Most films tend to peter off after the first trilogy. That rule, of course has been tried and broken a few times, most recently with the upcoming prequel X-Men: First Class. For Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids franchise, we fear it won’t meet those standards with the upcoming fourth film.

The film’s got a pretty impressive cast, and will, of course, be in 3D, but from what we can tell the script looks like it was shoehorned into the current Spy Kids universe, and even drudges up the much older stars of the original films. Here’s the massive synopsis.

The film revolves around twins Rebecca and Cecil who cannot get along with their stepmother, Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba), who married their father, Wilbur, a spy-hunting reporter. Unknown to the twins, Marissa is a retired spy for the OSS (Organization of Super Spies) which has since become the world’s top spy agency and former headquarters of the now-defunct Spy Kids division.

So when Earth is threatened by a villain who goes only by the name of “The Timekeeper” (Jeremy Piven), she is called back into action by the leader of the OSS. With the end of the world approaching, Rebecca and Cecil have no choice but to join the fight, help Marissa, and put their anger against her aside in order to save innocent people. They will also receive some help from former Spy Kids Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) (who have since grown to teenagers) who will provide them with new gadgets.

And yes, the film will be in “4D”, which doesn’t actually mean anything. Take a look at the first trailer for the flick after the jump and catch Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World in theaters on August 19th.

Just when you think Robert Rodriguez is going to zig, he zags. Unlike his friend and mentor, Tarantino, who puts out an artistically written film once every four years, Rodriguez is constantly reinventing himself, claiming domain over genres ranging from ultra violent exploitation films to 3D family flicks.

It looks like he’s doing a bit of fan service in both directions now with the casting for Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World. It’s been recently confirmed that Rodriguez has obtained Jessica Alba, Jeremy Piven, and Community’s Joel McHale to star in the film, with actors like Alexa Vega, Antonio Banderas, and Danny Trejo to return. Here’s the rundown of the film from the studio.

On the surface, Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba) has it all…married to a famous spy hunting television reporter, a new baby and intelligent twin step kids. But in reality, trying to mother Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook), who clearly don’t want her around, is her toughest challenge yet. Also, her husband, Wilbur (Joel McHale), wouldn’t know a spy if he lived with one which is exactly the case – Marissa’s a retired secret agent.

Marissa’s world is turned upside down when the maniacal Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven) threatens to take over the planet and she’s called back into action by the head of OSS, home of the greatest spies and where the now-defunct Spy Kids division was created. With Armageddon quickly approaching, Rebecca and Cecil are thrust into action when they learn their boring stepmom was once a top agent and now the world’s most competitive ten year olds are forced to put their bickering aside and rely on their wits.

With a little help from a couple of very familiar Spy Kids, Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara), and some mind-blowing gadgets, they just may be able to save the world and possibly bring their family together while they’re at it.