I am a fan of the Spy Kids franchise, there is no shame in admitting that. Even that crazy CGI orgy of mangled ideas that was Spy Kids 3(D) had a certain amount of enjoyment during its run time. One of the trademark elements of the Spy Kids films, and honestly any Robert Rodriquez film, is the music.

Rodriquez usually plays a very active role in the sound of his films, and the newest adventure of the extended Cortez family is no different. Written with Carl Thiel, the score for the fourth Spy Kids feature retains much of the same sound of the franchise predecessors. The music is a fun mix of sexy spy action, trademark Rodriquez guitars and a bubbly sheen that works perfect for this brand of kid movie.

Evoking many of the same tones as the previous Rodriquez kiddie films, this score generally works a collection of themes and action beats for general children consumption.

There is a lot to like about the music on this album, and sight unseen from the context of the film the music has wonderful pace. I find myself going to listen to one track and looking up a little later three or four tracks down the list. There is an infectious quality to the music in this movie, it has all of the bubble gum charm one comes to expect from one of these films.

I particularly appreciate a strong appreciation for specific themes that this soundtrack seems to have. There are themes for almost everyone in this release, and that is exactly how to appeal to younger kids. Broad strokes that are easily identifiable, yet strong on their own.

It’s that time of year again. The time when actors and actresses are honored for all the hard work they piled together in the 12 months leading up to one moment of pay off and a tiny little statue. We’re speaking, of course, about the Razzie Awards. These are the awards given out on the eve of Oscar night to those actors, actresses, and fimlmmakers who have produced some of the worst film projects to hit theaters in the past year.

Many remember last year’s big Worst Actress winner being Sandra Bullock, who went on the very next night to win an Oscar for a role in a completely different film. This year’s potentials could have the same luck, but we doubt it. Here’s the shortlist of actors from LA Times.

Among movies and actors shortlisted for the Razzies are Jessica Alba, who is eligible for worst supporting actress for four films (“The Killer Inside Me,” “Little Fockers,” “Machete” and “Valentine’s Day”), and Emily Blunt, eligible in the same category for her work in “The Wolfman” and “Gulliver’s Travels.”

Okay, I’m Mr. Jerk-Ass Film Critic Who Doesn’t Know Comedy. Some people like comedies where you can sit back and just have fun. Fine with me. For any ardent Meet the Parents fans reading this or anyone who just likes plain and simple comedies, my opinion won’t sway you, so I’ll just warn you that the audience at my screening, who would fall into both groups, didn’t laugh much either, and when there was some laughter, it sounded forced.

For good or bad, it’s not like a review is going to be useful for Little Fockers because a review isn’t going to change the mind of someone wanting to see it, and it’s just going to justify the rest who don’t—the only thing a review for this kind of film would be good for is if the film were actually funny.

It’s not. Case in point, when Stiller injects DeNiro’s Viagra-ized penis with adrenaline to de-Viagra-ize it, Stiller’s little kid walks into the bathroom at exactly the wrong moment. Another time a similarly awkward family moment leads to the child loudly exclaiming, “Shit!” Both shots are set up and executed in such a way that it’s just enough to tease the audience into thinking it might not be the predictable joke and then WHAM, it knifes us by revealing that exactly what we thought was going to happen happened.

Now I like little kids swearing and sticking sharp things into Italian men’s genitals, but that’s the point: I like it. Meet the Fockers doesn’t. The essence of third-grade potty humor isn’t in the dirty word itself; it’s in the excitement and reverence of the third-grader at having learned it.

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.

As summer dies down with explosive fire power and spiritual journeys to other lands, I recall the glorious action fest that was The Expendables. In turns out Julia Roberts has nothing on protein packed men with a mission on their minds. My female counterparts have voiced their love of meaty men in droves and unexpectedly taken away business from Julia’s love fest. Nearly 40 percent of The Expendables‘ audience was women. X-Men Origins: Wolverine‘s audience raked them in as nearly 50 percent of the audience was female. It seems women have tired of the boys akin to Michael Cera and instead jones for something with a little more muscle. Stallone should have learned the key to Hugh Jackman’s success to driving women in throngs- taking off his shirt.

I hear Hugh gave up his lead in Avon Man to start his insane work-out to become the ferocious mutant once again. If you take months upon months to beef up like these 80‘s action legends did, you’d think they’d want to show it off. Plus, wasn’t it super hot in Louisiana and Brazil where The Expendables shot? It was like 100 degrees with 100 percent humidity. Stallone couldn’t have been the only one who was feeling the heat.  Take off those shirts and up your female movie-going audience to 51 percent.

Grindhouse is a term used to describe a movie theater that specialized in showing Exploitation movies, primarily in the 1970s.  That type of movie was often made on the cheap, and contained salicious subject matter like nudity, drugs, or taboo behavior.

In 2007, Director Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino brought us the Grindhouse double-feature, which consisted of Planet Terror and Death Proof.  The film itself was scratched up to replicate what a real grindhouse might have looked like.  The movie(s) were heavy on the gore, nudity, and camp, just like the old days.

The movie featured fake trailers for upcoming films, one of which was for a movie called Machete, featuring grizzled character actor Danny Trejo.  Rodriquez decided to flesh out the ideas behind the trailer and dusted off a script he wrote in 1993 to give the film the full feature treatment.

Machete (pronounced throughout the film as Ma-chet-ay) is the moniker given to an ex federale  from Mexico who witnessed horrible atrocities committed on his family and has become a vigilante of sorts, vowing to bring down the people responsible for killing his family.  No surprise that his weapon of choice is a newly sharpened machete, though he will use just about any implement in a pinch.

We may be getting farther and farther away from the opening weekend of this year’s biggest action film, but that just means that we’re getting closer to this year’s biggest action film based on a spoof trailer, Machete. Robert Rodriguez has promised that this film will not disappoint fans who love this genre, and especially fans who love the film’s star Danny Trejo.

Why not keep that excitement going with a brand new clip of Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez having some harsh words. This looks to be one of the only scenes in the flick that doesn’t involve gratuitous nudity or violence, but it’s ok because we at least have some pretty things to look at.

If Alba and Rodriguez aren’t enough to get the blood pumping, how about a full cast of stars like De Niro, Cheech, Lindsay Lohan, Steven Seagal, and Don Johnson? That put a smile on your face? It should.

Check out the clip after the jump, and be sure to keep it here for more upcoming clips from Robert Rodriguez’s Machete, in theaters next Friday.

There are plenty of reasons to be excited for Robert Rodriguez’s upcoming Machete, but one reason alone should be that he managed to get Robert De Niro into the film as the shifty senator McLaughlin, the film’s main antagonist.

The film, based on Rodriguez’s spoof trailer attached to 2008’s Grindhouse, has become a combination of a labor of love and a medium-budget action flick. Though the plot doesn’t mean a whole lot to those seeing the film, basically Machete (played by Danny Trejo) is an ex-badass who’s forced back into the world of badass-ery to take down some bad guys. Hooked? We thought so.

If De Niro isn’t enough to get you to pay $10 for the flick, he’s joined by a once all-star cast who we can’t wait to see again in action. Names like Steven Sesgal, Lindsay Lohan, Don Johnson, Jessica Alba, Jeff Fahey, Michelle Rodriguez, and even a Troublemaker Studios regular, Cheech Marin.

Check out a brand new clip from the film after the jump, in which we get a fun twist on De Niro’s performance in Taxi Driver. Be sure to catch Machete in theaters on September 3rd.

With Robert Rodriguez’s Predators already unveiled to the world, it’s now time to turn our collective attention over to his next big film, Machete. The film takes itself as seriously as its title and follows Danny Trejo as the titular character, basically shooting and blowing stuff up for a good 90 minutes.

Not enough for you? Well, if there’s one thing Rodriguez has been known to do, it’s cast for the “every fan.” He did it in Planet Terror with Jeff Fahey and Michael Biehn, as well as in Shortz with James Spader.

Now, he’s pulling no punches with a huge cast including Robert De Niro, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Cheech Marin, Jessica Alba, Don Johnson, Steven Seagal, and even the recently incarcerated Lindsay Lohan.

Not only do we get each of those names in this 90 minute grindhouse film, but the studio has recently released a series of character posters with each of the cast members.

Check out the all of them in their glory after the jump, and be sure to catch Rodriguez’s Machete in theaters on September 3rd.

With Robert Rodriguez’s Predators hitting theaters nationwide today, you can expect most eyes to turn to his next project: the impressive looking adaptation of a spoof trailer Machete.

The film stars Rodriguez’s regular troupe including Cheech Marin, Jessica Alba and Machete himself Danny Trejo. Not enough for you? Well that barely scratches the surface of this massive cast. Joining in the fun, in no particular order, are Robert De Niro, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Lindsay Lohan, Don Johnson, and Steven Seagal.

This action-comedy spoof features Trejo as the titular character, fighting off evil government figureheads and more. The newest trailer even gives us a little more of Michelle Rodriguez as the aptly named “Shé.”

Check out the trailer after the jump, and catch Machete in theaters on September 3rd.