Going up against The Toymaker and his digital domain of multidimensional surprises will take the agents of the Cortez family, young and old, into their most dangerous and demanding mission yet. Sure, the Cortezes are quite familiar with facing the wildest villains, the greatest gadgets and the most mind-boggling creations on earth already – but in the realm of a video game they soon learn that anything can happen, including things they used to believe were impossible!
“When the SPY KIDS go into the video game, it means that they’re suddenly in a world that’s totally made up of imagination – it’s all shapes and colors and creatures -- exactly what kids love,” says Antonio Banderas, who reprises the role of spy-dad Gregorio Cortez. “I think the 3D aspect is going to be a blast for families. And as for my character, he is on the verge of making a very important decision about his career, but when his kids need him, he’s there, ready to fight robots or whatever else comes flying at him. The one thing they have learned by now, is that no matter what happens, they’re in it together.”
Adds Carla Gugino, who plays the world’s buffest spy-mom Ingrid Cortez: “I think SPY KIDS 3D has given Robert Rodriguez exactly what he and his fans have always wanted: a license to do anything fun without having to be tied to reality. In this movie, you’re completely in this other, computer-generated dimension so anything can happen. And for the audience, experiencing it in 3D, it will be so much more thrilling, scary and fun than the first two. But like the first two, it’s very high-tech but it has a lot of humanity. As much as ever, I think this film is very subtly about how important family and how we’re all really family to one another in the world.”
One Cortez family member who makes the most of the cyber-zone is Grandpa Cortez, portrayed by Ricardo Montalban as a man magically given back his physical prowess inside the virtual reality of the game. But even once he jettisons his wheelchair and starts bounding around like a super-athlete, Grandpa Cortez knows the real key to winning any game is brainpower and unity. The more Juni lets Grandpa lead the way, the more he learns just what makes a family hero. “I loved being such an important part of this story,” says Montalban. “Not only does my character develop a close personal relationship with Juni on-screen, but I developed one with Daryl Sabara for real. Part of the fun of SPY KIDS is being around such great, respectful and daring kids.”
“Ricardo is a true hero of mine. He is an incredible talent, and has a physical stamina that Superman couldn’t touch. He is in such great physical pain, due to botched back surgeries, that he is stricken to a wheelchair in real life. For the movie, I wanted to liberate him from his chair using CG technology, but in reality he still had a very physically demanding role. To simulate his body movements he had to physically “get into” his performance. He wanted the challenge, and he took it on like a true professional, if not beyond. Sometimes I’d see him in extreme pain, his face contorting on set. I’d try and tell him we could stop for a break, but he’d say, ‘Just call action. The mind can’t focus on two things at once. If you call action the pain will go away for the duration of the take.’ Who needs heroes, when you have someone like Ricardo Montalban around? People were in awe. I see his finished performance as a jewel. He is a remarkable man.”
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