You understand how there are some motion pictures that you just simply liked as a child, and you then rewatch them and surprise what you had been pondering as a baby? Yeah, that is me proper now.
I am not at all times like that. I used to be the queen of loving issues once I was a baby, rewatching them and discovering a brand new appreciation for them. I fell even deeper in love with Avatar: The Final Airbender once I rewatched it. I discovered a deeper appreciation for Nani upon rewatching Lilo & Sew. Heck, even rewatching all the Scooby Doo motion pictures from once I was a baby made me smile from ear to ear.
However I made a decision to increase that to The Adventures of Sharkboy & Lavagirl this previous weekend – or slightly, what most name it, Sharkboy & Lavagirl. And I’ve to confess…it isn’t what I remembered in any respect as a child.
I Bear in mind As A Youngster, I Used To Suppose The World Appeared So Cool
So this is the factor. I grew up with a number of the greatest fantasy motion pictures. Truthfully, my age had an abundance of fantasy. The early 2000s had been stuffed to the brim with Harry Potter movies, The Lord of the Rings motion pictures, and quite a few different nice picks. We additionally had loads of nice sci-fi movies, ones that basically redefined the style.
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl was a hybrid of kinds, combining the fantasy features of issues happening inside goals and the unusual magic that got here with it, whereas additionally incorporating a extra sci-fi-like setting for most of the scenes, together with some components of elemental fantasy. And yeah, as a child, I ate that up. I ate it up time and time once more.
I used to assume the world regarded so cool. Maybe it was simply that I wasn’t uncovered to that a lot, or possibly I liked the thought of escaping the on a regular basis world and getting into this dreamlike realm the place I used to be basically in command of every little thing. However I used to be fascinated by it.
Nevertheless, I made a decision to rewatch it as an grownup, and… yeah. This film shouldn’t be it.
The CGI Is Really Horrible
Look, I do know Sharkboy and Lavagirl got here out within the early 2000s. It has been a notable pattern over the past decade or so for individuals to revisit these older motion pictures and criticize the CGI. I’ve executed it too. And truthfully, I am going to maintain doing it as a result of it was terrible.
However the CGI of Sharkboy and Lavagirl is unhealthy on one other stage for a blockbuster film.
You’d assume that for one thing as large as this movie, they’d have given it an even bigger funds, but it surely was solely $50 million for one thing that was actually marketed as a 3D film. On the time of launch, 3D was actually in every single place, and it isn’t that shocking that director Robert Rodriguez needed to capitalize on it, but it surely simply didn’t work nicely with this movie.
The CGI was poorly executed in many various features. I imply, the face on Mr. Electrical barely appears to be like prefer it’s purported to be there. Possibly that is the purpose – that he is purported to look so haunting you may’t neglect him attributable to the truth that he is the villain. However good lord, we could not attempt slightly tougher?
The Motion Sequences Are Actually Corny
The CGI, nonetheless, is not the one factor that makes this film icky. It is the motion sequences. I do know this can be a children film, however a few of these combat scenes are so corny that it makes me roll my eyes whereas watching it.
And in truth, if most of those sequences weren’t filmed with 3D in thoughts, they may look slightly higher. However these do not work in any respect. The choreography feels stiff and awkward, and it is under no circumstances what it must be for a whimsical film like this, the place goals are what we create.
The Performing Is Fairly Dangerous
If I used to be rewatching this film for the performing performances, I most likely would not have determined to rewatch it within the first place.
A few of these actors have gone on to do some superb issues – like Taylor Lautner and his big position within the Twilight movies. However each actor begins someplace and the performances on this film simply weren’t that nice this time round.
Granted, this can be a child’s film, so I am not anticipating there to be some Academy Award-winning efficiency. However there have been moments the place the story was type of loopy and the performing simply did not really feel tremendous plausible. It was exhausting to look at as an grownup. I assume as a child I used to be simply caught up in all of the cool features of the film I did not even care concerning the performing that a lot.
The Story Is Superb, However There Are So Many Plot Holes
Alright, nicely, that is additionally only a harping of my very own. Robert Rodriguez’s motion pictures aren’t precisely identified for having charming, well-told tales. We’re actually simply right here for the motion and enjoyable sequences more often than not – have a look at any of his Spy Children motion pictures.
However Sharkboy and Lavagirl is riddled to the brim with plot holes.
For instance, that is Max’s dreamworld – so how come he has no concept what the heck is happening for a lot of the movie? Why cannot he determine it out or redo one thing? It would not take that lengthy to know it. Additionally, how does Mr. Electrical even present up in the actual world and acquire real-world energy when that is only a dreamland? Sure issues do not make sense to me.
Even So, At Least I Loved It As A Child
Whereas I simply spent an excellent 800 phrases harping on how unhealthy this film is… I do not remorse having fun with it as a child.
Clearly, tastes change, we develop up, and typically we notice that the issues we preferred as a baby not enchantment to us in the identical method, and we transfer on. And for me, that’s this film. Nevertheless, I nonetheless bear in mind watching it with my dad, having these reminiscences, and loving it as a child. For that, I am going to eternally be grateful to the little woman who loved this horrendous CGI – as a result of it gave me one thing to do, permitting me to spend time with my household.
And you’ll’t actually put a worth on that.
This truthfully makes me wish to rewatch all the films I used to like as a child. Hmm. I would like to take a look at all of the greatest streaming companies to see what’s obtainable—time for a film marathon.