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Product Description

10 year old max is an outcast little boy who has become lost in his own fantasy world in an attempt to escape the worries of dealing with his parents school bullies & no-fun summer vacations. But when max realizes the characters & adventures in his imagination might be real his whole world changes. Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 01/11/2008 Starring: Taylor Lautner Cayden Boyd Run time: 94 minutes Rating: Pg

Writer/director/editor/special-effects-supervisor Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids, Desperado) continues to storm the movie world with The Adventures of SharkBoy and LavaGirl in 3-D. A young boy named Max (Cayden Boyd) finds the real world crashing into his dreams: His parents fight, bullies harrass him at school, and his teacher advises him to get a grip on reality. But Max's faith in his fantasies is so strong that his superheroic creations SharkBoy (Taylor Lautner) and LavaGirl (Taylor Dooley) crash into Max's classroom and take him off to rescue the fantastic planet he dreamed up. Towards the end, SharkBoy and LavaGirl crumbles with clumsy story gaps and bland moral advice, but most of the movie explodes with visual invention. A clockwork villain with electrical limbs commands an army of extension-cord snakes; SharkBoy uses his claws to engrave a diagram of the solar system into a chalkboard; LavaGirl's burning feet melt an ice bridge as she runs across it. It's disappointing that Rodriguez's storytelling flounders, but sections of deliciously fluid movie-making make The Adventures of SharkBoy and LavaGirl in 3-D worth seeing nonetheless. Also featuring David Arquette (Eight Legged Freaks), Kristin Davis (Sex in the City), and George Lopez (Real Women Have Curves). --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

• Good Show
  Kids loved the movie and the 3D animation. Adults thought it was okay movie, 3D still has a long way to go.
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• Can't believe some of the negatives I am reading
  My husband rented this film for our 3 year old daughter on PPV. I initially rolled my eyes, because it looked like a typical goofy movie to me. Incidently, I was NOT a fan of Spykids.
  As I sat down to watch this movie with my daughter, we were both captivated (we did not see it in 3D). The creativity that went into this film was amazing.
  I can honestly say it was enjoyable. BTW - Shark Boy & Lava Girl were supposed to "over-act". They were based on the superheros in Max's dream. They reminded me of the way hero's acted in the 50's, it was refreshing to see actually. Are we really so jaded as a society that we can't handle a little corny old fashioned super hero every now & then? Think Buzz lightyear, also based on those old super heros!
  Anyway, my daughter sat and watched the entire movie, and raved about it afterwards. I think this one will be a classic, we are definately buying it....more info
• terrible
  You can't call it anything else but terrible. Once It got to the end of movie when Max discovers it's just a dream,it get's really stupid. The story is intresting,but gets way off at lots of parts. One,who thought of a brainstorm,that was stupid. Robert Rodriguez did terrible too. The acting was made out of poo. There's no bright colors because the bad guy wants "darkness". Don't see it,rent it or think about it. Dream about another dream like burn this movie up and buy a stick. Don't get this movie period....more info
• Too scary for under 7 yr olds with nightmares
  As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I do NOT recommend this movie if your child is under 7 years of age. Developmentally, they are unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality and this movie really confuses the issue if you have a kid already struggling with nightmares/bad dreams. Probably an ok pick for a slighly older child.
  
  Also - you REALLY need the 3D glasses if you're going to watch the movie properly. We weren't able to play it in 2D mode and the picture quality is very poor without 3D glasses....more info
• A Good Movie To Watch With Your Kids
  I rented this movie and watched it with my 7 year old daughter. We both loved it. I'm not sure what's up with all the negative reviews unless they were expecting it to be something an adult would want to watch alone. It's not an adult movie, folks.
  It's very entertaining with a cool and different story. My little girl wants Santa to bring her this so I know she liked it too....more info
• Fun flick
  If you're looking for a serious, grown-up movie, you won't find it here, and don't hate this movie because it's silly. Hello! It's a kid's movie! I enjoy R-rated movies as much as any adult, but I caught this on TV the other day and was interested. It's a great, fun romp for kids, and I'd recommend this for any young and tween kids. Adults should enjoy this movie too - just don't expect anything adult.
  
  I have no idea what the 3D version looks like. My review is for the movie itself, not whatever format the DVD is in.
  
  There's lots of fun and silly things in here, like the land of Milk and Cookies. Lavagirl's actor is adorable and she did a great job playing Lavagirl, and Sharkboy did a fine job too. It'd be great to have more movies like this, instead of all the junk that's being marketed to the younger audience (Britney Spears, Hannah Montana, Bratz, thong underwear for girls, pointless/violent video games and online MMORPG's, etc). Kids need to be kids, and adults need to learn to use their imagination too. Overall good movie, 4/5 stars and two thumbs up....more info
• Very pretty, but the story falls flat
  I bought this movie for my 7 year-old daughter for Christmas after she talked about it for months. And since receiving it in her Christmas stocking 3 days ago, I have seen it over a dozen times. The truth is, it gets worse every time I see it. I have to say, the movie itself (especially Planet Drool) is very pretty. The 3-D doesn't work well at all and actually makes the movie less colorful. We discarded the glasses after the first 3 minutes of the first showing. The acting is terrible and there are huge plot gaps. Most of the movie doesn't even make sense, although I like the idea. Even though it has been constantly playing in my house for 3 days, I've never seen it all the way through because it does not hold my attention.
  
  Despite all of this, my daughter adores this movie and hasn't stopped talking about it. What can I say?...more info
• "The worst movie I've ever seen, possibly one of the worst ever made."
  Tonight I had the misfortune of seeing this movie. I can safely say this is the worst movie I've ever seen, possibly one of the worst ever made.
  
  Here is a short summary of the story. A kid named max, who dreams too much. His parents hate each other. His teacher, Mr. Electricidad gets mad at him for dreaming and doesn't like people talking to his daughter. The bratty antagonist "Linus" doesn't like Max and steals his "Dream journal." Max wishes he could go to a different world. One day he dreams up Shark boy and Lava girl. They take him to his dream world a.k.a "planet drool" and he saves the day.
  
  Ok, I've heard worse plots. But how do you turn this into a 93-minute movie. Well, the producers filled the story with thoughtless, unnecessary conversations that lasted too long and were irrelevant to the story, pitiful action scenes that consisted of fighting plugs, dance routines by Shark Boy that shouldn't be viewed if you are quick to nauseate, and futile attempts at comedy that consisted of say the word "fart," over-exaggerated facial expressions, and dumb, mind-numbing antics that were about as humorous as a funeral. And what's the big, bad, evil plan that the bad guys have concocted? To make the planet "Drool"... dark. Yes, the master plan is to make the place dark, and not let kids go to sleep and dream. I have eaten cafeteria food that was more evil. (No disrespect intended to cafeteria staff.) Finally, the scriptwriter should feel ashamed for writing this piece of crap. (I'm coming for your job man...)
  
  
  The actors were, as a previous reviewer stated, poo. I have filmed home movies with greater acting talent. Shark Boy was always too tough and ready to beat someone up. Lava girl was always questioning whether she was light or evil. Max was always so helpless and childish. (George Lopez, I hope they paid you alot or else I don't see why you became affiliated with this crippity-crap.) George Lopez's two roles were probably the worse and most disappointing. His acting was shallow and over exaggerated.
  
  Do I dare start on the special effects? First off, you could tell almost no work went into the effects. I almost laughed at the poor animation. I think the creators should have hired the studio janitor to do the effects instead.
  
  Well, I was angry after seeing this movie, so I had to let out my frustration somehow. But SBALG deserves every harsh statement in this review. It is safe to say that I would rather be punched in the face than sit through the horror that is Shark Boy and Lava Girl.
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• A very successful gift.
  This was a gift for my niece. She loved it, was very excited to get it. ...more info
• Grandpa 's review
  Clean,wholesome,fantasy fun for the entire family and the 3D effect
  makes it even better. NO SEX, VUlGARITY OR PROFANITY, a rarity in films These days. A tip of the hat to the producers! As you can probably guess my family and I have watched this film repeatedly.
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• Excellent
  My son loves loves loves this movie !! Now if they would only come out with a shark boy costume that would be awesome !!!! MY SON CHANGED HIS NAME TO SHARK BOY LOL LOL
  
  NICE doing buisness with ya ! thanks...more info
• shark boy and lava girl 3-D
  My daughter loves this movie and watches it at least 3 or 4 times a day....more info
• A beautiful surreal experience
  I think there are probably two audiences for this film: Children 7 and under, and adults who are profoundly stoned. Forget the plot and the acting, this is quite simply a beautiful film to look at. The colors are vibrant and the visual effects stunning. Although the enclosed anaglyphic 3D glasses worked well and provided a satisfying 3D experience in the home, the movie is more beautiful in 2D. The DVD transfer is flawless and quite close to the quality of Bluray high def. It comes with four pairs of 3D glasses. There is a commentary with Robert Rodriguez and his son as well as a making of documentary. Forget the logic and just let this visual wonderland sweep over you....more info
• A highly imaginative, entertaining film for kids of all ages
  Thanks to Sin City, I'm now a Robert Rodriguez fan, so I took advantage of my chance to give The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl a try. I can't comment on the 3-D effects because I only saw the 2-D version. I can say, however, that I really got a kick out of this movie. I would have to disagree with those who say the story sort of loses traction in the final stages. What you have to remember is that this story, as it is presented, is a story borne of a young boy's imagination. It's just not in the spirit of things to go in expecting a completely logical ending to a story dreamed up by a fourth-grade kid. I do agree that the main character's parents, played by David Arquette and Kristen Davis, are sort of flat, but I thought all of the other actors really came through pretty strongly. OK, Sharkboy (Taylor Lautner) could really get annoying at times, but that Lavagirl really lights up the screen; I fully expect to see Taylor Dooley flashing that winning smile of hers in many a film for years to come. As for George Lopez (in a dual role), I thought he was great and played especially well to the target audience, which is, after all, youngsters (and us adults desperately trying to keep our inner child alive).
  
  Max (Cayden Boyd) is pretty easy to identify with. His parents bicker all the time, the other kids at school pick on him and make fun of him, and he's well on his way to developing a real "why me?" mentality. His only escape from the real world comes in the form of his highly imaginative dreams. It's all there in his dream journal - how he unexpectedly discovered Sharkboy while fishing, how Lavagirl appeared and took Sharkboy back with her to Planet Drool in order to help save the planet, and how he declined to go with them because, well, he had to go back to school. It all makes for a great story, but Max doesn't win any friends by telling the story of Lavagirl and Sharkboy in the form of his "what I did over the summer" oral report. The class bully steals his journal, and it starts to look like Max won't even have the escape valve of his elaborates dreams to get him through the coming days of ridicule and general unhappiness.
  
  It's just about then that Sharkboy and Lavagirl show up unexpectedly, tell Max they need his help, and whisk him away to Planet Drool, where Mr. Electric and his power plug army are close to succeeding in bringing perpetual darkness to what should be the ultimate kids' playground of a planet. That's when the adventure really begins, with many a wonderful setting brought to vivid, very colorful life on the screen. Unfortunately for Max, he doesn't exactly know what to do to stop Mr. Electric (or the evil overseer who's really running the show). He must reclaim his stolen dreams before "remembering" all of his unique powers.
  
  In a way, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl is sort of a modern variation on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, as Planet Drool is a wonderland for the eyes. There is plenty of action as the trio of heroes fight off the forces of darkness (although I'm not clear on who taught Sharkboy martial arts, seeing as how he was raised by sharks and all), there are numerous laughs to be had by children of all ages, and some actual life lessons are imparted by the time everything is said and done. Imagination is important, especially for a child, but you have to work to make your dreams come true rather than merely use them as an escape; your enemies aren't so bad that you can't find a common ground with them; finding your purpose in life is integral to making you happy; etc. To me, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl qualifies as a wonderfully entertaining family-friendly film that kids (and a fair share of adults) should really enjoy....more info
• The MisAdventures of Sharkbait and Lava-lamp
  Hello Earth, Hello Earth. This is 'Fool' from the Planet Drool. Can you hear me? Let me tell you about this movie. I basically dove into it expecting the comedy of George Lopez under the fine direction of Robert Rodriguez. It didn't happen however, due to the fact that the movie was artificially pumped up with trailer promises and later deflated by a script that was probably reworked from something Roger Corman threw away outside the studio.
  
  To begin, am I the only person here on this planet who can see that the storyline is totally lifted from "THE NEVERENDING STORY"? Note the following similarities between this movie and Wolfgang Petersen's work: 1) Problems at school, 2) problems with home, 3) needs a book to escape reality, 4) ends up in dreamland where he meets familar people, and 5) finally saves dreamland (Planet Drool) from the darkness! This is not to mention that the ICE PRINCESS is dressed exactly the same in both movies. But let's not dwell on unoriginality - many a good picture have taken from tried and proven themes (although not so liberally taken) and made a go of it. What bites worst of all in this movie is the utter vacuum it creates in what I want to say is 'continuity' but which really is probably due to the missing pieces of the script. Excellent characters, great background, great foreground, nice sets (CGI), super intro, then the actors open their mouths and you get something similar to a 6th grade holiday play or a dialogue from a "CRITTER GITTERS" episode on a Saturday afternoon. Shock doesn't even begin to describe the feeling associated with this movie which is strickly a money-maker based on the Rodriguez name.
  
  As far as acting goes, Sharkboy seems to be the real killer in this production and the boy named Max (played by Cayden Boyd) is good too (very similar to the boy, Bastion, in The Never Ending Story). Lava Girl couldn't act her way out of a paper bag - but that failing hasn't stopped Mary-Kate and Ashley in their ventures. The parents and Lopez characters are so-so, given what they are forced to say.
  
  But, the real frenzy with this movie begins with the questionable use of the name "Sharkboy". It is also the name a semi-famous pro-Wrestler who has reportedly sued Rodriguez for copyright infringement.
  
  Basically, I am giving this movie 2 stars for its hi-tech special effects and 3-D output (if you like 3-D) which are a nice touch to an otherwise average kid's flick. But even my 10 year old son showed signs of weariness and complained that it tended to be a bit "weird", so these special effects are not everything. Save yourself the trouble and the money - watch Sharkboy wrestle on TV because you know that professional TV wrestling is real.
  
  The Fool from Planet Drool signing off, now.
  
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• My 4 year old just LOVES it!
  What more can I say? I enjoyed it also which I guess is saying alot sinse it is clearly not targeting my age group. Good clean film with no potty humour ,with the possible exception to a reference to "brain fart" which was actually kinda funny. Its really hard to find great films for kids that don't contain some bad language and/or crude humour, sexual enuendos and the like. Adding those type of things cannot make up for a bad story, but it sure can ruin a good story! Happily, one great movie for kids I don't have to sit there with the remote to fast forward through akward parts!!...more info
• GREAT JOB
  THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME ORDERING FROM AMAZON AND I REALLY ENJOYED THE EXPERIENCE. I GOT MY PACKAGE ON TIME AND EVERYTHING WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND WORKED PROPERLY. THANK YOU....more info
• Not the best movie...
  I saw Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D awhile ago. The commercials made it seem pretty exciting, and the fact that it was in 3-D, also made it cool... but this was one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It just wasn't interesting. They said the word "dream" over and over and soon they broke into a song at one point in the movie, which now gives me nightmares. Also, the movie sort of rambled on. I would not suggest this movie because I didn't really enjoy it, and it was actually very boring....more info
• Huh...
  ...
  
  I liked it.
  
  Yep: I thought it was good. I thought it was better than most contemporary children's movies. Why?
  
  1) Sharkboy and Lavagirl have depth. No, seriously, as superheroes go, they take the angst of the Spiderman movies and adapt it well for a younger crowd.
  
  2) It's theme of imagination makes a perfect fall-back. So it seems the movie goes in a stupid direction, huh? Unfortunately I remember my childlike imagination going in that direction as well when I was that age. In fact, almost all of the stuff shown, right down to the ending, fit perfectly the type of random stuff I'd come up with when I was a kid. I related to it perfectly, and I'm usually the type of person who gets angry when a movie doesn't match the type of daydreaming imagination I had when I was little and spent all of my time walking around and around the playground, thinking of random child superheroes to have adventures with.
  
  3) At first the virtual reality world is, of course, too cartoony for real-world characters. However, what ends up amazing is how well they interact in such a fake world. It's seamless, and after a while I forgot how fake it was. Much more beloved and much more highly rated films have CGI/special effects worlds that it doesn't even look like the characters are moving in. This one has them walking along in them as if they're really there.
  
  4) Rodriguez may not make the most artistic or original movies, but he knows what he's doing when streaming together a line of images. Invisible editing and conscientious directing kept the story flowing pretty much as smoothly as the milk in the cookie land. It was nice to see.
  
  5) I didn't get to watch it in 3-D, but it felt like it was in 3-D anyways. GREAT cinematography.
  
  So yeah. Good movie. Better than Spy Kids.
  
  What probably sets people off are the ending scenes (barely, BARELY worked) and the first few scenes with Sharkboy and Lavagirl. They're very discombobulating and the acting isn't exactly the best. Finally, Linus/Minus isn't the best child actor I've ever seen, and his character wasn't as developed as it could have been. These are the reasons people have a hard time getting caught in the rest of the movie.
  
  I can't make other people like it, but I sure do.
  
  --PolarisDiB...more info
• My 5-year old loves it!
  I got this movie with no expectations becasue my lids were interested in it. It actually was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Considering that most of the ideas came from a 6-year old, I found it watchable. My daughter watched it once the first day, 4 times the 2nd day, once on the 3rd day (she ended up on a playdate or I am sure that it would have been several times that day as well) She watched another time during the week because school, homework, and a school performance got in the way. She is looking forward to tomorrow when she can watch it again. It may not be Oscar worthy by adult standards but the kids seem to really like it....more info
• The Adventures Of Sharkboy and Lavagirl
  This is a fun movie for the kids. Packed full of action and suspense (and some comedy), it will keep them on the edge of their seats. Fantasy creations of a sixth grader named Max, through their adventures, Sharkboy and Lavagirl - who are total opposites (fire and water) try to find out who they are and fill in the missing pieces to accomplish their mission. In the process, Max learns a lot about himself and is able to deal with situations going on in his home life and at school. A great movie for the whole family!...more info
• My boys and nephews LOVE this video!
  My boys and nephews just couldn't get enough of this video. I finally purchased one for each household. I don't remember hearing much about this movie when it was out. However, Chances are if your kids are between the ages of 4 and 11, they will love it too. They liked the music so much, I bought the CD too!...more info