Sharktopus

Just looking at the movie poster, I knew this film was supposed to be bad, and I knew I had to see it. Thankfully a friend of mine had recorded it when it aired on SyFy, so I am writing this review based on the videotape I am currently watching. Yes, a videotape. You know those things that you use to stick inside a VCR to watch or record a movie before they made DVDs. I know a few of you might still might might know what these antiques are. Anyways, as a note to those who gave this film 1 star, didn't you know this was a parody?

This should have become apparent to anyone within the first 15 minutes of the film when Roger Cormen (yes he is making an appearance in the film) watches a young woman using a metal detector on the beach. The young woman finds a piece of gold, and is quickly attacked by the tentacles of the Sharktopus and eaten. After the young woman is eaten, Roger Corman, walks down to the waters edge and picks up the gold piece the woman has dropped during the attack and walks away with the gold. At no part in this scene does Corman appear to be frightened of what has just transpired in front of him, and even smiles at the camera. So in a sense this film is supposed to be a comedy. It just depends on how you take it.

So basically, if you liked the remake of Piranha, you will probably like this movie as well. It has plenty of funny outrageous gags, stupid lines, bikinis, sand, and almost everything that made Piranha great (except no nudity.)

Eric Roberts (brother of Julia Roberts) deserves an academy award for his role in this film. After all he was the only person in it that could actually act, and besides he has never won one.

Even the editor deserves some kind of award for quickly hiding a machine gun. At one point in the film an ex-soldier fires a machine gun at the Sharktopus to distract it from attacking a news crew. After the fish falls back into the water, the machine gun magically disappears. Amazing! Chris Angel could not have done better.

Another great acting scene was done actually by the unknowns in this film. At one point they are chumming the waters in an attempt to attract the Sharktopus. In a nearby area Sharktopus attacks a small sail boat and eats the captain. The captain's wife also falls into the water and it looks like it will be curtains for her. But the Sharktopus lets her go and goes on towards the chummed waters. Those who have chummed the waters think their chumming has attracted the Sharktopus towards them. But considering how skinny the Sailboat Captain's wife was, I think the Sharktopus was just scared it might choke on a bone.

Another huge goof, Sharktopus attacks the boat carrying the ex-soldier and the daughter of Eric Roberts (who have been enlisted to capture Sharktopus). In the attack the boats propellers are supposedly damaged and the ship can no longer be driven. However, after a brief phone call to Robert's character, the boat magically becomes drivable again. No repairman needed. At least until they get back to dock, then the boat breaks down again.

There are so many great stolen sequences from other Sea Creature movies that I thought the only thing missing was the Shark doing the Land shark routine from SNL. I did not have to wait long before that too came true. Yes reader, this Shark Octopus hybrid can walk on land, wrap itself around tree limbs, and attack anything on land, without the fear of suffocation. Another thing I found amazing was how this creature attacked bungee jumpers and anyone hanging over the water. It was almost like the fisherman for this film was using human beings as fly bait to attract this massive sea creature.

Overall I am giving Sharkopus 5 stars because I do not think any other reviewer caught what this film was actually suppose to be. And secondly I thought it was one of the better SyFy films I have seen in a long time. It was even better than Mega shark Vs. the Giant Octopus. Of course that is not saying much, but I can think of more terrible ways to waste my viewing time, such as being forced to watch Leonardo Decrapio in Titanic again. How this film ever made more money than Star Wars is still beyond me, but it happened so now I have to put up with it. And yes Sharktopus was 100 times better than Titanic, of course so was Mega Piranha, Mega Shark Vs The Giant Octopus, ....... I would also say Mega Shark Vs. Crocosaurus, but I have not seen it yet. I will probably in the next hour or two (Thank god for friends with VCRS), just not yet.

Who doesn't love genetically engineered animal hybrids? I love them, clearly the SyFy network does, and Roger Corman as well. B-movie genius Corman does take a production credit on the epic SyFy presentation "Sharktopus" and even contributes an inspired audio commentary for the DVD and Blu-Ray release. Unless you lack creative reasoning, I probably don't have to tell you that a Sharktopus is a horrific combination of shark and octopus (with some fun neck spikes thrown in for decoration). And the visual realization of this nightmarish entity is truly the selling point of this effective bit of bad movie mayhem. For my money, to make a classic bad movie legend--you need several important components: First, a wacky killing machine. Second, a maniacally deranged, but logically challenged, plot. And third, a cast giving you overwrought dialogue as if the fate of the world depended on it. Thus, using my completely arbitrary personal criteria, "Sharktopus" is a solid entry into the bad movie lexicon that misses being a highpoint in the genre.

A rather subdued Eric Roberts plays an ethically challenged scientist. With the aid of his daughter, Sara Malakul Lane, the pair have created the Sharktopus in conjunction with the U.S. military industrial complex (here represented by one actor). Roberts may have shielded his little princess from some of the more nefarious purposes behind Sharktopus, but when the creature goes rogue off the coast of Mexico--the truths start to become apparent. A former employee, Karem Bursin, is lured back to be a ripped and shirtless love interest--oh wait, I mean to track the beastie. And the youngsters set out to stop the carnage that is devastating the tourist population in various resort villages. In a zany subplot, an intrepid reporter is also tracking the story which, even when multiple deaths and attacks are televised, doesn't seem to interest local authorities or concern beach-front vacationers. In one of the most delightful sequences, Sharktopus annihilates performers at an outdoor spectacle and is fired upon by countless rounds of ammunition--but when the actors move a few feet down the beach, a restaurant full of unconcerned diners haven't interrupted their surf and turf entries to investigate.

Without a doubt, the one genius aspect of "Sharktopus" is the creature creation! You'll be amazed how much out-of-the-water action this sea beast hybrid can endure. It's more like Crab-Shark or Spider-Shark or the old SNL classic Landshark (I kept expecting it to ring someone's doorbell to deliver the line "Candygram.") As it scampers around, the film's lunacy is a veritable goldmine of laugh out loud moments. The violence and gore is silly and appropriate. What, ultimately, held this tale back from pure poetry were the rather lackluster young leads. Neither Malakul Lane or Bursin has the fire and passion to bring this tale to the over-the-top hysteria needed. Roberts, once a great, (the harrowing "Star 80" still remains one of my favorite Roberts' roles of all time) is underutilized. He could have played this in his sleep--in fact, perhaps he did! But with plenty of sight gags, "Sharktopus" is still a fair amount of fun. I loved this creature--but, in the end, its devastatingly real and heartfelt performance as a maniacal killer is let down by its bland human co-stars! KGHarris, 3/11.

this movie is pure genius. whoever came up with the idea for "sharktopus" should be commended. this movie is an instant classic.