The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005)

User Rating:

3.6/10   

Director:

Robert Rodriguez

Writers:

Robert Rodriguez (written by) and
Marcel Rodriguez (written by) ...

Release Date:

10 June 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

Smaller heroes. Just as super.

Plot:

A boy dreams up shark-boy and lava-girl and the horror that lies within their planet.

Plot Keywords:

Planet | Dream | Rescue | Invention | Princess

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

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

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild action and some rude humor.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Philippines:G | Sweden:Btl | Belgium:KT | Malaysia:U | Australia:G | Germany:6 | South Korea:All | Canada:G | Netherlands:MG6 | USA:PG (certificate #41801) | Singapore:PG | UK:U | Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Mexico:A | Brazil:Livre | Ireland:G | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

While Max is on the dock before he runs into Sharkboy you can see a fast food bag for "Big Kahuna Burgers" a fictional burger joint used in a lot of Robert Rodriguez's films as well as those of his buddy Quentin Tarantino.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Towards the end of the movie when Max is back at school fighting Mr. Electric with his classmates, after he's defeated, there's a wide shot showing all the students in the demolished classroom with Mr. Electricidad, the teacher. It is obviously not George Lopez standing there, but a much younger man with a goatee.

Quotes:

Sharkboy: [singing] Close your eyes, shut your mouth, dream a dream and get us out. / Dream, dream, dream, dream, dream, dream. / Hit the hay, fast asleep, dream a dream, you little blip. / Dream, dream, dream, dream, dream, dream.
Lavagirl: It's working! Keep it up, Sharkboy.
Sharkboy: [singing] Just relax, lay about, or my fist will put you out. / Dream, dream, dream, dream, dream, dream. / Take your time, but beware, there's darkness in the air. / Dream, dream, dream, dream, dream, dream.
Lavagirl: Dream about me next, Max. I need to know who I am. Not just destruction or a simple flame. Dream of me as something good.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Tobor the Great (1954)

Soundtrack:

Dream, Dream, Dream, Dream (Dream, Dream)

Good for kids

Well, I didn't like it. Or, at the least what I mean is that I just saw a movie with tons of plot-holes, childish themes, and so on. However, you better believe my kids loved it. My son actually hooted and hollered when Sharkboy started fighting the plugs. He grabbed my shirt and motioned for me to watch, even though I already was. I think I just witnessed my son discovering his first hero.

My daughter laughed and laughed. She loved Lavagirl. She thought it was hilarious when Lavagirl zapped Sharkboy because he said someone else was prettier. And my daughter is old enough to understand the themes of pursuing your goals and remaining strong in the face of discouragement. So I think she walked away very pleased with the film. She said she wants to be Lavagirl for Halloween.

If you're 16+ this movie is a loser. You won't like it, and that explains all the low scores you're seeing here. This movie just isn't for adults. But if you are a parent looking to entertain your kids, this movie works. And if you are reading this near the end of 2005 or later, you should probably know that renting this as a video will be a fine way to keep your kids occupied.

-Tony