Shorts

When it comes to Robert Rodriguez, his films are either hit or miss. The first "Spy Kids" was fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat family entertainment. The sequels - not so much. What always amazed me, however, is how Rodriguez can be so downright brutal with pictures like "Grindhouse" and "From Dusk Til Down" and then settle down to deliver a film that's suitable for viewers of all ages. His latest release "Shorts" is easily the best family flick since the original "Spy Kids". There's a little something in the movie for everyone to enjoy and that's hard to come across in any film released in this day in age.

The film revolves around a group of children and their parents who stumble upon a magic rock that grants wishes. It's a simple idea that opens up endless angels. Of course, it's not hard to present a villain in this scenario. Rodriguez uses the traditional story-line of what would happen if the rock fell into the wrong hands. The villain, in this case, is played by James Spader who's character owns a black box company in which all the parents in the town seem to work for. He does a fantastic job as an over-the-top madman, but it's obvious he has loads of fun with the role.

"Shorts" does tend to get a bit far-fetched, but this is a concept where anything can happen thus viewers really have no choice but to sit back and enjoy the ride. Rodriguez really puts his imagination to work here. What's funny is a lot of the wishes are things we've all considered at some point in our lives. Who hasn't wished for stacks of money as tall as a skyscraper? Or how about the power to read people's minds? While it's all entirely impossible, it's fascinating to watch our own wishes come to life.

Overall, I was surprised in how easy it was to get sucked into the movie. "Shorts" is one of the few movies I've seen that really allows viewers to let their imaginations run loose. This is undoubtedly a movie for kids, but even adults will find it hard not to be pleased.