Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: It's not just that this fable about a picked-on kid whose dreams come true is an excruciatingly dumb kids' movie. It's that it returns us to the bad old days of 3D, when the images were rendered too murky to appreciate. Read more
Peter Debruge, Miami Herald: It's pretty clear that all those terrific ideas could use a little discipline and maturity before they ever amount to a truly great movie. Read more
Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune: It's hard to argue that a film won't capture a kid's imagination when it comes from a kid's imagination. But I will argue nonetheless. Read more
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: A rare window into a child's uninhibited imagination and protean playfulness, tricked out with tongue-in-cheek 3-D effects as seen through one blue lens and one red one. Read more
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: It's terrible 3-D. I think the story is terrible as well. Read more
Melinda Ennis, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: A half-baked world no kid would want to visit. Read more
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic: While the digital backdrops are suitably out of this world, the movie lacks action and momentum. Read more
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: Sounds like a grand old time -- a hip fusion of Nickelodeon attitude, the wittier children's books, and retro kitsch culture. In fact, it's a nearly unwatchable combination of the worst elements of all three. Read more
Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times: Bizarre and (if you can endure the glasses) visually interesting. Read more
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: Nothing's scary, and everything's so light it's on the verge of evaporating. Read more
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle: Squinting through cardboard glasses you get at the door, you see washed-out colors, blurred images and not enough pop-out to merit the trade-off. Read more
Michael Booth, Denver Post: Great effort for a kid, perhaps, but not worthy of the big screen box office. Read more
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: A strenuously merry, digitally produced folly that cavorts weakly like a parent over-involved in his kid's playtime. Read more
Nancy Churnin, Dallas Morning News: Not only is it empowering to kids just learning to trust their own ideas, but, like Spy Kids, it reminds kids that fighting is not always the answer. Read more
Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly: [A] slight but immensely enjoyable charmer. Read more
Jan Stuart, Newsday: Rodriguez, whose prankish production design was the real star of the original Spy Kids, has become a prisoner of his 3-D mandate. Read more
Jack Mathews, New York Daily News: 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 more
Dana Stevens, New York Times: Robert Rodriguez's muddled adventure movie is based on characters and themes created by his son, Racer Max, when he was 7. Read more
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: The movie is unbelievably ugly. The garish colors Rodriguez loves so much wash out in 3-D. Read more
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: An innocent and delightful children's tale that is spoiled by a disastrous decision to film most of it in lousy 3-D. Read more
Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle: Parental pride may have clouded Rodriguez's judgment. Read more
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Visually, the film is impressive. Rodriguez has an incredible imagination and the computer skills to bring it to vivid life. Read more
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: For a movie aimed at children, Shark Boy and Lava Girl is gloomy. Read more
Susan Walker, Toronto Star: Shark Boy and Lava Girl have about as much appeal as a dogfish and a melting Barbie doll. Read more
Mike Clark, USA Today: 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 more
Joe Leydon, Variety: Strikes a nice balance of gee-whiz fantasy and tongue-in-cheek humor. Read more
Ben Kenigsberg, Village Voice: 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 more
Desson Thomson, Washington Post: Robert Rodriguez's intentions seem honorable: to make a charming, low-tech, 3-D movie for children, based on the writings of his preteen son. But the result is astoundingly boring and, frankly, tedious to sit through. Read more
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: A movie that fails on nearly every level. Read more