PUSHING THE 'SPY KIDS' ENVELOPE.

Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic

FILMMAKER Robert Rodriguez seems to know full well the perils of sequels, so he works overtime in ``Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams'' to give his audience more, more, more of everything that delighted people the first time around. Thus, there are more spy kids, more gadgets, more special effects and more cute little critters that seem to be designed as much for toy makers as they are for kids.

The result is a manic movie that sacrifices charm for hyperactivity. And that should be just fine for the film's primary audience of kids who dream of going on adventures like the movie's winning brother-and-sister duo. In fact, strictly as a kids' movie, ``Spy Kids 2'' stands pretty tall. If there's less for mom and dad to enjoy in this installment, the film still won't pain the old folks in the manner of sitting through, say, ``Mr. Deeds'' or ``The Master of Disguise.''

Since the first ``Spy Kids'' demonstrated that Carmen Cortez (Alexa Vega) and her younger brother, Juni (Daryl Sabara) were more than capable spies, the sequel turns them loose with less parental involvement. That's every kid's dream, of course, which is precisely the point as Rodriguez (who wrote, directed, produced, edited and scored the movie, as well as supervising the production design and visual effects) aims for big-time wish fulfillment.

Rodriguez also understands children's fears and jealousies, so this time he gives Carmen and Juni a sneaky set of junior rival spies (Matt O'Leary and Emily Osment, sister of Haley Joel). These kids always seem to have better stuff (read: gadgets) than the Cortez kids, putting them one step ahead for the plum assignment of traveling to the Island of Lost Dreams, meeting up with a mad scientist (Steve Buscemi) and battling a bunch of flying pigs and spider monkeys that are straight out of a Ray Harryhausen movie.

But for all of the film's posturing about a child's imagination being better than any gizmo you can buy from a store, ``Spy Kids 2'' seems awfully reliant on special effects instead of story. Rodriguez adds a set of spy grandparents (Ricardo Montalban and Holland Taylor) to the mix, but the family shenanigans that were so charming in the original are mostly sacrificed for kids' stuff. The bad guys aren't nearly as fun this time around, either.

The one thing you can't fault is Rodriguez's imagination. This one-man filmmaking band doesn't always hit every note perfectly, but it isn't for lack of effort. His spirit of fun and family make ``Spy Kids 2'' infectious enough to warrant packing up the kids for a trip to the local multiplex. Oh - and those flying pigs (``sporks'') are pretty cool, too.

SPY KIDS 2 - Three stars

(Rated PG: action sequences and brief rude humor)

Starring: Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Matt O'Leary, Emily Osment, Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Mike Judge, Ricardo Montalban, Holland Taylor, Steve Buscemi.

Director: Robert Rodriguez.

Running time: 1 hr. 40 min.

Playing: Wide release.

In a nutshell: Works best as a kids' movie.

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Matt O'Leary and Emily Osment are a better-equipped pair of rival spies to the main characters in ``Spy Kids 2.''