Superhero Media: The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl

Someone set me straight, is The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in the same continuity as Spy Kids and Machete? If it is, can we expect a crossover film at some point, though I'm guessing with adult versions of the characters, given the time passed? On a side note, I did watch a couple of Spy Kids films, but I wasn't left with enough to say to bother writing them up here. Despite being clearly aimed at school-age children, I quite enjoyed much of The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, the parts I could follow at least. In order to realise the dream-world of the protagonist, much of the film is shot on green screen and filled-in with CGI, which works well enough, but does make some sequences difficult to follow. The messages presented are pretty decent for a kids' film, with ideas like identity, divorce, responsibility and bullying being explored; and the resolutions offered aren't trite or cliche, which is nice. Most of the action takes place on Planet Drool, where the evil Minus has taken over the dreaming and is bringing in a reign of nightmares. Only the protagonist, with the help of Sharkboy and Lavagirl can save the planet and dreams. 

For being obvious superhero types, Sharkboy and Lavagirl are more of a chorus in narrative terms, until the last act where they discover who they truly are and get to break out some powers for more than just jokes. This is another of those films where you need to look past the surface to see what's worthwhile, as the CGI-heavy, family-friendly tone can be a bit sickly-sweet sometimes and you need to stick with it. Sharkboy is an amalgamation of King Shark and Aqualad, but he needs to grow up a bit and reconnect with family in order to complete his arc. Conversely, Lavagirl needs to let go of her desire to control everything and just be herself. The protagonist whose name I can't remember needs to be free to dream and create and not hold himself accountable for the problems in his parents' marriage, probably the best message for kids and parents watching. Also, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl is full of visual puns, so you have been warned if that's the kind of thing that bugs you. 

I swear there's a Doctor Strange crossover here with the right approach; probably involving Nightmare and an inane plot to trap children, like in the Doctor Strange animated film. Or, hell, let's get nuts, Doctor Destiny traps children in sleep as part of a team-up with Freddy Kruger, so Doctor Strange and Etrigan have to go into the Dream Realm, where Sharkboy and Lavagirl are waiting to help. Perhaps Sharkboy and Lavagirl have grown up in the intervening years (Sharkman and Lavawoman?) and why not chuck in adult versions of the Spy Kids and, of course, Machete. Studio Miniatures does a good Machete if you're in the market. I don't think I'll be returning to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl anytime soon, whilst it wasn't a bad film by any real measure, it certainly wasn't my kind of thing, and the garish colours made my eyes hurt after a while. That said, if you're looking for something superheroic and a bit different to watch with the kids, maybe The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl is worth digging up.