![]() Ellis is no stranger to blood and splatter - especially when considering the carnage he served in the gleefully violent Final Destination 2 (2003) - so it was overly disappointing to learn that the studio opted for a PG-13 rating for Shark Night 3D consisting mostly of off-screen kills or flailing red water - discontent is slightly more amplified for those who enjoyed Piranha 3D and are aching for a second serve of comical kills - even those goofy Sci-Fi channel horror flicks complete with the cheesy graphics and laughable effects fare up better than this in terms of b-grade entertainment value. Wooden acting aside, the picture’s opening scenes are more entertaining than its tame second half - which lacks serious bite - with surprisingly very little in the way of shark carnage.Ĭlearly director David R. It’s merely Chris Carmack’s, Lovewrecked (2005), Dennis Crim who offers an inkling of complexity amongst the clichéd shark-bait on display, as his character’s mysterious past is slowly uncovered. The gorgeous Katharine McPhee, The House Bunny (2008), is striking enough to pardon the banal character she portrays while Sara Paxton can clearly do better given her work in 2009’s The Last House on the Left. Dustin Milligan, The Butterfly Effect 2 (2006), who plays Nick LaDuca is probably the weakest of the cast, but is relatable enough to anchor the film, while his co-stars Chris Zylka, Kaboom (2010), the usually engaging, Joel David Moore, Avatar (2009) and Sinqua Walls, The Second Half (2009), do the best they can with the somewhat dull material they are forced to work with. Jail Bait!Īlthough Shark Night 3D takes a surprisingly long time to ‘kick-off,’ it works best when the college students are dealing with their ‘real-life’ issues and problems or just casually interacting together, regardless of their ‘stereo-typical’ roles and second-rate acting. While trying to transport Malik to the hospital the friends come to the realization that 15 species of sharks are lurking in the water, and with no boat or form of transportation, and no phone reception, the group of seven face a fate they would never have imagined. ![]() The students eventually learn the calamity was something much more severe - a primal attack involving a shark. Their vacation is cut short after lead football star, Malik, gets his arm ripped off during a water skiing accident. With the help of local Sheriff Greg Sabin (Donal Logue), the students arrive at the lake safely and begin to party and unwind. When stopping at a rustic bait shop/ convenience store, friction builds with local residents Red (Joshua Leonard) and Dennis Crim (Chris Carmack) - Sara’s ex-boyfriend - which Sara swiftly resolves. Shark Night 3D starts off with the typical set-up, six College buddies from Tulane University, New Orleans, Nick (Dustin Milligan), Beth (Katharine McPhee), Malik (Sinqua Walls), Maya (Alyssa Diaz), Blake (Chris Zylka) and Gordon (Joel David Moore) are all invited by their friend Sara Palski (Sara Paxton) to spend the weekend at her saltwater lake house in Louisiana. But unlike the boisterous, gory B-grade gem Piranha 3D (2010) - which Shark Night 3D is visibly trying to mimic - Ellis’ attempt is lacking what made Piranha 3D so nosey, mischievous and amusing - tongue-in-cheek self-awareness, excessive violence, gratuitous nudity and a sound comprehension of cult cinema. ![]() Ellis - the man responsible for 2006’s nonsensical Snakes on a Plane - to take the reins. ![]() Alas, it was only a matter of time until Hollywood joined the shark craze and who better than David R. Sharks seem to be the popular subject of B-grade fare lately with titles such as Sand Sharks (2011), Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus (2010), Super Shark (2011), Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus (2009), Dinoshark (2010) and the obscure Sharktopus (2010) all being unleashed onto audiences over past few years. ![]()
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