In the past few years, the movies that shaped our childhood have either been remade or expanded on through sequels. However, many of these attempted continuations are lacking in the originality of the first movie and, frankly, just are not as good, in my opinion. In the spirit of the most recent addition to the Spy Kids series, Spy Kids: Armageddon (which has a very similar plot to Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over), I decided to go back in time and review some of the most iconic movies from childhood.
1.The Spy Kids Series
The release of the new Spy Kids movie, Spy Kids: Armageddon, which just came out on Netflix September 22 of this year, actually inspired this article. For those who do not know, the Spy Kids series follows 2 kids, Carmen and Juni Cortez, who find out their parents are spies and end up becoming “spy kids”.
The first 3 movies of this series follow the Cortez family as they face many challenges on their adventures to constantly “save the world”. Personally, I believe that the 2nd Spy Kids, Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams, is the best Spy Kids movie, and I am not the only one who holds this belief. When asked about his favorite childhood movie, fellow senior, Wilson Swenson, said “Spy Kids was my entire childhood. I don’t think I’d be the person I am today without Spy Kids. Spy Kids 2 is the best one.”
2.The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl
The best thing to come from this movie is Taylor Lautner dancing and singing the dream song, which I recently learned is actually titled, “Dream Dream Dream Dream (Dream Dream)”. Upon re-watching this movie, I realized just how cringy and genuinely bad this movie is. The acting is childish, overly-dramatic, and frankly a little painful to watch, however it is understandable seeing as the movie is made for children and has almost an entire cast of child-actors.
Despite the awkward dialogue, the story is interesting and unique. The main character, Max, has a “dream journal” that he uses to write a fantasy story that follows the action-packed lives of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. However, one day the contents of his dream journal become reality and the characters of his imagination show up to his school and ask for his help in saving their planet. As hinted by the name, these characters go through many trials on their big adventure. Unlike the other 3 movie series, I could not even bring myself to watch the long-awaited sequel to this movie.
3.The Chronicles of Narnia
The 3 movies that are part of The Chronicles of Narnia series follow 4 siblings, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, as they are transported from England to the magical land of Narnia in order to, you guessed it, save the kingdom of Narnia from an evil witch, conquerors, and a magical mist, fueled by fear. One of my favorite things about these movies is the message they promote. All 4 of the siblings, at some point, desired to be grown up and wanted to be viewed as more than a child. These movies serve to show that childhood is “magical” and children shouldn’t be in a rush to grow up. Again, I find myself favoring the second installment of this 3-movie series. It shows a closer bond between the siblings, as well as includes more character development. For those who have not seen any of these movies, they are most definitely worth watching.
Despite the awkwardness of the dialogue and acting, these movies are fun to watch and I will constantly think back on them with a nostalgic fondness. I had not realized until I was recapping these movies, but they deliver a certain message about empowerment for kids to “dream big”. In addition, I think many of these movies inspire kids to think creatively and enjoy childhood. Overall, they weren’t as legendary as I remember them being, but still worth the watch.
