Film Analysis: The Adventures of Sharkboy And Lavagirl

Summary

  • This is a fan favorite movie and a top movie of mine growing up

Film Analysis

Film TitleThe Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl
Year2005
DirectorRobert Rodriguez
CountryUnited States
GenreAdventure
If you could work on this film (change it), what would you change and why?maybe couldve done better on the special effects so it has more realism

Film information can be found at imdb.com

As you view films, consider how the cuts, camera angles, shots, and movement work to create particular meanings. Think about how they establish space, privilege certain characters, suggest relationships, and emphasize themes. In addition to shot distances, angles, editing, and camera movement, note details of the narrative, setting, characters, lighting, props, costume, tone, and sound.

Ask yourself the following questions:

TOPICYOUR NOTES
1. Who is the protagonist?Dreamboy/Max
2. Who is the antagonist?Mr. Electric
3. What is the conflict?Max is a normal guy with a dreaming habit-making him a target for bullies. One day, he accidentally summons imaginary characters in his mind named sharkboy and lavagirl. They are his heroes who will defend him at all costs, but when they arrive for real, something unexpected happens, the 2 heroes need max to save their world from a dire threat
4. What is the theme or central, unifying concept? It most clearly explores the importance of dreams, of clinging to imagination instead of being forced to live in a dreadfully dull reality
5. How is the story told (linear, non-linear, with flashbacksflash-forwards, at regular intervals)linear
6. What “happens” in the plot (Brief description)?Bullied by classmates, young Max escapes into a fantasy, conjuring up the action-packed lives of Lavagirl and Sharkboy. But one day, Lavagirl and Sharkboy suddenly come to life — and their world, Planet Drool, needs a hero named Max. As Max escapes to Planet Drool, he battles aliens and tries to save his new friends’ planet from destruction. He also battles his bullies, who have become villains like the Ice Princess.
7. How does the film influence particular reactions on the part of viewers (sound, editing,
characterization, camera movement, etc.)? Why does the film encourage such
reactions?
the character of sharkboy makes him really funny and also angry giving a good reaction to viewers
8. Is the setting realistic or stylized? What atmosphere does the setting suggest? Do particular objects or settings serve symbolic functions?non realistic just a dreamworld
9. How are the characters costumed and made-up? What does their clothing or makeup reveal about their social standing, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or age? How do costume and makeup convey character?super hero clothing
10. How does the lighting design shape our perception of character, space, or mood?normal lighting
11. How do camera angles and camera movements shape our view of characters or spaces? What do you see cinematically?gives a feel of being in space
12. What is the music’s purpose in the film? How does it direct our attention within the image? How does it shape our interpretation of the image? What stands out about the music?has a song to match with the scene
13. How might industrial, social, and economic factors have influenced the film? Describe how this film influences or connects to a culture?i dont know what of those factors influenced the film
14. Give an example of what a film critic had to say about this film. Use credible sources and cite sources.Example: “The Shawshank Redemption Movie Review (1994) | Roger Ebert.” All Content. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June 2015.
Script-wise, the film dutifully harps on the importance of dreams and believing in oneself, but it is painfully repetitive and something that is proclaimed more than demonstrated. “The adventures of sharkboy and lavagirl (2005) | Majorie Baumgarten.” 12 June 2005
15. Select one scene no longer than 5 minutes that represents well the whole film and shows relevant cinematic elements. Write a one-sentence description of the scene and record the time of the scene.Example: from 1:05:00 to 1:10:00.Explain why you chose this scene.when they got to the ice castle and saw the princess
16. In the selected scenewrite a sentence for each of the elements below to justify why this scene best represents the film:
a. Screenwriting:good screenwriting for each person
b. Sound Design:the sounds are good for the situations
c. Camera Movements/Angles:decent shots
d. Light Setup:bright lighting to show the ice castle
e. Soundtrack/Score:soundtrack is good when the princess is out
18. What’s the socio-cultural context of this film?when it was all just a dream

This worksheet was developed with ideas from many IB Film teachers, thus should remain in the Creative Commons

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