New Release Review - Shark Night 3D

Directed by: David R Ellis
Starring: Sara Paxton, Donal Logue, Dustin Milligan

This movie has taken some serious flak, mainly for it's PG-13 rating. In fairness "Jaws" was PG after all so what's the big deal? Well "Jaws" was made by a team of highly skilled film-makers, "Shark Night 3D" certainly isn't. Ellis should have taken a leaf out of Alexandra Aja's book. Aja knows he's no Spielberg so he chose to fill "Piranha 3D" with blood, boobs and general trashy good times.
Considering this is a mash of animal attack and backwoods horror it really needed to be a lot sleazier. In the hands of a proper sleazoid (or a European director) this could have been a perfect six pack 'n pizza flick. It's got all the stereotypes we know and love; the innocent boy and girl who definitely won't die, the jocks and sluts who definitely will, the sleazy rednecks, and the double-crossing corrupt sheriff. Plus a lake full of sharks! Come on folks! How can you possibly go wrong? Here's how; you make it a family movie so you can cash in. If people want diluted kid-friendly monster movies they can watch the SyFy channel. Perfect example; there's a scene where the rednecks strip a girl down to her underwear. If this was made in the seventies she would have been bare-ass nekkid!
At least Donal Logue seems to understand the spirit of these movies, he's great as the Sheriff and has the film's few amusing lines.

I haven't mentioned the 3D yet, that's because it's unmentionable. This movie gains absolutely nothing from it. The 3D effects are not an asset to the film. They should have saved the money they spent on the 3D software for something else. That's poor budget management
Hopefully the PG-13 decision will backfire, at time of writing it looks like breaking even but I wouldn't expect a sequel. "Piranha"'s sequel however is out next summer and I for one can't wait.
4/10

---