FanUnity B(uzz)log

Kids movies really shouldn't be judged by the same standards as adult movies. After all, the purpose of a kids movie is to make children happy and show them a good time. By that standard, "The Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl In 3-D" was a big success. My kid loved it. That's all that really mattered.

It didn't really matter that I found Sharkboy to be an insipid little jackass. It's not really relevant that I found him to be an unlikeable meathead-in-training. What's important is the smile and sense of awe that I saw on my child's face.

"Sharkboy And Lavagirl" reminded me of "The Neverending Story", which is interesting because I was looking for that film on DVD last week at Hollywood video. The tale operates pretty much the same way: a dreamer is sucked into a fantasy world where only he can save the day. My memory of "The Neverending Story" is a film that is much better than "Sharkboy And Lavagirl", but that probably has a lot to do with the fact that I last saw it when I was 12. It also has a little "Wizard Of Oz" in it, with actors playing different roles in the real world and the dream world.

Aside from Sharkboy, the rest of the characters are pretty good. Cayden Boyd does a nice job as the lead, Max, the shy, sweet boy whose dreams suck him into the dream world. He reminded me of Peter Ostrum as Charlie Bucket in the original "Willy Wonka" film. Taylor Dooley's Lavagirl was very likeable as well, making at least one half of the Sharkboy/Lavagirl pair a kid would want to spend time with in their dreams. Jacob Davich does well as mean kid Linus, and George Lopez does a nice job in his dual role as the teacher and the otherworldly menace.

Like Robert Rodriguez's earlier film this year, "Sin City", "Sharkboy And Lavagirl" has a distinct feel, though it couldn't be more different in tone. "Sin City" is clearly the better film. For adults anyway. For kids, "Sharkboy And Lavagirl" is a good time. For adults with kids, it's a nice way to see a smile come to their faces, even if you might find yourself a little bored.

3/5 Stars.