in the Spy Kids series. Star Jessica Alba had her then-one year old baby Honor Marie and was dressed to appear on camera when her baby's diaper "exploded". Watching Alba change the diaper while trying not to get anything on her clothes prompted Rodriguez to think "What about a spy mom?"
Production on the film was officially announced on September 25, 2009, six years after the release of Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
, by Dimension Films
. The script for the film was completed by Robert Rodriguez
in December 2009. The title for the film was officially revealed as Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World on March 24, 2010 as well as an August 2011 release window, which was later updated to an August 19, 2011 release date. Filming for the movie began in October 2010. The teaser was released on May 26, 2011 during Kung Fu Panda 2 and June 3, 2011 during X-Men: First Class
.
While Walt Disney Pictures
was initially a part of the production, they cut their own share in it and other recent films with the Weinsteins to 5% after the latter party lost their bid to reclaim Miramax Films
, though Disney still gets a soundtrack credit for some of the music featured in the film in the closing credits (namely, a theme from the first film).
has given the movie a "Rotten" rating of 20% from 53 reviews. Top Critics (8), have given the film a rotten rating of 18%. Emily from May I Have a Word?
and her brother Eli gave the film a two thumbs down. However, CinemaScore
polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a B plus on an A plus to F scale. Blake Wilson, author of the review blogsite Movies Taken Seriously and a long-time fan of the franchise, gave the film 4 stars and placed it in his Top 10 all-time favorite movies, stating, "The latest Spy Kids movie is an awesome thrill ride, with plenty of heartfelt and emotional moments". It was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on November 22, 2011 along with Conan the Barbarian and Super 8
.
and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. That was on the low end of expectations, but an exec. of The Weinstein Company said, "We're okay with this number. We're going to be in good shape with this film, and it will play for the rest of the summer". The following weekend, it dropped 48% to $6 million, and took sixth place, and on the following weekend, it earned an additional $6.8 million over the four-day Labor Day Weekend. As of November 2011, the film has earned $38 million in the U.S and $73 million worldwide, making it a moderate financial success.
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
adventure film
Adventure film
Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....
directed by Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez
Robert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
and the fourth installment in the Spy Kids series. It was released on August 19, 2011. Filming began on October 27, 2010. It is the first of the series that uses "Aromascope" that allows people to smell odors and aromas from the film via scratch & sniff
Scratch and sniff
Scratch and sniff technology generally refers to things that have been treated with a microfragrance coating. When scratched, the coating releases an odor that is normally related to an image being displayed under the coating...
cards (reminiscent of the infamous 1960s Smell-O-Vision
Smell-o-vision
Smell-O-Vision was a system that released odor during the projection of a film so that the viewer could "smell" what was happening in the movie. The technique was created by Hans Laube and made its only appearance in the 1960 film Scent of Mystery, produced by Mike Todd, Jr., son of film producer...
) last used theatrically in the 2003 animated film Rugrats Go Wild.
Plot
Marissa, (Jessica AlbaJessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
) is trying to fight a villain named Tick-Tock (Jeremy Piven
Jeremy Piven
Jeremy Samuel Piven is an American film producer and actor best known for his role as Ari Gold in the television series Entourage for which he has won three Emmy Awards as well as several other nominations for Best Supporting Actor....
), when she goes into labor with a baby girl named Maria and manages to defeat him and send him to jail. She decides to retire so she doesn't put her stepchildren or her newborn in danger or find out about her being an agent. The film then revolves around twins named Rebecca and Cecil Wilson (Rowan Blanchard and Mason Cook) who always bet and compete against each other. Rebecca has no respect for her stepmother as she thinks she can't replace her deceased mother, and their father, spy-hunting reporter Wilbur Wilson (Joel McHale
Joel McHale
Joel Edward McHale is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, television producer, television personality, and voice artist. He is best known for hosting The Soup and for his role as Jeff Winger on Community....
), has little time to spend with them and has to go to work and has not even caught one spy.
When Earth is threatened by an organization led by a hyperion
Hyperion (mythology)
Hyperion was one of the twelve Titans of Ancient Greece, the sons and daughters of Gaia and Ouranos , which were later supplanted by the Olympians. He was the brother of Cronus. He was also the lord of light, and the Titan of the east...
mastermind
Mastermind
-In psychology:* Genius* Mastermind , one of the 16 role variants that the Keirsey Temperament Sorter is based on* INTJ , a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator-In games:* Mastermind, classic board game...
mysteriously known as "the Timekeeper" (Jeremy Piven
Jeremy Piven
Jeremy Samuel Piven is an American film producer and actor best known for his role as Ari Gold in the television series Entourage for which he has won three Emmy Awards as well as several other nominations for Best Supporting Actor....
), Marissa is contacted and called back into action by the OSS and has to take the baby with her, leaving a red-sapphire necklace (the key to the Timekeeper's plan) with Rebecca. When the Timekeeper's thugs try to break into their home, Rebecca and Cecil escape and go into the Panic Room. A video is shown of Marissa, telling the children that she is a spy. They don't believe it until their dog Argonaut talks, as he is a robot dog, and they escape in rockets and go to the OSS but then are being chased until they avoid them by throwing bags of vomit at them. Carmen Cortez (Alexa Vega
Alexa Vega
Alexa Ellesse Vega is an American actress, singer and pianist. She is best known for playing Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids film series and Shilo Wallace in the movie Repo! the Genetic Opera. In 2009, she starred as the title character Ruby Gallagher in the ABC Family series Ruby & The...
) helps them by letting them have gadgets as souvenirs and wait in a room but they escape and wreak havoc around the OSS.
They later go to a clock shop as they uncover a code to where the Timekeeper is hiding and become frozen by Tick Tock but Marissa and Carmen help them by activating their gadgets and they all escape. Wilbur witnesses the fight and becomes upset, and is fired for destroying the evidence that Marissa is a spy and he is upset she didn't tell him and when he thinks he needs to helps them out.
The OSS brings back Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara
Daryl Sabara
Daryl Christopher Sabara is an American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Juni Cortez in the Spy Kids film series, as well as for a variety of television and film appearances, including Wizards of Waverly Place, Father of the Pride, The Polar Express, Keeping Up with...
) since he is their best agent ever and they have Rebecca and Cecil stay back at the OSS so they don't cause trouble. But when the director of the OSS, Danger D'amo shows up and Rebecca notices his watch like the Timekeeper and Cecil scrambles the letters of his name saying Armageddon, they are locked in. They escape by setting Argonaut to attack mode and smashing the door. The OSS agents are all frozen except Juni because he doesn't have his badge on because Carmen threw it away. Juni uses his watch to connect to Rebecca and Cecil to get the necklace back, and he unfreezes all the agents.
However, with the end of the world pending and the necklace stolen by the Timekeeper, both Rebecca and Cecil find that they have no choice but take part in the battle. As they get some gadgets and help Marissa, Rebecca has to put her anger against Marissa aside to rescue the lives that are at stake and are able to get through Tick-Tock's minions. They stop the Timekeeper who reveals he is doing this to see his father back in time, as while working on something else, Danger got frozen as a boy and kept going back in time to see him and (after aging as a side-effect) accept time the way it is. Following that epiphany, he disables the Armageddon device and leaves the premises an older and wiser man. Rebecca tells Marissa that she and Cecil are her kids and "the best spies ever". Wilbur handcuffs Tick-Tock, knocks out his minions, and Argonaut comes with Maria. When Tick-Tock tries to charge and escape Maria flips him over her head. And Marissa saying "Baby's first bad guy". Carmen and Juni announce that they've decided to be co-leaders of the "Spy Kids" program. In the end we see Rebecca and Cecil choose new recruits and both say to the selected recruits "You are activated."
Cast
- Rowan Blanchard as Rebecca Wilson
- Mason Cook as Cecil Wilson
- Jessica AlbaJessica AlbaJessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
as Marissa Wilson (née Cortez), Wilbur's wife, Maria's mom, Rebecca and Cecil's stepmom, Carmen and Juni's paternal aunt and presumably Gregorio and Machete's sister who is also a spy like her brothers. - Joel McHaleJoel McHaleJoel Edward McHale is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, television producer, television personality, and voice artist. He is best known for hosting The Soup and for his role as Jeff Winger on Community....
as Wilbur Wilson, Marissa's husband, Maria, Rebecca and Cecil's dad, Carmen and Juni's step-uncle and Gregorio and Machete's brother-in-law. - Alexa VegaAlexa VegaAlexa Ellesse Vega is an American actress, singer and pianist. She is best known for playing Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids film series and Shilo Wallace in the movie Repo! the Genetic Opera. In 2009, she starred as the title character Ruby Gallagher in the ABC Family series Ruby & The...
as Carmen CortezCarmen CortezCarmen Elizabeth Juanita Costa-Brava Cortez is a fictional character in the Spy Kids films, played by Alexa Vega.Carmen is one of two main protagonists in the films. For most of her life, Carmen had no idea her parents were secretly spies. Carmen's main concern was with her little brother Juni,... - Daryl SabaraDaryl SabaraDaryl Christopher Sabara is an American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Juni Cortez in the Spy Kids film series, as well as for a variety of television and film appearances, including Wizards of Waverly Place, Father of the Pride, The Polar Express, Keeping Up with...
as Juni CortezJuni CortezJunito Rocket Racer Rebel Cortez is a fictional character in the Spy Kids films portrayed by Daryl Sabara.Juni, like his older sister Carmen, is one of the series' main protagonists. Juni, like Carmen, had no idea his parents were secret agents until the first Spy Kids film... - Danny TrejoDanny TrejoDan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
as Isador "Machete" Cortez - Belle and Genny Solorzano as Maria Wilson/Spy Baby (talking voice by Sarah StewartSarah StewartSarah Gillow Marshall "Cissie" Stewart, later Sarah Hunter was a Scottish swimmer who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics...
) - Jeremy PivenJeremy PivenJeremy Samuel Piven is an American film producer and actor best known for his role as Ari Gold in the television series Entourage for which he has won three Emmy Awards as well as several other nominations for Best Supporting Actor....
as Danger D'Amo/Time Keeper, Danger's Father and Tick Tock - Ricky GervaisRicky GervaisRicky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
as the voice of Argonaut - Antonio BanderasAntonio BanderasJosé Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
as Gregorio Cortez(Uncredited, scenes cut)
Production
Robert RodriguezRobert Rodriguez
Robert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
was prompted by an incident on the set of Machete
Machete (film)
Machete is a 2010 action film directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis. The "Machete" character originates from the 2001 Spy Kids film, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. This film is an expansion of a fake trailer that was released together with Rodriguez's and Quentin Tarantino's...
to start envisioning a fourth film in the Spy Kids series. Star Jessica Alba had her then-one year old baby Honor Marie and was dressed to appear on camera when her baby's diaper "exploded". Watching Alba change the diaper while trying not to get anything on her clothes prompted Rodriguez to think "What about a spy mom?"
Production on the film was officially announced on September 25, 2009, six years after the release of Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over is a 2003 American action-adventure family film directed by Robert Rodriguez and the third film in the Spy Kids series. It was released in the United States on July 25, 2003. The film featured the return of many cast members from the past two films, although most were in...
, by Dimension Films
Dimension Films
Dimension Films is a motion picture unit currently a part of The Weinstein Company. It was formerly used as Bob Weinstein's label within Miramax Films, to produce and release genre films...
. The script for the film was completed by Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez
Robert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
in December 2009. The title for the film was officially revealed as Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World on March 24, 2010 as well as an August 2011 release window, which was later updated to an August 19, 2011 release date. Filming for the movie began in October 2010. The teaser was released on May 26, 2011 during Kung Fu Panda 2 and June 3, 2011 during X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Class is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics starring the X-Men.-Publication history:The original series was an eight-issue limited series. It began in September 2006 and ended in April 2007. It was written by Jeff Parker and penciled by Roger Cruz...
.
While Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
was initially a part of the production, they cut their own share in it and other recent films with the Weinsteins to 5% after the latter party lost their bid to reclaim Miramax Films
Miramax Films
Miramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. For its first 14 years the company was privately owned by its founders, Bob and Harvey Weinstein...
, though Disney still gets a soundtrack credit for some of the music featured in the film in the closing credits (namely, a theme from the first film).
Critical response
Spy Kids 4 received extremely negative reviews from critics. Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
has given the movie a "Rotten" rating of 20% from 53 reviews. Top Critics (8), have given the film a rotten rating of 18%. Emily from May I Have a Word?
WordGirl
WordGirl is an American children’s animated television series for children aged 6-12, produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids...
and her brother Eli gave the film a two thumbs down. However, CinemaScore
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.-Background:...
polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a B plus on an A plus to F scale. Blake Wilson, author of the review blogsite Movies Taken Seriously and a long-time fan of the franchise, gave the film 4 stars and placed it in his Top 10 all-time favorite movies, stating, "The latest Spy Kids movie is an awesome thrill ride, with plenty of heartfelt and emotional moments". It was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on November 22, 2011 along with Conan the Barbarian and Super 8
Super 8
-Media and entertainment:* Super 8 mm film, a motion picture film format* Super 8 , a 2011 science fiction film* Super 8 , by Züri West* Super 8 * super8 * Super8, a DJ of the duo Super8 & Tab...
.
Box office
The film took in $4 million on its' opening day and $11.6 million over the three-day weekend, debuting in third place behind The HelpThe Help
The Help is an American situation comedy television series which premiered on The WB on March 5, 2004. The show was a raunchy comedy that focused on the hard-lucked life of a beauty school dropout, who now must work for the wealthy and spoiled Ridgeway family. The rest of the hired help are also...
and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. That was on the low end of expectations, but an exec. of The Weinstein Company said, "We're okay with this number. We're going to be in good shape with this film, and it will play for the rest of the summer". The following weekend, it dropped 48% to $6 million, and took sixth place, and on the following weekend, it earned an additional $6.8 million over the four-day Labor Day Weekend. As of November 2011, the film has earned $38 million in the U.S and $73 million worldwide, making it a moderate financial success.