Raised by great white sharks after being separated from his marine biologist father in a storm, he possesses gills, fins, and sharp teeth.

The most important detail about The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 2005 is its genesis. Unlike most Hollywood tentpoles, which are focus-grouped to death, this film originated from a series of drawings and stories by Racer Max Rodriguez. Robert Rodriguez, known for his renegade filmmaking style ( El Mariachi , Spy Kids ), has always involved his family in his work. But for this project, he went a step further: he let his son dictate the world-building.

Most "bad" movies are the result of corporate committees. Sharkboy and Lavagirl is the opposite; it’s an unfiltered, $50 million output of a child's brain. Rodriguez based the entire concept, characters, and much of the story on the ideas of his seven-year-old son, .

It is a messy, chaotic, but ultimately endearing adventure. If you are looking for a film that captures the specific magic of being ten years old and dreaming of saving the world, this is it.

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl arrived in theaters with little fanfare from critics but left an indelible, glitter-stained mark on the childhoods of an entire generation. It was strange, it was earnest, and it was unapologetically weird.

. Rodriguez even cast his other children in various roles and involved his daughter in the soundtrack, making it a true family production. The Plot: Saving Planet Drool The film follows

In an age of movies that are self-aware, meta, and cynical, Sharkboy and Lavagirl is aggressively sincere. It believes in the power of dreams. It believes that your imagination can reshape the world. It tells kids that even if you feel small or bullied, your mind is the most powerful weapon you have.