The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D
Dimension Films | Release Date: June 10, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
38
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 31 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
13
Negative:
14
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
There is such a joy of play in the film that it's easy to overlook the overdone performances and the lazy script shortcuts. Read full review
75
New York PostKyle Smith
You can't get this kind of full-on sensory-jolt anywhere else, not legally anyway. "Sharkboy" will be equally beloved in elementary schools and in college dorms. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Slight but immensely enjoyable charmer. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano
On the whole it feels genuine. Lautner and Dooley are compelling as the sullen, instinctual Sharkboy and the radiant, hot-headed Lavagirl, and it's easy to see why they dominate shy, hesitant Max's dreams. Read full review
60
Dallas ObserverLuke Y. Thompson
Robert Rodriguez and his kids conjure up a charming 3-D fantasy. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
An often imaginative though less than magical family feature. Read full review
50
VarietyJoe Leydon
There's little chance of grabbing teens (or even many tweens) during summertime playdates. Still, small fry will be enchanted by this rambunctious action-adventure. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldPeter Debruge
The result is like a low-rent "Wizard of Oz" or "Labyrinth," sticking close to the formula of a kid who falls asleep and wakes up in a fantastical wonderland where everything's just a little bit off. Read full review
50
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
A case of a yummy yarn spoiled by cheesy visuals. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Only part of it is in 3-D, but youngsters should enjoy pulling their special specs on and off at appropriate moments. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Charmingly low-tech fantasy. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
A strange Hollywood film, but for a home movie it's one bang-up job. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Because the real world scenes are in 2-D and the dream and fantasy scenes are in 3-D, we get an idea of what the movie would have looked like without the unnecessary dimension. Signs flash on the screen to tell us when to put on and take off our polarizing glasses, and I felt regret every time I had to shut out those colorful images and return to the dim and dreary 3-D world. On DVD, this is going to be a great-looking movie. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
For a movie aimed at children, Shark Boy and Lava Girl is gloomy. Read full review
42
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Like choral singing and travel photography, this adventure is more fun for participants than it is for spectators. Read full review
42
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
A story that would be charming if recited at the dinner table tries to carry a feature film, and it's not even close to the task. The result is screamingly bad. Read full review
40
The New York TimesLawrence Van Gelder
Mr. Rodriguez seems unsure what his film is really about, making the moral of the story -- "dream an unselfish dream" -- feel more like a vaguely judgmental homily than a satisfying conclusion. Read full review
38
Chicago TribuneAllison Benedikt
There's really just not a lot here. I'm sure Racer's story will entertain the very wee ones -- but so do keys. Read full review
38
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
The story's so sloppy that it contradicts itself constantly. Read full review
38
USA TodayMike Clark
There's sad news to report about The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D: Put on the cardboard glasses, and you can still see the movie. Read full review
38
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
The low-tech film looks like a kid's crude drawing, plays like entry-level Game Boy, and is about as nourishing as a Tootsie Pop. Read full review
38
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
As sweet and hopeless and silly as a doting dad framing his second-grader's latest finger-painting and calling it a Matisse. Read full review
30
TimeRichard Corliss
Pretty lame. Sharkboy has an especially frantic, amateur atmosphere, with a mostly maladroit cast. Read full review
30
Village VoiceBen Kenigsberg
Based on characters created by Rodriguez's then-seven-year-old son, Racer Max, the film doesn't belong in wide release. It belongs on a refrigerator door, alongside "100%" spelling tests, old lunch menus, and notices from the PTA. Read full review
30
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
Sadly, the film's creaky, sometimes painful dialogue makes it all too easy to believe that it was genuinely co-written by a small child. Read full review
30
TV Guide MagazineAngel Cohn
The concept is cute and the movie starts out well, but it devolves into a muddled, overstuffed mess that wears out its welcome around the time the novelty of 3-D effects wears off. Read full review
25
Boston GlobeTy Burr
One could forgive a budget this threadbare, performances this amateurish, a plot this tortuous if the 3-D effects passed the cool test. Sadly, watching ''Adventures" is an experience akin to seeing the world through dung-colored glasses. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
Sharkboy relies almost entirely on 3-D for its kicks. The novelty, however, quickly wears thin with the thinnest of stories to project. Read full review
20
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Visually undistinguished, narratively inert, populated by a cast of charmless child actors, "Sharkboy and Lavagirl," with any luck will fade quickly from theaters, memories and Rodriguez's own Things to Do Today list. Read full review
20
EmpireSimon Braund
A bizarre, hopelessly muddled fantasy that's likely to induce utter bewilderment in its target audience. Read full review
10
Washington PostDesson Thomson
The result is astoundingly boring and, frankly, tedious to sit through. Read full review
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