SHARK ATTACK 3: MEGALODON
2002
R
R
Shark Attack 3 is a 2002 thriller directed by David Worth that serves as a sequel to the 2001 film Shark Attack 2 despite not continuing that particular story. Instead, we're taken to the shores of Mexico where a beach-side resort starts to be plagued by a massive and supposedly extinct species of shark known as a megalodon. When resort security officer Ben Carpenter (John Barrowman) finds a shark tooth lodged in an underwater electric cable, he sets out to find the type of shark that left it behind. Unable to find anything on the Internet, he posts a message in the hopes that an expert might reply. Relatively quickly, paleontologist Cat Stone (Jenny McShane) makes her way to Mexico to search out the creature in the hopes of finding the supposedly extinct animal. When the shark attacks and kills a man just off a resort beach, Ben and Cat team up to keep the beaches safe. All hell starts to break loose when a high-tech energy company decides to unveil its new yacht at the resort...
Having just reviewed Shark Attack 2 (linked above), I thought I was prepared for what I'd be seeing in this third installment. Because I didn't absolutely hate the second film, I thought I might actually give the third one a chance at offering something better than drivel, but boy was I wrong. This one's about as bad as they come, and I couldn't have possibly found it any more enjoyable. I had heard stories about how bad this film actually is, and it took its inclusion in the following video to prove that point to me (although, it only made me want to watch it even more):
Having just reviewed Shark Attack 2 (linked above), I thought I was prepared for what I'd be seeing in this third installment. Because I didn't absolutely hate the second film, I thought I might actually give the third one a chance at offering something better than drivel, but boy was I wrong. This one's about as bad as they come, and I couldn't have possibly found it any more enjoyable. I had heard stories about how bad this film actually is, and it took its inclusion in the following video to prove that point to me (although, it only made me want to watch it even more):
As you can see, it's two "wins" should really sum up the ridiculousness of Shark Attack 3. Let's start with screenplay, shall we? It's probably the most effective part of the film, but it's still so horrendous that it doesn't say much for the other facets of the movie. The story itself is rote and predictable, but it's the dialogue that really brings this one down (or brings it up, if you're looking for comedy). Not one line seemed realistic, and I realize that's the fault of the screenplay and not the actors. I know I'm a bit of a stickler for realistic dialogue, but if it doesn't sound like something someone would actually say, then you're losing points in my book. (Oh, and if you watched that above video, you're probably still reeling from the clip with that oh-so-random line. Seeing it within the constructs of the film makes it all the more amazingly out there, believe me you.)
The acting itself is pretty bad as well, with special mention going to our two leads in Barrowman and McShane. They're pretty awful, but I suppose that's expected with a film like this. We also get some bad performances from the likes of Ryan Cutrona and Bashar Rahal in their supporting roles.
However, the real prize of "badness" needs to go to the special effects. As you can see in the above video and the picture below, the "effects" relied heavily on real-life footage of sharks made to look massive by placing them into real-life shots of the cast. It's a little difficult to explain, but hopefully you can get a sense of it from the videos I've supplied.
Overall, there's really nothing redeeming about this film as a thriller, but it's a pretty successful, unintentional comedy. I know that's not what the filmmakers probably want to hear, but I think that's how it's gone down in the annals of film history. It definitely falls into the category of "so bad, it's good," but I'm not quite sure I'd ever want to give it another viewing. I suppose we'll have to wait and see.
The acting itself is pretty bad as well, with special mention going to our two leads in Barrowman and McShane. They're pretty awful, but I suppose that's expected with a film like this. We also get some bad performances from the likes of Ryan Cutrona and Bashar Rahal in their supporting roles.
However, the real prize of "badness" needs to go to the special effects. As you can see in the above video and the picture below, the "effects" relied heavily on real-life footage of sharks made to look massive by placing them into real-life shots of the cast. It's a little difficult to explain, but hopefully you can get a sense of it from the videos I've supplied.
Overall, there's really nothing redeeming about this film as a thriller, but it's a pretty successful, unintentional comedy. I know that's not what the filmmakers probably want to hear, but I think that's how it's gone down in the annals of film history. It definitely falls into the category of "so bad, it's good," but I'm not quite sure I'd ever want to give it another viewing. I suppose we'll have to wait and see.
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