Post by StevePulaski on Nov 3, 2010 23:18:50 GMT -5
Lavagirl and Sharkboy in their self-titled movie.
Rating: ★★
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl is a poor 3D film made for kids and by an actual kid. Supposedly, Robert Rodriguez's seven year old son, Racer assisted Rodriguez in writing the screenplay for this film, but that doesn't mean I'll treat like anything less than a movie. Just because a seven year old probably wrote more than half of it, it's still a movie in a wide release. I have full right to nitpick it. While I will say Racer has creative and inventive daydreams, I don't think a movie was entirely necessary; especially in the tiresome, droning 3D.
The 3D dates back to when RealD was never out. The Red/Blue glasses ruled mostly from 2003 - 05. I remember Spy Kids 3D: Game Over and this film being the prime examples and topics for best 3D movie in my school. I disagreed with both films. Both movies' 3D value really sucks. It completely tones down the color scheme and even in 2D the film still has the "Glasses On" thing informing you the upcoming scene will be in 3D. It should read "Colors commencing off in five...four...three...two...one...off.
So the movie's plot is dam sure a seven year olds dream. It reminds me of when some of the classic stories like Alice in Wonderland were written when the author was on drugs. I could almost drag out my bong and make something like this. Max is a loner at school. He's bullied by everyone, but there's much more than meets the eye about him. He carries around "a dream journal" in which he writes down his thoughts and ideas as they stem from his creative head.
We then go into the world of Sharkboy and Lavagirl who magically appear during a tornado when Max is at school. They take him to "Planet Drool" where dreams rule (no pun). The goal is to stop "Planet Drool" from being taken over by Mr. Electric. So the whole movie is the protagonists trying every which way and going through every obstacle trying to achieve what one would assume be an easy goal.
It's another kids film so don't expect much of the plot. The visuals are nice...if the 3D wasn't added. The biggest gripe of the film stems from the 3D as stated before. I dug out the DVD of it and watched it that way and my memories of my assumption of my vision being shot when I watched it all came back. I repeatedly ask my mom if my eyes weren't working because everything looked drab and lifeless. This is the kind of film that has a lot of vibrant visuals and some great shots of water and lava. Don't use 3D which tones down the brightness.
The Adventures of Sharkboy & Lavagirl is a failed experiment of a movie. It's an unnecessary, predictable film ruined by it's lackluster 3D scheme. While all three kids are fun loving, adventurous, and likable protagonists and the moral of the story is a good one, I think kids will be too busy taking off their glasses, asking lots of questions, and wondering why the colors look like colored Easter Eggs that were put in the dye for thirty seconds to hear what the moral was.
Starring: Cayden Boyd, Taylor Dooley, Taylor Lautner, David Arquette, Kristin Davis, and George Lopez. Directed by: Robert Rodriguez.
