Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011) — PICK
Spy Kids (2001) — PICK
Spy vs. spy! Two enormously fun and imaginative espionage action romps are now on Amazon Prime — one for the whole family, the other for teens and up.
The family-friendly one is Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids, a colorful, whimsical forerunner to The Incredibles, the most successful of the “marriage and family as an adventure” genre.
Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino play former rival superspies-turned-husband-and-wife whose kids know nothing of their parents’ swashbuckling past.
When Mom and Dad are pulled back into the game, it turns out that the good fight is now a whole family affair.
If you’ve lost track of the installments in Tom Cruise’s biggest franchise, Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol — from Incredibles director Brad Bird — is the one that, for my money, kicked the series into high gear.
I wasn’t crazy about the first two M:I sequels, but Bird’s contribution — highlighted by its gonzo Burj Khalifa set piece and breathless stunts that don’t always come off flawlessly — is ridiculously entertaining, with breezy confidence and plenty of charm.
CAVEAT SPECTATOR: Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol: Intense action violence; some suggestive content, including images of erotic art; a few instances of profanity and some crass language. Teens and up. Spy Kids: Comic violence and mild scenes of menace and suspense. Kids and up.