There’s plenty wrong with the Hollywood studio system, but some transgressions should not be for-given, among them vanity projects such as this eye-and-earsore from Robert Rodriguez (“Sin City,”
“Spy Kids 3D”). Based on the surrealistic musings of his then- 7-year-old son, Racer Max, and co-produced by his wife, Elizabeth Avellan, this family-affair reads like a handbook on the pitfalls of excessive self-indulgence. Rodriguez directed, shot, edited, produced and scored “Adventures,” which joins Steven Soderbergh’s woeful celeb-studded cock-up “Ocean’s 12” in the opprobrious ranks of recent movies that seem to have been made with almost no regard for anyone save the filmmaker and his inner circle.
Max dreams of Planet Drool, a refuge from a worrisome real world populated with squabbling parents (Kristin Davis and David Arquette), a snarling classroom bully (Jacob Davich) and a teacher who doesn’t tolerate childhood fantasies (George Lopez). On Drool, Max teams up with Sharkboy (Taylor Lautner) and Lavagirl (Taylor Dooley) using the power of his imagination and their “Power Rangers”-esque fighting skills to try and foil the insidious plot of Mr. Electric (Lopez, drawing double duty). Meanwhile, the audience must contend with a nonsensical narrative and exhaustingly amateurish performances, all while wearing uncomfortable 3D glasses. (Rated PG for mild action and some rude humor. Running time: 94 minutes)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 17, 2005. Read the original PDF.