47 Metri

OK, so this movie was quite nice! I saw it at a sneak preview, had no expectations and was surprised in a positive way. Its no Oscar-winner, the constant moaning of the girls kinda irritated me a few times but overall...scary, but not in an 'average shark movie' way, some nice twist and just fun!

So why this kinda dull review? Well, I read a lot of reviews on IMDb, never feel the urge to write one. But there is something with IMDb reviews which bothers the hell out of me. Allow me:

There is this guy here (he must be so much fun at parties), who wrote a review presenting 14 reasons or so, why the diving in this movie was impossible/not logical/not realistic or whatever. Therefore, the movie received one star. This bothers me. Why? Allow me again:

So, I do not dive, but I teach at University. Not really movie material, but let's say a movie is made about the life of a University teacher (why would you do that you ask? good question). Let's say in this movie, ALL details about the very complex and technical nature of ' University teacher' are impossible/not logical/not realistic. But, the movie is fun and entertaining. Why, oh why in Gods name, would I feel the urge to write a review to correct all these 'mistakes' related to something I happen to be an expert in?

In other words, why do so many reviewers here feel this urge to correct the impossible/not logical/not realistic with regard to something they happen to know a lot of? Just enjoy the movie (or not, if its s*cky), but over-analyzing it from your 'expert view'? To be honest, most of us don't really care about that and just want to enjoy the movie...

I actually caught this in the theater and again a year later at home. Reviews are mixed with this film, but I actually enjoyed this movie. Mandy Moore's acting is always a breath of fresh air and Claire Holt didn't have trouble carrying the film along. Yes it's a shark movie, but what makes this flick a stand out, is the fact the sharks aren't the only threat to the girls survival. It got a few jumps and a sudden episode of claustrophobia from me. Which I guess is a good thing. Moore's freaky smile in the end makes one lasting impression but one burning question though for me is... WHERE THE HELL DID THE SHARKS DISAPPEAR TO IN THE FINAL RESCUE SCENE ?!?

Before we sit down in the theater, we know pretty much exactly what happens. Two girls go scuba diving in a shark cage and wind up a trapped in said cage 47 meters below the surface. Since they aren't experts, we know how they will react. Then sharks show up. Since they are sharks in a scary movie, we know how they will react. There is no real room for surprises.

If you expect rampant plot twists and character development, you must not see this type of movie often. It is what it is and it knows that. Despite the only real mystery being which of the girls survives, if any, or perhaps both, the movie actually manages to provide a refreshing twist.

That may sound bold to say when talking about a powerfully simple shark attack movie, but take some time to think about it. The twist is secretly ingenious and explains away many of the ghastly errors in believability.

I'm surprised to find myself defending a movie that I didn't really like all that much. But I am. It's not that movie doesn't deserve criticism. It certainly does. The acting performances earn failing grades across the board. The dialogue is laced with embarrassing over explanations and repeated lines, most of which involve warnings from the captain about the bends. Other times this takes the form of the girls obnoxiously narrating the menial tasks as they carry them out. Once or twice might have been fine, but it's tough to stomach after about the 10th time or so.

My thought on this is maybe the filmmakers knew that it was too dark to see what was going on for most of the movie, so they made the girls say aloud everything that they did. This solution makes about as much sense as going on a five-mile run after knowingly drinking spoiled milk. If one problem is easily avoidable, avoid the problem. Don't attempt a remedy that almost certainly won't help the situation.

All that said, I defend the movie because I think it executes its mission reasonably well. I shifted to the edge of my seat and felt uneasy on many occasions. The movie managed to scare the audience and it did so with fewer jump scares than expected.

Instead, the movie built to moments that would normally climax with the infamous jump scare then simply opted not to deliver one. The goal is still achieved. The moments still induce a sense of dread from the audience, but without the cheapness of frightening viewers by essentially saying "boo." I'd like to see other movies emulate this tactic.

My advice: if you are going to watch this movie, understand what you are getting into. The movie likely won't surprise and that wasn't its intention. Be reasonable with your expectations. Accept the movie's strengths and weaknesses. Empathize with how terrifying the situation would be if it were you stuck in the shark cage on the ocean floor, and don't hesitate to laugh at the movie's weaknesses.

Do those two things, and you may walk away satisfied. If you are unwilling to do that, stay out of the water.

For a scary shark flick I found it totally worked. Of course the intro, party scene & boys are what you'd expect for this genre, and had me wondering if I'd make it to the end due to all the cliché.

But it did take off from there nicely, had some genuine holy f*ck moments, a good pacing and had me wondering all the way if the girls would make it to the end...

The camera work was great and the sharks well done (a bit too aggressive for total realism, but hey). The ending was also original, for once!

Compared to The Shallows, I'd say it's equally solid in terms of entertainment value and getting the viewer hooked until the end.

Overall a solid 7 in my book.

How often do you watch a film from this genre and are made to watch 90 minutes of bad acting, unrealistic sharks, poor camerawork etc, my expectations weren't too high, and I for one was pleasantly surprised. This film is actually really well made, it's very solid, it's well acted, and it manages to generate both terror and claustrophobia, in a way I wasn't expecting. That ending also, talk about out of the Blue ;-) Beautifully filmed, superb location work, sharks that although maybe a little out of character to say the least certainly looked good, and of course added to the terror.

Pleasantly surprised. 7/10