Posts Tagged ‘shark’

Movie Review – Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014)

In honor of tomorrow night’s premier of Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! on Syfy, today we’re taking a look at the second film in the series, Sharknado 2: The Second One.

Back in 2013, the made for television film Sharknado created a media frenzy with its completely ridiculous plot of deadly tornadoes filled with killer sharks.  The film was aired for three nights in a row on the SyFy Channel, with each night having a larger number of viewers.  This was a film that was so bad and corny that you just had to watch it not just once but several times.

So what do you do when a low-budget film is a hit?

You make a sequel!  You strike quickly while the iron is hot!

Sharknado 2: The Second One premiered on July 30, 2014 on the SyFy Channel.  The sequel returned some of the original cast and transferred the action from Los Angeles to New York City.  Another superstorm filled with sharks strikes, and it’s up to a small group of people to figure out a way to stop the deadly storm and save an entire city.

Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014) – movie poster

Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, Sharknado 2: The Second One returns Ian Ziering and Tara Reid in the lead roles of Finley Shepard and April Wexler.  Supporting them is Vivica A. Fox as Skye, Fin’s childhood friend, Judd Hirsch as Ben, a taxi driver, and about a dozen cameos featuring a variety of celebrities.

Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014) – (c) The Asylum

Sharknado 2: The Second One begins with Finley “Fin” Shepard (Ian Ziering) and his ex-wife, April Wexler (Tara Reid) flying to New York City to visit some old friends as well as promote April’s book covering the events from last year’s sharknado in Los Angeles.  A flight attendant (Kelly Osbourne) is a fan of April’s and gladly accepts an invitation to join her at an event in New York City.

When the airliner begins its approach into New York City, the plane flies right through a strong storm filled with airborne sharks.  The sharks repeatedly attack the airliner and break into the aircraft, killing the pilot (Robert Hayes) and co-pilot (Rachel True).  The flight attendant is also killed by a shark along with a passenger (Wil Wheaton).

Fin makes his way to the cockpit and takes control of the doomed airliner.  While he’s trying to bring it down for a landing, one of the aircraft’s doors is ripped open and April is nearly sucked out into the storm.  She uses an air marshal’s (Austin Priester) pistol to shoot at a flying shark, but the shark reaches her and bites off half of her arm.  Somehow Fin is able to land the damaged airliner at the airport (nowhere was it mentioned in Sharknado of Fin having *any* flying experience), saving the lives of the remaining passengers.  April is then whisked away to a hospital to be treated for her amputated arm. Read more…

Movie Review – Deep Blue Sea (1999)

Back in 1975, the movie Jaws proved that not only are sharks fearsome creatures, but they can also prove to be formidable monsters in Hollywood.

Jaws was so successful that not only did it spawn its own series of films, but for the most part, Hollywood didn’t use sharks as villains.  Other sea creatures have attempted to terrify the audiences, but sharks were overlooked.  It was almost like nobody wanted to make a shark movie because everybody would keep comparing it to 1975’s Jaws.

That notion changed with the release of 1999’s killer shark movie, Deep Blue Sea.  In Deep Blue Sea, research scientists increase the size of sharks’ brains in an effort to study diseases.  However, this increase in brainpower makes the sharks smarter, and they use their sharpened thinking skills to attack the researchers.

Deep Blue Sea (1999) – movie poster

Directed by Renny Harlin, Deep Blue Sea stars Thomas Jane and Saffron Burrows in the lead roles of Carter Blake and Dr. Susan McAlester.  Supporting them is a cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson, Jacqueline McKenzie, Stellan Skarsgard, and LL Cool J.

Deep Blue Sea begins with four teenagers having fun on a boat while out at sea.  Suddenly the boat is attacked by a shark, and the teenagers are knocked into the water.  Just before the shark can attack and kill them, the predator fish is captured by a mysterious man.

Deep Blue Sea (1999) – (c) Warner Bros.

In Los Angeles, California, Dr. Susan McAlester (Saffron Burrows) is called to an emergency meeting at Chimera.  The company’s leaders are upset that one of Susan’s test sharks had escaped from the research facility and attacked a small group of teenagers.  None of them were killed or seriously injured, but the incident is still bad news for the company.

It turns out that Susan is using three genetically modified mako sharks in an attempt to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.  These three sharks have larger brains (the brain fluid is used in the research) than their counterparts in the wild, and it’s made these particular sharks smarter and more aggressive.  The recently escaped and recaptured shark is a sign that perhaps the researchers don’t have everything under control at their research station. Read more…

Movie Review – Sharknado (2013)

It’s not very often that you hear of a movie literally being so bad that it’s actually good.

That’s what happened with the direct-to-video shark movie, Sharknado.  As soon as the movie was aired on the SyFy Channel on July 11, 2013, the movie immediately received a flood of response on the social networks.  The movie’s ludicrous plot and incredible corniness sparked a media frenzy.  Syfy channel aired the movie a couple more times, and each viewing received more viewers.

The premise of Sharknado is that a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean spawns waterspouts that lift man-eating sharks into the air.  The storm strikes southern California, and through storm surge and tornadoes, the sharks wreck havoc on the people.  It’s a bloody battle so incredibly corny that it has to be seen to be believed . . . . and then seen again while drinking heavy amounts of alcohol with your friends.

Sharknado (2013) – movie poster

Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, Sharknado stars Ian Ziering as Finley “Fin” Shepard, a former surfer and the owner of a bar on a pier.  Also in the film is Tara Reid as April Wexler, Fin’s ex-wife, and John Heard as George, one of the regulars at Fin’s bar.  The rest of the film is a cast of nobodies as one would expect in a corny direct-to-video movie.

Sharknado begins out in the Pacific Ocean as Hurricane David spawns waterspouts that magically suck hundreds of fierce sharks out of the ocean.  It’s implied that the remaining sharks stayed in the ocean within the vicinity of the hurricane, and they apparently became extremely fierce and really pissed at human beings.

Sharknado (2013) – (c) The Asylum

Near the storm is a fishing boat where the ship’s captain is trying to make a shady deal with a Japanese businessman.  The Japanese man pulls out a pistol and tries to double-cross the captain, but their deal is interrupted by large waves from the hurricane.  The two men have a small gun battle on the main deck of the ship as it rocks in the waves.  Suddenly a shark lunges out of the water and grabs the Japanese man, dragging him to his death in the ocean.

The captain thinks that he has won until his boat drifts into a waterspout and is pulled into the air.  While airborne in the waterspout, the captain is repeatedly attacked by sharks that are also flying through the air.  It’s a bloody mess as the sharks kill the ship’s captain. Read more…

Movie Review – Jaws (1975)

Dahhhhh, duhhhhhh.

Dahhhhh, duhhhhhh.

Dahhhhh, duhhhhhh.

We all know that infamous movie theme.

It’s the movie that scared beach visitors out of the water.  It’s the movie that continues to spark terror and fascination towards sharks.  It’s the movie that helped catapult the directing career of Steven Spielberg, and helped make composer John Williams into the legend he became.

Yes, folks, it’s 1975′s hit movie, Jaws.  Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw, Jaws is the legendary film that puts the fictional island town of Amity in the clutches of a massive (and hungry) great white shark.  Just how far will the new but dedicated police chief go to protect the citizens of Amity and stop the killings in the water?

Jaws (1975) – (c) Universal Pictures

Jaws begins with an innocent teenage beach party in June of 1975.  Two teenagers escape from their friends for a little privacy.  The girl talks her friend into going skinny dipping.  She hits the water first, but as we see, an innocent swim in the ocean turns into absolute horror.  Something grabs the girl and yanks her underwater.  She manages to escape to a buoy, but the unknown creature grabs her again, this time dragging her underwater for good. Read more…

Movie Review – Jaws: The Revenge (1987)

“This time it’s personal.”

Everybody’s favorite giant killer shark returned for a fourth film in 1987 entitled, Jaws: The Revenge.  Although this is the fourth film of the Jaws movie franchise, Jaws: The Revenge skips over the material from Jaws 3-D and basically continues the story from Jaws 2.

Can Jaws: The Revenge live up to its predecessors and scare the audience out of the water?

Set about 15 or so years after the events in Jaws 2, Jaws: The Revenge begins on Amity Island.  Sean Brody is killed by the shark while trying to remove some debris in the water.  Traumatized at the loss of her son, Ellen Brody travels down to the Bahamas to spend time with Michael Brody along with his wife and daughter.  The shark follows her down to the tropical waters and stalks Michael Brody and his young daughter, Thea.  Ellen decides enough is enough and takes her fight to the shark, ending the battle with the beast once and for all.

Directed by Joseph Sargent, Jaws: The Revenge stars Lorraine Gary as Ellen Brody, the only main actor to reprise her role from the first two Jaws films.  Supporting her are Lance Guest as Michael Brody, Mario Van Peebles as Jake, Karen Young as Michael’s wife, Carla, and Michael Caine in the role of Hoagie Newcombe, a pilot who tries to romance Ellen Brody.

Jaws: The Revenge (1987) – (c) Universal Pictures

Jaws: The Revenge begins on Amity Island a few days before Christmas.  Police Chief Martin Brody died from a heart attack a while back (Ellen claimed it was from the stress and fear of the shark attacks), and Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary) now lives with Sean Brody (Mitchell Anderson) and his fiancée Tiffany.

Sean Brody is a deputy sheriff and following in his father’s footsteps.  One night he has to go out on the water and clear some debris in the harbor.  While leaning into the water, Sean is suddenly attacked by a giant great white shark.  The shark rips off Sean’s arm and leaves him bloody and in shock.  Then the shark returns and finishes Sean, killing him and sinking the small boat.  Ellen Brody later goes to the morgue to identify her son’s body.

Michael Brody (Lance Guest) and his wife Carla (Karen Young) and their young daughter, Thea, fly up to Amity to attend Sean’s funeral.  Ellen is convinced that the shark targeted Sean on purpose and that Michael needs to quit his job as a marine biologist.  It’s a tearful process as the family and town says goodbye to the deputy sheriff.  After the funeral, Michael and Carla talk Ellen into joining them down in the Bahamas for a few days. Read more…

Movie Review – Jaws 3-D (1983)

“THE THIRD DIMENSION IS TERROR.”

The early 1980s saw a brief revival of the 3-D movie craze that started back in the 1950s.  A few classic horror film franchises such as Jaws, Friday the 13th and Amityville each had a horror film created with 3-D effects to give the audience a truly terrifying experience.

Creatively titled Jaws 3-D, the third film in the Jaws franchise was shot with 3-D effects to create a new experience in the movie theater.  Jaws 3-D was something that people could only experience in the movie theater as the technology at home did not allow for the 3-D effects.  When this movie was later sold on VHS, it was simply titled as Jaws 3.  It’s the same film but without the 3-D effects.

Jaws 3-D is the only Jaws film not to have at least some scenes on Amity Island.  This film takes place entirely at SeaWorld down on the Florida coast (note – In reality, the only SeaWorld in Florida is located in Orlando, about 50 miles from the coast.)  Jaws 3-D features a grown Michael Brody working as a marine engineer in the SeaWorld park.  The supersized great white shark enters the park and wrecks havoc, even trapping park guests in an underwater structure at one point.  Jaws 3-D was directed by Joe Alves and stars Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Louis Gossett, Jr., and Lea Thompson.

Jaws 3-D (1983) – (c) Universal Pictures

Jaws 3-D begins with shots of a water-skiing acrobatic team practicing their routine out in the ocean.  Unfortunately, the water-skiers attract the attention of a massive great white shark.  The shark follows the skiers as they return to the lagoon at the Florida SeaWorld theme park.  The gates close on the shark, but the shark forces its way through them, damaging the gates in the process. Read more…

Movie Review – Jaws 2 (1978)

“Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water . . .”

. . . another great white shark decided to visit Amity Island and eat some people.

1975′s Jaws was a spectacular and horrific film that scared beach goers and cast great white sharks, the deadliest fish in the oceans, in a new light.  That film went on to become one of the greatest horror films of all time.  From the characters to the setting to the famous soundtrack conducted by John Williams to the killer shark itself, Jaws was an all-around solid movie.

Naturally, Hollywood asked the question, what if there was a sequel to Jaws?

Directed by Jeannot Szwarc and starring Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary and Murray Hamilton, Jaws 2 continues the story on Amity Island a couple of years after the infamous great white shark attacks.  A series of attacks on Amity’s beaches lead Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) to believe that another great white shark is back in the waters off Amity Island.  The problem is that he doesn’t have solid evidence and the town doesn’t believe him.  After being relieved of duty, Brody takes it upon himself to rescue his son and his friends after the great white shark attacks their group of sailboats.

Jaws 2 (1978) – (c) Universal Pictures

Jaws 2 begins with two scuba divers swimming in the Atlantic Ocean off Amity Island.  We later learn that the sunken boat they explore is the Orca, Quint’s boat from Jaws.  Out of nowhere a massive great white shark attacks and kills both divers.  One of the divers’ cameras captures photos of the shark attack.  On the surface, the divers’ boat drifts aimlessly towards Amity Island.

Meanwhile, on Amity Island, Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) is late to the dedication of a new resort hotel on the island.  Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) gives a short dedication speech and the high school’s band plays more music.  We learn that Martin’s wife, Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary), has a job working at the resort.  We’re also introduced to Mike Brody, the teenage son and eldest of the Brody boys, and his teenage friends. Read more…