The Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl 3-D Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Smaller heroes. Just as super.
Everything that is... or was... began as a dream.
From the director of "Spy Kids"
Dreamer Max, ridiculed by his classmates, conjures up his perfect dreamworld...the Planet Drool. But his dream is more powerful than even he suspects, and his favourite dream super-heroes, Sharkboy and Lavagirl, materialise on Earth. They need help from Max. All is not well in Max's dreamworld. An alien intelligence is interfering and darkness threatens his beloved Planet Drool. Is it true, as Sharkboy and Lavagirl say, that only Max, the powerful dreamer, can stop it? Max takes off on a wild and dangerous journey to the fantastic Planet Drool with Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Can they discover the source of the danger? Will they be able to stop it in time?
| Taylor Lautner | Sharkboy |
| Taylor Dooley | Lavagirl |
| Cayden Boyd | Max |
| George Lopez | Mr. Electric/Tobor/Ice/Guardian/Mr. Electricidad |
| David Arquette | Max's Dad |
| Kristin Davis | Max's Mom |
| Jacob Davich | Linus/Minus |
| Sasha Pieterse | Marissa/Ice Princess |
| Rico Torres | Sharkboy's Dad |
| Marc Musso | Classroom Kid #1 |
| Shane Graham | Classroom Kid #2 |
| Tiger Darrow | Classroom Kid #3 |
| Rocket Rodriguez | Lug |
| Racer Rodriguez | Sharkboy, Age 7 |
| Rebel Rodriguez | Sharkboy, Age 5 |
| Robert Rodriguez |
3.70 out of 10 (2385 votes)
Visitor Reviews
To Robert Rodriguez
posted on 10 Aug 2009Hello, I am Ines. I would like to say that I really enjoy the film Shark Boy and Lava Girl and I want to make a question to Robert Rodriguez. Have you any plans to make the second Part? I also really likes your spy kids series... Have you any plans to make the fourth film of this series. It's a really different approach to cinema that Sin City. I can't see this kind of film...I hope Robert answer me with the continuation of spy kid series and the second part of Lava and Shark...It's not only a film for boys in my opinion. Thank you and Good bye to everybody who read this words... I hope you likes this films like I really do...And also that you like this kind of films who are similar to game boy toys. Ines Alba
Both of us say...Dream on
posted on 02 Aug 2009This is sort of a double review cause me and my girlfriend watched this together and we both have "thoughts" about it.My 9yo cousin gave us this movie just cause he liked it...he even got us a couple pairs of 3d glasses to watch it with.Both of us thought the movie was kid junk, but really isn't that what it was supposed to be? There were some fun spots though.TRAVIS: Most of the characters I hated. (Too bad Mr. Electric didn't do away with some of em before he was defeated.) They were weak and poorly acted...esp. Max. But I liked Sharkboy for the most part. He had that cocky attitude that sort of appeals to me. And, although not original, some of his one-liners were cool.ANNETTE: Travis is a bit harsh (as usual), but I'll agree with him about weak and poorly acted characters. I couldn't even identify with Lavagirl, although I thought she was quite attractive. Sharkboy was a really cute guy though. Mr. Electric/Teacher was nothing short of annoying.TRAVIS: Story was really lame, but it's probably good enough for younger kids. It pretty much bored me tho. Some of the 3d was okay and I noticed it looked a heck of a lot better on our LCD TV than the old one.ANNETTE: Yes. The story was very weak. But it was colourful, and as Travis noted, should appeal to a younger audience. 3d was fun, but not the best I've seen. We watched this on a 27-inch LCD screen with quite nice results.ANNETTE: I thought the scene where Lavagirl zaps Sharkboy out of jealousy was the cutest part of this movie. And the way Sharkboy copied the tone of the Jurassic Park character's false calm in his "yell...scream" comment when they were on the "train-of-thought" was sort of humorous.TRAVIS: Yeah Annette. You would like that zapping scene! My favourite scene was when Sharkboy says "ouch" with that sh*t-eating grin on his face when Lavagirl kisses him.Well, anyhow, as you can see, we didn't totally abhor this movie. Although I think we both agree the only decent acting was by Sharkboy. For the most part this movie was boring. But that's most likely because we are too old for it. If you've got younger kids, it will probably entertain them adequately. Avg. rating=5.TRAVIS: I rated this a 4 cause it seemed to be cranked out without much thought. With some extra work it could have been a lot better. The only reason it gets as high as a 4 is cause I liked Sharkboy.ANNETTE: I rated this a 6 because it seemed to appeal to the audience intended. But I also agree that with more time and attention there certainly could have been a lot of improvement. Perhaps if Rodriguez decides to make a sequel, he will obtain a better story with better actors and surprise us all.
Absolutely terrible! A cinematic mistake...
posted on 23 Jul 2009Over the past few years, I have noticed that many bad movies have been released. Joining this list of mistakes is Sharkboy & Lavagirl in 3-D. I was forced to see this movie, and I realize that I just lost about an hour and forty minutes of my life. Sharkboy & Lavagirl is just an excuse by its creators to show off their 3-D skills. However, the movie is still bad. From what I have learned, this movie was created by Rodriguez's seven year-old son, and the movie actually plays out like it was directed by a seven year-old. The movie has almost no plot, and the characters are mostly one-sided. I am a movie buff, and I have seen some bad movies; I was not prepared for Sharkboy & Lavagirl. Most of the movie makes no sense, even though most of the film takes place in a dream: Sharkboy grew fins, gills, shark-like teeth, and claws in a few years as he was raised by sharks, but for that to really happen, millions of years would have to pass. Sharkboy has the ability to breathe and walk on land, but he has gills - the movie makes no mention of him being amphibious (even though this can be inferred). Lavagirl is said (towards the end) to be the embodiment of light, but she is lava-powered - lava is more destruction than light. The plot is quite simple: The main character, Max, is a dimly creative, loserly kid who is antagonized by the class bully, Linus. Max keeps a dream journal, which is full of information about the super zeroes Sharkboy and Lavagirl (what a surprise). He loves to dream and during one day at school, he is "rescued" by Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Max is taken to Planet Drool, the most idiotic planet in movie history. On Drool, Max, Lavagirl, and the moronic Sharkboy go on an adventure to stop "the Darkness" from destroying Planet Drool. On Drool the trio battle the cliché villain Mr. Electric and Linus' evil alter-ego, Minus. The end is very sappy, with Minus becoming a good guy and a friend of Max, Lavagirl and Sharkboy fulfilling their dreams, and Max's parents becoming friends again. Sharkboy & Lavagirl in 3-D is one movie you should never see.
My kids loved it!
posted on 03 Jul 2009I put this movie on for my 3 girls - 6 1/2 and 4 year twins earlier this week. They LOVED IT! It is definitely for the younger crowd and you need to take the movie for what it is.... a kid movie. Fortunately, I did record the movie on the DVR and they have watched it every day sometimes twice a day.Also, since the boy in the movie has a dream journal, my oldest started to write in her journal again. Any movie that gets a kid to write has got to be OK.Also, we watched the 2D version and seemed great. I really didn't know that there was a 3d version until now.
Very fun, imaginative, funny and most of all entertaining
posted on 05 Jun 2009I saw this film with a friend on Saturday and we both really enjoyed it. This movie is very imaginative. This movie can also be funny at times. It deals with real life situations like divorce and being bullied. The 3-D doesn't give you a headache like Spy Kids 3-D did, which is great. The 3-D in this movie is really fun. I didn't see one thing that wasn't decent. Remember this movie was made for the kids. Not the critic, not the adults, but the kids. I recommend this movie to families with kids and i also recommend this movie to adults that feel they are aging to fast and wanna feel like a kid again. So, please go see this movie, you will be surprised. 10/10
Wonderful kids Movie
posted on 22 May 2009I thought this movie was great for kids. My two girls loved it. They were more interested in the characters of Shark Boy and Lava Girl than the actual plot, but they loved it. Its great to see such young actors do such a superb job in their first motion picture.. Taylor Dooley as Lava Girl and Taylor Lautner as Shark Boy will definitely be the next big thing in Hollywood. Two thumbs up for any kid to go see this movie.No matter what the critics say... As a mother I thought it was a great movie... I think there should be more action adventures for young kids to get into.... I would definitely go see any movie Robert Rodriguez does, whether its his sons ideas or his. He obviously can take any idea and run with it. So take your kids to see this movie, watching their faces light up as they take a trip through the land of milk and cookies will be well worth it.....
Good but bad 3D
posted on 04 May 2009This was a pretty good movie, but the 3D graphics weren't the greatest. I suggest that you watch the normal disc instead of the 3D one. The 3D just makes it blurry, even with the glasses on. The movie is a little confusing, but worth watching. It has good humor and a decent plot line. It is pretty appropriate, but Mr. Electric (a bad guy) may be frightening to younger viewers, and Sharkboy's 'Shark Frenzy's may be frightening as well, as his teeth grow pointed at he appears to lose control of himself. Sharkboy also calls Max "little bleep". The movie's overall message is good as it tells children to dream, but it also makes it seem like all of your dreams will come which may disappoint some kids. For a full review on plot content go to pluggedinonline.com and search for The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D. I would recommend watching this movie because overall it is entertaining, but mostly for children. The adult I watched it with found it boring and uninteresting, but the children I watched it with really enjoyed it. It has memorable lines and a memorable plot, and is quite original, not the same plot that has been used over and over again. I would say watch this movie, especially if you have kids. NOTE: This movie is based on a true person's dreams, so that is a good lesson for children as well.
Terrible, terrible, terrible
posted on 02 May 2009I saw this movie in 3-D, and I have to say, I was extremely disappointed. The movie's special effects were terrible, you could tell that everything was CG, they obviously didn't put any effort at all into the animation. The plot was terrible, Sharkboy and Lavagirl's suits looked like they were made out of plastic (which they probably were) and it was overall a very childish film. I mean, really, a banana split boat? Who came up with the idea for this film? A six-year-old?Despite the horrible quality of the film, I must say that there were some amusing moments in it, I think casting George Lopez was a great idea.Overall, this film could have had a lot of potential, but instead they turned it into a computer-generated mess of a Planet Drool.
Great Movie for Kids
posted on 30 Apr 2009This movie is not intended for adults. It is however a great kids movie. I took my daughter and several other kids to see it and they all enjoyed it and cheered and laughed through the entire movie. The movie had some good morales which is very much lacking today in just about every movie. And just as an added plus I enjoyed the movie as well. I see nothing wrong with knowing who your audience is. There are too many supposedly kids movies that have no concept who their audience is and do nothing more than bore the kids and offend the parents. Movies for kids do not have to be filled with disgusting humor and fart jokes to be entertaining. I hope to see more movies like this one for children.Again, this is a great movie for kids!
Veeeery Interesting....
posted on 28 Apr 2009I was excited to see this movie in theaters. I really was. After I watched it, I was totally devastated. How could they create such a movie? The acting was horrible, and the 3-D was like a cheap Saturday morning cartoon. I actually had to take my 3-D glasses off to actually see what was going on. Oh Yeah, the "Land of Milk and Cookies" what is that about?? I know this movie is aimed for kids, and I'll give the movie makers some credit because all the kids from about ages 5-9 were talking about how the movie was so cool. But beware adults! You're in for a snooze!RATING: 2/10
Another Creative 3D Adventure by Robert Rodriguez
posted on 26 Apr 2009"The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3D" was barely advertised. I just happened to see the trailer for it because I worked at Nielsen and got to see the trailer when we were testing it. I also saw the trailer once again in "Kicking and Screaming" but other than that, I never saw any advertising for the film. Therefore, I didn't really know what to expect when walking into the theater today to see "The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl." "The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl" is about a boy named Max (Cayden Boyd) who has a vivid imagination and is a big dreamer. In his dreams, he creates Shark boy (Taylor Lautner) and Lava girl (Taylor Dooley). One day in class, Max tells his class the story of Shark boy and Lava girl, but the class doesn't believe a word of it and just makes fun of him. After class, Max gets in a fight with Linus (Jacob Davich) who takes Max's dream book. You see Max keeps all his dreams written in a book so he always remembers them. When Max, goes home that night he wishes that he doesn't have to return to school but of coarse that doesn't happen. However, the next day something interesting happens, Shark boy and Lava girl show up at school and seek Max's help Max then goes with Shark boy and Lava girl and this is where the fun filled adventure begins.One thing I can say about Robert Rodriguez is that he has a knack for film-making. He makes movies that are both creative and have unique stories. I actually liked this film better then Spy Kids 3D but not as much as the original Spy Kids or Spy Kids 2. However, in a Robert Rodriguez film once you throw in the 3D element you lose a little story. But this doesn't make the film bad or any less enjoyable. What amazes me about Mr. Rodriguez is how he can make films like "Sin City" and "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" and also make great family films such as the "Spy Kids" series and this film.I don't understand why critics hated this movie but then again I don't always understand the critics. When watching a movie like Shark boy and Lava girl, you have to remember one thing that this is a movie made for the enjoyment of little kids. So if you think in that mindset you will really enjoy it. It's extremely creative and unique. It's a movie where your imagination can run wild. If you get into the film, you feel like you're a little kid again and that's a great feeling.If you go into the theater expecting a cinematic gem you're not going to get it. The acting isn't as good as it was in the "Spy kids" movies or any of Robert Rodriguez's other work. The story is decent but won't blow you away. However the film is visually appealing and is fun for people with vivid imaginations. Like I said, go into the movie and take the movie for what it is, a great family popcorn flick that both adults and kids together can enjoy if you put your mind to it.So in conclusion, If you go into "The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl" knowing what to expect you will really enjoy the film. It's like Spy Kids 3D but slightly better because it's more visually interesting and the story is better. I always enjoy Mr. Rodriguez's movies and this one is no different. His directing technique is amazing and he manages to make films for cheap no matter how large the cast or amount of special effects. This movie is a lot of fun and is well worth the trip to the multiplex. It's a great film to bring the kids to and their eyes will be glued to the screen for the entire 95 minutes. I think if you enjoyed the "Spy Kids" series then you will probably enjoy this film as well. It's a fun film that is truly underrated.MovieManMenzel's final rating for "The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3D" is a 7/10.
great movie!!!
posted on 08 Apr 2009I am 7 years old and I liked this movie because it is 3D and they believe in each other. My 4.5 year old brother liked it too. ------------------------------------------------------------ I am 7 years old and I liked this movie because it is 3D and they believe in each other. My 4.5 year old brother liked it too. ------------------------------------------------------------ I am 7 years old and I liked this movie because it is 3D and they believe in each other. My 4.5 year old brother liked it too. ------------------------------------------------------------ I am 7 years old and I liked this movie because it is 3D and they believe in each other. My 4.5 year old brother liked it too. ------------------------------------------------------------
A Pathetic Attempt At A SuperHero Movie...
posted on 08 Apr 2009Who in the right mind thought of this piece of crap? The acting is terrible, the plot makes no sense to me, the actors all suck, besides the fellow few who had guest starring roles...and its stupid, because they need extraordinary actors such as David Arquette and George Lopez to be in such a terrible movie, to pick up viewers! I was reading the message boards just a few minutes ago, and some of them have the same opinions as me. Who wants to watch poor acting, and a dry sense of humor? I certainly don't! And they're trying to act such as teenagers...like "your hot..." what the h3ll is that about!! No one says this in the real world! It's superficial, and it stereotypes little kids into believing thats what really happens! Shark boy and lava girl? Please! They could have even put a little more detail into the title! My opinion should not change how you think of the movie. It's my opinion. It shouldn't matter to those who like it, because you already like it. And there are those who think it's as worthless as I do...
Good concept, bad execution, and terrible in 3-D
posted on 19 Mar 2009I'm sure kids will like this movie, but I found it to be a bit tiresome and at times absurd.The 3-D effects that Robert Rodriguez seems to insist upon using in his children's movies (e.g. Spy Kids 12: Game Over, Man) were completely useless and extremely distracting. There are far more expensive ways to create a 3-D movie, and while I understand that Rodriguez is Johnny-Low-Budget-Director, I don't see the point in using 3-D if it's just going to look crappy on screen. I don't know how many 3-D movies you might have seen lately, as it was a trend that went out of style back in the 80's and all, but it's almost impossible to see anything out of those ridiculous glasses because of the dark red lens on your left eye and blue lens on your right. Most of the color is therefore zapped out and you're left squinting and crossing your eyes, all in an effort to see the fabulous 3-D bubbles that appear to float at your face. Wow, thank god that was in 3-D because otherwise it would have just been 2-D bubbles. And come on, that's just lame.Anyway, so Max is a nerdling whose parents (David freaking Arquette and Kristin Davis—Rodriguez doesn't bother to give the parents actual names) fight a lot and might be getting a divorce. Max also has a really hard time making friends at school, so he retreats into his imagination and dreams of a far better, more desirable world. A world of drool. Yes, I can see how that would be much better. This dubious planet o' fun is ruled by kids, chiefly Sharkboy and Lava Girl, who are the beloved superheroes of Max's imagination. Max is discouraged from dreaming, however, by his friendly and well-intentioned teacher, Mr. Elecricidad, who encourages him to try and make friends in the real world. Max decides to take his advice, at which point his dreams (Sharkboy and Lava Girl) materialize in the real world using a random tornado (?) and enlist his help to save Planet Drool from destruction.This is all well and good from a creative standpoint so far, so Max wanders around Planet Drool with Sharkboy and Lava Girl, trying to find an ice crystal that can save the planet or some damn thing. His classmate and friendly neighborhood bully, Linus, is cleverly renamed Minus in Planet Drool, and he evilly attempts to destroy the place in the same manner that he destroyed Max's dream journal in real life. Sharkboy and Lava Girl will have none of that, as they would prefer not to be eliminated by some bully who is really just sad and lonely inside (as all bullies are of course). Lava Girl, amidst searching for the crystal, asks Max what her powers are every five minutes. Um, you're made of lava. You've been shooting the stuff out of your hands throughout the whole stupid 3-D movie! But, I guess that particular power is simply not good enough. Sharkboy then takes the opportunity to chime in and whine to Max about his lack of an army of sharks, all the while yelling at Max to please dream up some cool new stuff, yo.All of this nonsense is supposed to convey the message, don't stop dreaming, damnit! The audience is mercilessly beaten with the message in 3-D every few minutes. I think it's odd that the one grownup who doesn't stop dreaming, David Arquette, is an unemployed loser on the verge of a divorce. Yet despite this obviously dismal future for dreamers, Sharkboy and Lava Girl tirelessly repeat the message to Max (and the visually assaulted audience) every two seconds. In 3-D.You know, I'm sure that kids will enjoy this movie, but I can't help but feel that there should be a standard for quality in kids' movies. This one, while conceptually pretty creative, falls way short of the bar.
Captures childhood adventures in "Pretendingland"
posted on 09 Mar 2009This movie makes no sense- at least, not in the linear, neat, tidy, world of adulthood. But, it captures the messy, gritty, disjointed, weird, raw, non-linear, funky, wild, whimsical, internally inconsistent world of true childhood fantasy better than any film I can remember. The story is based off the "dreams" and stories of the director's then 7 year old son. As a mother and teacher, I can tell you that while the characters and situations are unique, they are also completely representative of the types of stories and imagination games that I have heard again and again.My own children have certainly created their own superheroes steeped in the same balance of derivative lore and imaginative elements that Sharkboy and Lavagirl possess. When faced with similar fantasies played out on screen, my children responded gleefully. Heck, even before we got the DVD home their imaginations had been so captured by what they read on the box that they could not stop discussing it. And, once they had viewed the film, the conversation continued (and continued and continued!). Almost immediately, characters from the film began showing up in my children's own pretending games- only, not *quite* as they had existed in the movie. The characters grew and evolved and were changed and fluffed until they fit seamlessly into my daughter's world of "Sigalates" and my son's "Robotland".In other words, the film did beautifully what all good fantasies do- it inspired others to create, examine and expand their own. In my opinion, that is a near complete success.
A bung-hole stopper
posted on 03 Mar 2009Robert Rodriguez stunned the cinema world about a dozen years ago with the low budget El Mariachi, a story of mistaken identity, a lethal guitar case, and a mariachi who just wants to play his instrument. Since then, the director has not had to scrounge for money and exceeds expectations with movies as varied as Spy Kids and Sin City.After seeing the lava scene in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, director Rodriguez' son, Racer, came up with the story for The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl. Dad then creates a song of praise to that imagination, certainly not in short supply in the Rodriguez family. Max (Cayden Boyd) dreams and makes real the fantastic heroes of his mind. The film labors to be cute and instructive, two characteristics better left by themselves in movies or kept the province of artists like animators at Dreamworks.One hero of Max's imagination can melt whatever she wants by ejecting lava; the other can do considerable damage with his teeth. Max's school bully and the electronics teacher are transformed through Max's imagination into look-alikes of Reddy Kilowatt and Flash Gordon's evil Ming the Merciless. Thus ensues an adventure not as sharp as Spy Kids nor accomplished as Frank Miller's Sin City.The didacticism (exhortations to believe in your dreams, dream with your eyes open, change your life through your dreams, blah, blah) is heavily administered through speechifying at almost every turn. Even the graphics are imperfect, cumbersome, dull, and by contemporary standards, pedestrian. Lava and lightening, sharks and ice cube monsters look like elementary school creations.Max has a McCauley Culkin innocent look without the effeminate innocence and wiliness that made us feel comfortable when he was home alone. The principals, Boyd and Dooley, lack acting skills beyond awkwardly flashing well-attended teeth. A little like the characters from Peter Pan, these children are variously looking for parents either to pay attention to them or work harder at staying together as parents, similar to the four teens of this month's Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, a superior young-person's film blessed with solid acting and believable setups. The Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl in 3-D is even worse because the 3-D is still annoying after all these years to perfect that technology.Shakespeare in Hamlet described the range of imagination: "Why may not imagination trace the noble dust of Alexander, till we find it stopping a bung-hole?" This film could at best hold back the wine.
A film that doesn't care what damage it does
posted on 13 Feb 2009Sounds like an excessive statement for an ostensibly harmless fantasy. I wanted to like this. Admittedly, it's crass and confused about what it's trying to do and the resolution makes no sense whatsoever. But it's well meaning enough and Rodriguez is clearly in touch with something of childhood. In fact, Rodriguez is probably not altogether grown up himself, bearing in mind this is the man who made the sexually bewildered, adolescent and masturbatory "Sin City".There is however one absolutely fatal problem with this film... The idea that a child on the brink of a family breakup has the power to make his parents love each other again simply by dreaming it strongly enough is nothing less than callous. It follows that the child who dreams his parents back together - and fails - has no one to blame but himself. Not clever, not helpful, and if any child buys into this fantasy, god help him.Fantasies are probably an important way for children (and everyone) to deal with emotional pain - but precisely because they are fantasies - They can have power for (the inner) us, but they simply don't apply to the rest of experience. Not only to confuse fantasy and reality, but to make some sort of half-baked moral imperative of it has the potential to cause enormous damage, or at least to exacerbate damage already caused.If the child you plan to take to see this is in any way vulnerable to such fantasies, I'd strongly recommend you don't.
The kids will like it!
posted on 13 Feb 2009We just got home from viewing this movie and it was pretty good. You have to go into this movie knowing it is made for the younger kids and the subjects dealt with are very important to these children. The awkward age of wanting to still believe in your dreams and accepting reality is a hard time for children. Throw in some bullying, parents having issues and lacking self-confidence and you pretty much have what is happening to today's pre-teens. Learning to believe in yourself and stand up for what you believe in is such an important lesson. The messages are delivered in a fun way that the children will easily take in and gives the parents an understanding of just how much stress a child is feeling. Adults may be a little bored with it (although I found it cute), but a movie theater full of children having the time of their lives should tell you something.
Great movie for children and anyone with a sense of imagination
posted on 09 Feb 2009I really had to take the time to comment on this movie after having read the comments of some long winded bore who obviously takes themselves too seriously *coughzachataccough* First of all children aren't as moronic as the previous commenter would have you believe, and in that vein, people should take this movie as its meant..a pure and delectable escape.....its indulgent fun if you aren't a complete git who's murdered your inner child and therefore lost the capacity to view anything with a light heart and free mind....I watched this with my family and my children and they quite enjoyed it, I did not have to fear that my son would get the sudden urge to start spawning giant Dream Monsters on the front lawn, we're much too busy cleaning up after the R.O.U.S's and the incident with the rather large Chocolate Covered Fudge Biscuits......all in all, good fun.....Enjoy :) Maximillian PS Zachatac - please friend, next time you watch a movie like this make sure to take a good laxative and not be so bound up, that does tend to make one a bit of a grouchy git. :D
Limp, bizarre kiddie fare
posted on 24 Aug 2009Sequestered away on his Austin, TX ranch, much like George Lucas on Skywalker Ranch and ILM in the Nicasio Valley of California and Peter Jackson's digital wizards at Weta Digital in New Zealand, Robert Rodriguez has seemingly created for himself a haven to explore not only his own creative juices, but also whatever creative whims seem to be floating through the minds of his children.Have you ever had a small child tell you a story? It usually goes something like "And then... blah blah blah... and then... blah blah blah... and then..." In other words, it rambles ceaselessly with no apparent meaningful beginning or end. This movie is just such an example--and an object lesson that just because you can do something doesn't mean you should, no matter all the nifty gadgetry you have on your ranch.In short, that is "Sharkboy and Lava Girl"--coupled with some reigning in by dad who didn't want an otherwise nonsensical story about "dreams" or "the power of dreams" or "dreamers" (or whatever it's about) to wander off too far from a movie's standard three-act set. He squeezed his kid's dreams reluctantly into the movie mold."Acted" by three kids 99% against green screen, the CG is laid on thick and unimaginatively. This is CG for the sake of CG, because it's way cheaper to pay 10 mouse jockeys $50K a year in Texas then it is to build millions of dollars worth of sets.The movie starts actually with decent potential, but the story and plot meanders after Max arrives on his dreamt "Planet Drool," when the CG is put on like a garish suit. Max ultimately discovers his "true power" and becomes a "day dreamer" and ferrets out the true identify of his dreamt Shark Boy and Lava Girl. This is all accompanied by a mystical synth. track that reminds us which certain moments are epiphanies."Shark Boy" is a spiky-haired ADD case with WAY too much hair gel and kick-butt karate moves and flips (yes, the "actor" is a black belt Karate champ) and "Lava Girl" is an uber-cute misfit who is too hot to handle. Lava Girl does a lot of very wide smiles directly into the camera to remind you how cute she is. In other words, there's more ham on the set then there is for Christmas Dinner.Truly designed for kids who could care less about niggling details like plot, story, structure, and dialog, your wee ones will appreciate the surreal story line and bizarre graphics. My daughter LOVES the movie which may be a clear indication that I've somehow failed to raise her properly.