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2011, 09-21:
Review of film: “SPY KIDS [ 4 ]: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD IN 4D” using “AROMA-SCOPE”
This 89-minute PG film was written & directed by ROBERT RODRIGUEZ...
... Marissa Wilson (JESSICA ALBA) has recently married a man named Wilbur (JOEL McHALE) who already had 2 kids— Rebecca (ROWAN BLANCHARD) & Cecil (MASON COOK)...
... Unbeknownst to her new family, Jessica is a retired SPY-- who keeps being secretly called OUT of retirement by her boss Danger D’Amo (JEREMY PIVEN)... When she’s doing her “specialty” work, we keep being introduced to some clever “GADGETS”...
... It seems planet Earth is (typically) being “THREATENED”-- in this case, by a man called the “TIMEKEEPER” who (naturally) wants to take over the world... He’s assisted by various “Argonauts” (played under masks by people such as RICKY GERVAIS & ELMO)...
... Things become so bad in trying to combat the evildoers (including “TICK TOCK”) that Jessica eventually enlists some help of the now-grown-up kids from the previous “GAME OVER” 3D movie (which grossed more than $ 200 million in 2003)— Carmen Cortez (ALEXA VEGA) & her “brother” Juni (DARYL SABARA)...
... At one point, Jessica gives an important “magic” LOCKET to Rowan, & that becomes an important plot point... We see numerous COMBAT scenes between the “good” guys & the baddies, all over trying to stop the Timekeeper from his attempts to gain control...
... WHO IS the “Timekeeper”?... Will Jessica & her companions be able to STOP his machinations, &, if so, HOW will they achieve that?...
... What surprises will be learned by the end, & how will all the major players “FARE” by the time the story concludes (until the next sequel)?...
... The “GIMMICK” in this movie is the so-called “4D”, which is to provide SMELLS to go along with what’s happening on-screen...
... You may be surprised to learn that adding scents to film-going experiences actually goes all the way back to 1906, when a theater in Pennsylvania provided a smell of roses (possibly during a newsreel on the Rose Parade)...
... In 1929, during a New York City showing of “BROADWAY MELODY”, perfume was released in the auditorium by a theater owner...
... And, in 1933, the Paramount RIALTO in New York City had some scents delivered via a smell system; but, the experiment was soon discontinued, due to problems in being able to promptly get RID of the odors...
... In 1953, GE developed a system called “SMELL-O-RAMA”, tho it wasn’t really expanded into real movie usage...
... In 1953, Mike Todd Jr. worked to upgrade a 1939 invention by Swiss national Hans Laube using perfume holders that were punctured at set intervals, with the odors planned to be fed thru vents underneath theater seats (such as at the Cinestage in Chicago)...
... The idea was patented under the name “SMELL-O-VISION”. But, after being used in a 1959 film called “SCENT OF MYSTERY”, it proved too unreliable & also expensive to employ on a limited number of potential films, & its use was soon discontinued...
... Charles Weiss invented a process called AromaRama” which was used for a 1959 travelogue film called “BEHIND THE GREAT WALL [of China]”, wherein “100 different aromas” were to be sent [seemingly thru the air conditioning system] into the theater via “scent track” cues to accompany the visuals...
... The system had some good reviews (along with some very bad ones); but, overall, it proved impractical for its cost, & it also soon FADED from use...
... In 1982, John Waters took his film “POLYESTER” (starring “DIVINE”) & (in an homage to “SMELL-O-RAMA”), released an “improved” version with a gimmick called “ODORAMA” wherein people did scratch-offs from a card (matched to “cue” numbers flashed onscreen) in order to provide “accompaniment” smells...
... That same “scratch-and-sniff” idea was used in the “SPY KIDS 4”, which calls its method “AROMA-SCOPE”...
... Cards contained 8 scratch-off areas, linked to blinking on-screen cue numbers, & provided smells such as BACON, snacks (candy & salted chip-like items), poop, etc...
... The “interactive” idea was “OK”— but limited & not all that “amazing” in today’s highly technological world...
... One interesting thing to me is, the movie was released in not only the 3D format but also in standard “2D” (meaning, if you saw that version-- which I did -- you’d only be getting a total of “3D” out of the “promised” 4!)...
... WHY was movie released in 2D?-- I think it’s for the same reasons a NUMBER of the 3D films have been released that way: Not all theaters have expended the money necessary to be able to show 3D films in all their auditoriums...
... And -- tho the theaters may well “dismiss” the idea --, I think it also is because people have expressed a growing RESISTANCE to paying the unnecessarily-high SURCHARGES theaters have been adding-on for “run-of-the-mill” effects that simply aren’t WORTH the added money!...
... In any case, as to the movie “SPY KIDS [4]”, it’s “OK”-- but nothing very “special”. The story line was pretty silly & at times “childish”; the acting was passable...
... But, keeping in mind the film seemed aimed at rather YOUNG (pre-teenage) kids, it was “FITTING” for them...
... There are some clever gadgets & technological “IDEAS” & special effects utilized at times, which made for a fairly ENJOYABLE experience for younger people...
... Thus, I’d rate this film at 7.0 of 10 stars (for its intended audience, & less than that for people older than that)...
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