Barnes & Noble

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl is the latest fantasy adventure from Robert Rodriguez, creator of the Spy Kids franchise, who directs with his virtuositic zest and fills the screen with eye-popping visual effects. Cayden Boyd portrays Max, a lonely ten-year-old who is bullied at school, and whose bickering parents (David Arquette and Kristen Davis) are "not on the same page." Max keeps a dream journal that charts the adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl -- tales his classmates ridicule. Imagine Max's astonishment when an Oz-like whirlwind delivers Sharkboy and Lavagirl to his classroom, bringing with them a message that will be irresistible to all young dreamers: "We need your help. Come with us." It's off to Planet Drool, where Max's dreams and imagination hold the key to saving the wonderland from being plunged into darkness. The state-of-the-retro-art 3-D effects add some pop to the juvenile story (conceived by Rodriguez's then seven-year-old son, who gets a co-screenwriting credit, and who has a small role besides). While the moral about the power of dreams may be obvious, the movie itself is unceasingly inventive (among Planet Drool's features are a Stream of Consciousness and a Train of Thought). Although George Lopez has a somewhat confusing dual role as Max's compassionate teacher, Mr. Electricidad, and as Mr. Electric, a bad guy on Planet Drool -- and the glowering Sharkboy and Lavagirl are nowhere near as likable and fun as Spy Kids' Juni and Carmen -- youngsters will be carried away by this high-spirited odyssey and by Max's heroic transformation. Donald Liebenson

All Movie Guide

Writer and director Robert Rodriguez returns to the family-friendly adventure of his Spy Kids movies with this three-dimensional action opus. Max (Cayden Boyd) is a ten-year-old boy who doesn't get along with his peers and is constantly bullied at school. But Max has an active imagination, and he has a pair of very special imaginary playmates -- Shark Boy (Taylor Lautner), a human-shark half-breed cared for by a pack of great whites, and Lava Girl (Taylor Dooley), a girl with superpowers who can conjure heat and fire at will. Max may be a creative boy, but what he doesn't know is that Shark Boy and Lava Girl really do exist, and he is recruited to help them as they do battle against Mr. Electricity, a super-villain determined to deprive children of their sleep. Shot and originally released in the 3-D format, The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl also stars David Arquette and Kristin Davis as Max's parents, and George Lopez as a schoolteacher; writer and director Rodriguez wrote the film's story in collaboration with his then seven-year-old son, Racer Rodriguez. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 786936692198
• Source: DIMENSION
• Region Code: 1
• Time: 1:33:00

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