It's a positive story, filled to the brim with love, fun, and cultural pride.

| Apr 10, 2020

Even while McNamara hasn't made a great or even very daring film, it's one that was worth being made, and certainly one deserving to be seen despite its formulaic, safe tone.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 18, 2019

Spare Parts will likely be a crowd-pleaser, especially to those familiar with the story, but those expecting something new to be brought to the table are out of luck.

| Original Score: 5.5/10 | Mar 20, 2019

The movie sometimes seems almost like an abridgment of or commercial for itself. But Lopez sneaks his humor in gently, remaining a faithful servant of the story and its hopeful message.

| Aug 24, 2017

An effective, family-friendly film with a message that provides a valuable introduction to the issues surrounding immigration reform for the next generation of voters.

| Original Score: B | Feb 25, 2016

The underwater robots almost make up for a lackluster and predictable ending. [full review in Spanish]

| Jun 12, 2015

McNamara's direction, his portrayal of the characters and their lives' circumstances is very superficial.[full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 4, 2015

A feel-good movie that would have felt even better with a shorter running time, "Spare Parts" is nonetheless an inspirational story that will warm your heart by film's end. It's far from perfect, but worth seeing.

| Original Score: B- | May 21, 2015

The movie benefits from an air of earnest goodwill and well-turned performances.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 13, 2015

The film is moderately powerful in its exploration of the Latino students' lives outside the classroom, yet the dominant sequences involving the competition are right off the assembly line.

| Jan 23, 2015

Though based on a Wired magazine story, this sticks closely to the formulas of inspirational-teacher and sports-team dramas; distinguishing it from the pack is the fact that all four students who formed the club were undocumented.

| Jan 23, 2015

The film refreshingly portrays its kids as part of a diverse group trying to succeed in a country in which they can never find secure footing.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 20, 2015

Spare Parts is a serviceable, curious, and ultimately bland true story adaptation.

| Original Score: C- | Jan 20, 2015

Sequences and scenes end unceremoniously, everyone in the movie seems to know each other's backstory before they're properly introduced, and mild jokes land with uncertainty.

| Original Score: C | Jan 20, 2015

Spare Parts tries too hard to be a based-on-a-true-story, feel-good, crowd-pleasing, triumph-of-the-underdogs movie.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jan 17, 2015

While the appropriately titled "Spare Parts" might feel like it has been assembled from bits and pieces of other inspirational movies, that doesn't mean the fact-based drama is any less effective ...

| Jan 17, 2015

This blatantly big-hearted product isn't half as vibrant as the original 2005 Wired article on which it's based, and myopically neglects to address Arizona's troubling anti-immigration legislation through even a splash of hindsight.

| Jan 17, 2015

The fictionalized backstory for Cameron is superfluous and distracting...Still, with a storyline like this one, it cannot help being fun to watch.

| Original Score: B | Jan 16, 2015

It's these moments that elevate American Sniper beyond a jingoistic refrain and into a relevant reminder of the sacrifice of war, even to its biggest heroes.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 16, 2015

Despite its clunkier elements, Matsueda's screenplay is alert to details that ground the film in the day-to-day lives of young people who are American in every way but technically.

| Jan 16, 2015