Alex Pruitt, a young boy of nine living in Chicago, fends off thieves who seek a top-secret chip in his toy car to support a North Korean terrorist organization’s next deed. (IMDb)
Sure, there are a few glaring instances of lacking realism (see the super long range remotes) but on the whole this is a fun, tightly-scripted kid comedy that’s a criminally underappreciated entry in the franchise. The disguise-wearing villains are funny (dry-witted Earl especially) and actually scary at times (see Alice and hostage in garage), and Alex’s entertaining escapades go beyond just booby-traps (see the exciting toy car investigation). Bonus points for the hilarious crooning parrot.
7/10 (Good)
joel watches movies 