The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (2005)

Whether making over-the-top shoot-em-up schlock, kiddy spy spoofs or pulpy graphic-novel adaptations, it's clear that the ever ambitious Robert Rodriguez is a versatile, respected and resourceful film-maker who's both able and willing to consistently push the boundaries of a limited budget to deliver new experiences seldom-seen at that kind of rag-tag level; a successful if inconsistent director who's reached the point in his career where he has the clout (or rather, the cash) to make just about anything he wants including this bizarre glorified family-protect of his. It is hard to get angry about the chocolate-milk induced ravings of an eight-year-old boy - Rodriguez's own son was responsible for the creation and development of the titular heroes - or even the fact that his father decided to use his skills to bring them to life, considering that this is much more a bonding exercise for one man's family than something to be shared with the world. To be honest, it is competently constructed (in a very nuts and bolts kind of way) with a few semi-decent messages in there for the youngest of the crowd, but that's not to imply that this is anything other than a dreadfully dull, wholly nonsensical, wildly inconsistent, criminally ugly, jarringly intangible, hammily acted mess that was clearly written by a child with a crayon. Imagination should be encouraged in kids and their creations should be stuck to the fridge, but they shouldn't be made into a feature film. 2/10

This film is okay. Not that good but not that bad. The story is pretty great and the premise is good, but the acting is so-so and the CGI is pretty horrible. So you win some and you lose some in this film. The story is surprisingly inventive and kind of enjoyable. It also went on a pretty good flow. The premise of this film is good too. The actors did alright. They didn't exactly grab me that much in their performances, but they did good enough for them to be somewhat believable. Kids may believe it more than me. The CGI is the biggest issue, however. The CGI in this film is extremely undetailed and looks completely fake and digital. It looked like something straight out of a 90s video game. Which, don't get me wrong, was impressive for the time being. But in a full feature film that was made 10 years after the 90s such as this one, it looks very lazily done and outdated. I recommend this film to kids who want to see a fun and adventurous film, as the inventive story and passable performances will most likely impress many children. I was impressed by how creative the story was in this film and I think it's great for kids. However, it is recommended to those over the age of 12 to just skip this film, as there are much better films than this.

I did like the ongoing message on the importance of dreams and the kids are sincere, but this is critically injured by the 3-D capture process, with only the aesthetic otherworldly sci-fi background offering a pleasing-to-the-eye backdrop for the action. Cayden Boyd is full of imagination and a diary he carries offers two distinct characters, superheroes Lavagirl (Taylor Dooley) and Sharkboy (Taylor Lautner) which schoolteacher George Lopez discounts as he feels the boy should make the effort to embrace reality and make real friends. There is a bully played by Jacob Divich who makes Boyd's life miserable. A make- believe mission sparked by Boyd's dreams manifests itself with Lavagirl and Sharkboy show up in his classroom needing his help to save their universe from a serious threat... Mr Electric and Minus, both resembling Boyd's supposed greatest nemeses in the teacher that wants him to invest in the real world and the bullying kid who keeps trying to grab the diary and destroy it. Mr Electric wants to use his light plug terriers to shock and maim when he isn't swinging his own cord- plug bolt-shockers in his attempts to put an end to the dreams of Boyd and his made-up heroes. Soon Divich is revealed to be using Boyd's diary to warp the dreams and make things especially difficult. The power of imagination and what dreams can create isn't totally lost on me in this film but the animation of the live action is distractingly impeded by lousy capture process undermining what visual splendor exists in the starry and planetary space occupying the background. David Arquette and Kristen Davis are Boyd's parents...they have this weird scene with a tornado towards the end which involves Sharkboy and Lavagirl rescuing them. Even Lopez's daughter is imagined as a ice princess who has a crystal needed to help defeat Mr Electric. The film emphasizes the troubles of Lavagirl dealing with hot lava, Sharkboy trying to contain his anger, and Boyd summoning the ability to daydream so he can lend a hand to the heroes. A lot of heart in the direction can't compensate for ill-advised decision to shoot using a process that doesn't translate well to the smaller screen without special glasses.

I feel like you just have to appreciate this movie for what it is. Is it a true gem? No. But then again the target audience really is for families and kids. And for that target audience, I personally feel like it works. Taylor Lautner was pretty good in the movie, it's so funny to see him in this after you've seen the twilight saga, he's a baby! Lol. And the rest of the main cast does a well enough job too. The special effects were pretty good, it didn't look too cheap or anything. Now I really did hate George Lopez in this movie, I mean I hated him!!! That is my biggest complaint for shark boy and lava girl, George freaking Lopez! He was annoying as all get out and just didn't fit the role at all, not even close. The script was alright I guess, it sufficed. The acting was a little spotty at times, but overall it was alright. A 6/10 for sharkboy and lavagirl 3D.