Spy Kids !exclusive! -

Spy Kids argues that children are not fragile. Children can handle the truth—that adults are flawed, that the gadgets fail, that the "Organization" (society) will try to use you.

Do you remember the first time you saw the thumb-thumbs? Did you own the Game Boy Advance game? Let me know in the comments below. Spy Kids

The Spy Kids franchise is not "good" in the traditional, Oscar-bait sense. The acting is often hammy. The effects are hilariously dated. The plots are nonsensical. But it is sincere . In a cynical world, Spy Kids believed that a kid with a grappling hook watch and a big heart could save the day. Spy Kids argues that children are not fragile

: The film is iconic for its imaginative tech, like the "speedboat/submarine combo" and the "chewing gum weapon." Did you own the Game Boy Advance game

While rummaging through the attic for a lost soccer ball, Leo tripped over a loose floorboard. Beneath it lay a metallic briefcase with a retinal scanner. Maya, curious as ever, leaned in. To their shock, the scanner beeped green and the case clicked open. Inside weren't travel brochures, but high-tech gadgets: Nano-Comms : Earpieces no larger than a grain of rice. Grip-Gloves : Capable of scaling any vertical surface. Holo-Disguise Pens : Click once to change your appearance instantly.

But more than that, it remains a comfort blanket for millennials. It’s a movie that trusts its audience. It trusts that kids can handle a complex plot, weird visuals, and a villain who isn't pure evil but is simply "misunderstood and badly in need of therapy."

Here is why the Cortez family remains the coolest, weirdest, and most important secret agents in cinema history.