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Taylor Lautner is known to many fans as the wolf boy Jacob Black from theTwilight Saga. It was a breakout role for Lautner into more mature films in Hollywood, despite the franchise garnering more critics than fans in later years. However, before his time as a werewolf, Lautner was Sharkboy in the superhero movie,The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D.
Lautner was the first to be cast in the role in Robert Rodriguez’s children’s movie. The film received negative reviews upon release, with criticism targeted at the 3-D effects. However, many loved the film as kids and it went on to gain a cult following. But looking back, fans could see why critics weren’t happy with the film.
Taylor Lautner’s One Kids Film Aged Badly Just Like HisTwilightFilms
Taylor Lautnerand Robert Pattinson became instant sensations among teens whenTwilightwas released in 2008. The rivalry between their characters for Bella Swan’s love divided fans, withstrong support for both the actors. Lautner initially carried a deep resentment for the overwhelming attention the movie brought him, but he later revealed that he wouldn’t change anything about the films (via THR).
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Twilighthasn’t aged well, as newer fans find the franchise cringeworthy. Many scenes in the films stand out for all the wrong reasons. Fans often wonder how they missed the poor script and acting. However, it’s not the only film of Lautner’s that fans now view through a different lens.
Taylor Lautner’sThe Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirlused anaglyph 3D technology to bring the superhero characters to the screen. Critics were not impressed with the 3-D effects of the film. However, kids found the effects to be entertaining and the film received a cult classic status among children’s films.
One fan posted a clip from the movie on X and shared how they never noticed the bad CGI. Many fans agreed, sharing that they too were impressed with the films when they were kids,but couldn’t stand the CGI now. One fan recalled how they considered the film to be the peak in CGI technology. Some of the fan reactions read:
when I was little I didn’t realize how bad the cgi waspic.twitter.com/3hAqz7jGxi
everything looked good as a kid😂
Damn this was so peak too
Nah I really thought this movie was revolutionary. This and Spy Kids 3D… man I thought we had reached peak technology
I thought this movie was fire back in the day, now im seeing clips I realize how bad cgi is hahshaha
The film underperformed at the box office as it earned only $72 million against a $50 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). Interestingly, many of the concepts in the film were conceived by director Robert Rodriguez’s children. Racer Max Rodriguez was credited for the story of the film.
Why Taylor Lautner Didn’t Return to The Role InWe Can Be Heroes?
Robert Rodriguez‘s 2020 kids superhero filmWe Can Be Heroeswas set in the same universe as Sharkboy and Lavagirl. While Taylor Dooley returned to her role as Lavagirl, Taylor Lautner was notably absent in the film. Sharkboy and Lavagirl’s daughter was one of the young superheroes in the film. JJ Dashnaw replaced Lautner in the role of Sharkboy.
“I had to fight for my role back”: Taylor Lautner Reveals Twilight Franchise Tried to Recast Him Despite Being the Best Part of the Movies
Lautner explained his reason not to return to the film when he appeared to promote his filmHome Teamwith ScreenRant. TheAbductionactor shared that Sharkboy will still have a very special place in his heart. However, when the 2020 film was in production he was preparing for his role as Sean inHome Team. He also shared that he had to focus on his friends, family, and fiancée. Lautner shared withScreenRant:
You know, it just was during a point in my life where I took a step back, and I kind of, don’t wanna tie this back to the movie, but kind of like Sean in [Home Team], I took a step back to focus on things that were important in my life, and that was my family and my friends and my fiancée. But yeah, the timing just wasn’t right for me, but I mean, Sharkboy will forever have a very special place in my heart.
A sequel toWe Can Be Heroeswas earlier in development and fans hoped to see Lautner back in this movie. However, the lack of updates about the movie since 2021 could mean that the sequel was possibly canceled.
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirlis now available to watch on PlutoTV, while theTwilight Sagais now available for rent on AppleTV.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3019
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
