Ice Sharks

Ice Sharks (2016)

** (out of 4)

The setting is an Arctic research center where a group of scientists are trying to determine why the ice is thinning so quickly. Unfortuantly for them it's not due to global warming and instead it's a new kind of shark that is able to break through the ice and attack.

ICE SHARKS is pretty much the type of "C" non-sense that you'd expect from a film that aired on SyFy. thankfully the film is well-made enough to where the viewer can stay entertained even though there's no question that the story is quite silly and there are countless logical issues including the fact that they're in the Arctic yet you can never see anyone's breathe. With that said, if you enjoy watching these movies then this one here will keep you entertained.

If you're familiar with the type of movies SyFy makes then you should already know that you don't go in expecting some sort of art. In reality you just hope for some mindless entertainment and on that level ICE SHARKS delivers. I thought the scenes of the sharks breaking through the ice were fun and for the most part the characters were entertaining enough to keep you interested in their fate. As I said, I thought the film was well-made for the most part and director Emile Edwin Smith at least keeps the action moving and there really aren't any slow spots in the picture.

The CGI is pretty laughable as you'd expect but it's still much better than what you normally see. ICE SHARKS certainly isn't a masterpiece but it succeeds at what it set out to do.

I really appreciate the limited time I now spend with my 12 yr old son as he now prefers to play xbox so movie night is precious time. However, I wish for this movie he stayed playing online as film is horrific. Was this a media college project or something? Have you noticed that the shark teleported one of the people into its mouth because the CGI is bad. Acting is woeful at best however the constant close ups of the ski mobiles are out of this world. Just skip

Have made no secret in the past of intensely disliking, and even outright hating a lot, a vast majority of The Asylum's and SyFy's (near-universally maligned for good reason) output, though there is curiosity as to whether they are capable of making something good and compulsive about their output's badness. Admittedly, both The Asylum and SyFy do have a small group of watchable films and the occasional (big emphasis on that word) above average one, unfortunately outweighed by the lacklustre at best and often dreadful films they churn out.

Am not going to say that 'Ice Sharks' is a good film because it isn't. Far from it. At the same time, 'Ice Sharks' is actually one of the more halfway watchable low budget shark films, which in general do not have a good reputation. Especially those from either SyFy, The Asylum or a collaboration of both. Took 'Ice Sharks' for what it was and what it intended to be, as is the intent with every film watched by me, and in a way it was more or less what was expected, in terms of its problems, but also much better in overall quality.

There are certainly obvious strikes against 'Ice Sharks'. The low budget definitely does show, especially in the risible special effects which strictly speaking are not worth mentioning really at a risk at going on a rant about them alone all night. The script is weak, with cheesy humorous moments, mawkish serious ones that feel like padding and rambling gibberish (for a SyFy/Asylum collaboration that was not unexpected).

Story-wise, 'Ice Sharks' is incredibly silly with ridiculousness taken to extremes, its logical lapses in number and quality deserving another all-night rant of their own but that's another story. The music is very intrusive and repetitive, with the sound seeming at times to favour it over the dialogue. The characters are sketchy in development and pretty bland in writing, most far from convincing in their occupation with Kaiwi Lyman-Mersereau especially looking out of place and like he accidentally boarded the wrong plane.

On the other hand, there were surprisingly enough elements that made 'Ice Sharks' watchable, as long as you judge it as a semi-guilty pleasure at best and not as a good film. The scenery is nice and, regardless of how they look and the lack of expert knowledge on sharks, the sharks have personality and some menace. The shark action is a sizable amount, and it is surprisingly more suspenseful and less overboard-goofy than one usually finds in low budget shark films, especially for one from SyFy/Asylum.

Although the story is far from great, it is not dull either and there is enough to maintain attention and intrigue. Enough is fun and suspenseful as long as it is not taken too seriously, most low budget creature films don't have that distinction so credit is due here. For this type of film too, the acting remarkably, considering the flawed character and script writing, is not too bad at all, they at least look engaged and look as though they were trying (when it comes to other low-budget films seen recently this was something of a refreshment).

Summing up, far from great, or even good, but one can do with far worse when taking into account the dubious general reputation of SyFy/The Asylum films and low budget shark films. 5/10 Bethany Cox

What we have here is another of the great "Sharks" series of movies. You will want to add this to your collection.

A group of scientists at a research facility based in the Arctic (Actually filmed in Utah, USA) battle a breed of sharks that have the ability to navigate ice.

Love To Eat Them dumb peoples, dumb peoples What I Love to Eat, Bite They Little Heads Off, Nibble on They Tiny Feet. Sorry B. Kliban.

This has all the action and even "stay in the car" scenes. You will find yourself rooting for the sharks.

Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear And it shows them pearly white - Mack the Knife.

A new twist in the Killer Shark movies. What can I say that already hasn't been said. It's top cheese material here. A rainy day afternoon movie fun for the whole family. Its full of average cgi, acting, story, pretty much everything. The research scientists chosen are some of the youngest I would ever imagine. 20 to 30 something year olds to control an arctic station to use and monitor highly sophisticated equipment. These kids sure know their stuff! Like I said it's a nothing to be said, 10 mins in you know what you're getting. I gave it a four just because the movie was completed from start to finish with an effort that was given with what little budget available. It's popcorn cheese at its finest. Take it for what it's worth.