Good Burger (Nostalgia Check)

For an entire generation of entertainment consumers, Nickelodeon’s All That acted as an introduction to sketch comedy and, in many ways, comedy in general. Created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin, All That was a rather ingenious creation; it generated comedy aimed squarely at young people without ever condescending to them. There was zero educational value to the show, and at times the humor got a tad risqué. (There were references to women’s underwear!) Also, let us not forget that the show’s cast was made up almost exclusively of young people. This mixture of elements created a viewing experience that felt like you were just hanging out with a bunch of funny friends, and that’s exactly what kids look for in their entertainment.

Spy Kids (Nostalgia Check)

For most of our childhoods, we do not approach films from a critical perspective. We watch them because they’re fun, colorful and they have sound. With this new feature, my goal will be to re-watch some of my favorite childhood films (and maybe television) and discover if they are actually good or if I was fooled by their mere existence. With the release of Spy Kids: All the Time in the World this weekend, I have decided to relive the first film in Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids saga. In fact, it was the trailer for All the Time in the World that more or less inspired this project. I remember the original Spy Kids being cartoonish, to be sure, but I didn’t remember it being quite as chaotic and over-the-top as this new film looks to be. (Or perhaps it was just the notion that Joel McHale is supposed to be the new Antonio Banderas. I love the man, but come on.) Seeing that the original was on Netflix Instant, I decided to tackle my childhood head-on. Surely Spy Kids would seem gritty and realistic compared to Rodriguez’s newfangled garbage.