Spare Parts

A team of students at a predominantly Hispanic high school, led by a substitute science teacher (George Lopez), decide to enter a national underwater robotics contest, taking on some of the best high schools and colleges in the country. Based on the true story of Phoenix's Carl Hayden Community High School (with Lopez's character a blend of two real teachers), the movie manages to include a bit more than its share of clichés, stock characters and awkward scenes. Still, the movie benefits from an air of earnest goodwill and well-turned performances: Carlos PenaVega, David Del Rio, José Julián and J.R. Villarreal as the students, with solid support from seasoned pros Lopez, Jamie Lee Curtis (as the school's no-nonsense principal), Marisa Tomei (a sympathetic teacher) and Esai Morales (an embittered parent). J.L.