Rating: Grade: B
Score: 7.7/10
Family-Friendliness Scale: Level 4 (Great)
Kids ages 7+
Following the success of the Spy Kids movies, Robert Rodriguez takes the ideas and dreams of
his son, Racer and turns it into the latest kid superheroes. Unlike other films, this is one I do not
own, but I do catch it on TV whenever it is broadcasted.
The movie tells the story of Max who's dream comes true. His superhero creations, Sharkboy and Lavagirl take him up to their homeland of Planet Drool to save it from unsuspecting evil.
Positive Notes
If there is one comment I have to say about this film, it is certainly highly imaginative. There are
scenes reminiscent of the Spy Kids series with the kids being the heroes, the action sequences
and the green screen being used for a vast majority of the film. The story is good enough that
kids will be enthralled by the fun areas of Planet Drool that kinda remind me of the worlds we
see in a typical video game. There are also some nice morals about accepting oneself for who
they are, following your dreams, bravery, and family unity.
The cast is great, with George Lopez and the then-young Taylor Lautner, Taylor Dooley, and
Camden Boyd standing out. The 3-D like effects (with the then-new and fresh 3-D showing
on its' DVD and theatrical releases) are amazing, despite it being on a green screen. The music
by Rodriguez (who gets 14 screen credits) and John Debney once again cleverly combines
traditional and rock-and-roll style orchestras.
Negative Notes
On the negative side, there's quite a lot of cartoonish violence, but no one is seriously hurt and
most of the time it isn't very threatening. There is no language, except if you count fourth-grade
name-calling such as "barf boy", "dork boy", and "vomit girl". Bullying also makes a mild
presence in the flick (especially early on) when a kid treats another kid very unfairly (he does
change though later on). A few jokes on spitting and passing gas get a little bit of screentime
and the 3-D effects and all the sharks (not to forget Sharkboy's rage) may frighten the
youngest of children.
Conclusion
But Rodriguez once again doesn't let any of the positive morals get out of sight, even if they
get caught a bit in the fights with plugs come to life and never-ending rollercoasters. In my
perspective, Sharkboy and Lavagirl certainly aren't the next Spy Kids, but its' imaginative
and surprisingly bright entertainment make this a superhero movie that parents will feel
comfortable letting their kids watch. Just don't be surprised afterwards when the kids
want to pretend to be Sharkboy and Lavagirl for a while.
