Buckle in everybody, this is going to be a wild ride. A lot of competitors on Dancing With The Stars have some previous experience dancing, especially when actors or former pop stars compete. Few, if any, have starred in pop music videos designed to promote the blockbuster film they were starring in. This is where Alexa PenaVega differs from her other Dancing With The Stars competitors. While other stars were spending time not making pop music videos, PenaVega absolutely was. And, now that she's on DWTS, it is more important now than ever before in history that we have a serious talk about Alexa PenaVega's Spy Kids music video, and her killer dance moves in it.
Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams is an absolutely bonkers, amazing film. It featured two spy children (played by PenaVega and Daryl Sabara) saving the world by going to an island where Steve Buscemi had been creating hybrid monsters. During the credits of this film, the two kids have to perform at a pop concert for some reason and use scientifically modified equipment from their Uncle "Machete" Cortez (played by Danny Trejo) to have impeccable pop music skills. (At this point, you might be asking "Is Danny Trejo's Machete in the Spy Kids movies the same Machete from the violent films of the same name?" and you'd be absolutely correct because Spy Kids and Machete occur in the same universe because there wasn't a good enough reason for them not to, apparently. Spy Kids films are weird.)
So, can Alexa PenaVega use any of her former skills to leave an impression on the judges?
Right off the bat, PenaVega displays an ability to work a crowd and a camera in this music video, a trait which led to a positive response to her Hometown Week dance on DWTS.
In the narrative of the video, Machete creates a belt that will allow his niece to dance like "Britney Lopez." This explains PenaVega's dancing in the video, which is very standard choreography for an early 2000s pop video. While it's impressive that she was able to learn to dance at such a young age, it's a far far cry from the salsa, the foxtrot, or the lindy hop, which may mean that her pop skills won't help her advance in the competition.
At the end of the music video, Carmen Cortez (Alexa Penavega) goes to her uncle, the grizzled vigilante Machete, who explains that he "forgot to put the batteries in" the devices that would help his niece and nephew become pop stars. This meant the two Spy Kids had it in them all along! While Spy Kids is an entirely fictional movie (I know, disappointing), it's a good message for PenaVega to carry with her as she progresses through the DWTS competition.
PenaVega still has a long journey ahead of her on Dancing With The Stars. But, if her fictional and murderous uncle can believe in her than it shouldn't be hard for PenaVega to believe in herself as well. As long as she keeps showcasing her fancy footwork, she'll have no problem getting through to later rounds. And, maybe if she stays on long enough, they can convince Danny Trejo to make an appearance on the show — and isn't that really what America wants?
Images: Screengrab/Miramax Films; Giphy (2)
