Mega Shark vs. Kolossus

I love the way that Asylum actively promotes recycling by throwing in random clips from U.S. Navy stock footage regardless of whether this or that particular ship has previously been used in this movie. This one has clips of an Iowa-class battleship firing its big guns that I am pretty sure were used in American Warships, as well as the mandatory sinking of a U.S. aircraft carrier using the same special effect that was previously used in American Warships and Age of Ice. We also have the obligatory black actor as the senior Naval officer. No problem there, but will somebody please tell Asylum that Admirals do not tool around in destroyers, and that if you are going to film the Admiral on the bridge in open sea, it would be good not to have trees and land visible out the non-military window of the bridge they are filming on. Three stars for the three drinks you will need to get through this one.

This is one of the worst of the Asylum 'giant monster' films I've watched yet. It manages to be a much bigger disappointment than the original MEGA SHARK VS. GIANT OCTOPUS and also wastes a premise that wouldn't have been out of place in a kaiju flick: a giant shark is once again terrorising international waters, and the danger is compounded when a giant Russian colossus comes out of the depths to also wreak havoc.

It simply feels like the guys at The Asylum weren't trying at all with this one. The special effects are very poor indeed, particularly the underwater stuff, although I admit I did get a kick out of the few scenes of the Kolossus walking around and destroying stuff (it goes back to my childhood experience with Talos in JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS). The giant shark stuff is really, really, pitiful and has a hackneyed, 'seen it all' before feel.

There aren't even any recognisable stars in this one, just a bunch of bad actors going through the motions. The CGI is horrible, the lighting is inefficient, and there's no gore or violence to speak of. It all feels like a half-hearted cartoon and is even worse than comparable stuff like BERMUDA TENTACLES - and that's saying something!

Off the coast of Brazil, a conflict erupts between the United States and Russia. A submarine, ship and weird helicopter are involved. Unfortunately, another "Mega Shark" is released. The characters thought they'd seen the last of them over a year ago, in "Mega Shark vs Mecha Shark" (2014), the best of the four stories in this series, so far. Baseball-capped Ernest Thomas (as Admiral Titus Jackson) is peeved. Elsewhere, a giant robot called "Kolossus" is released. A relic from the US/USSR Cold War, "Kolossus" is in a nasty mood. For some undecipherable reason, the two monsters meet. Maybe they want to have sex - it's difficult to tell...

Mr. Thomas makes a wise exit from this disconnected disaster. He was likewise smart as "Raj" on the old TV sitcom "What's Happening!!" Splitting the leading female star duties are spectacled commander Illeana Douglas (as Alison Gray) and tightly-attired agent Amy Rider (as Moira King). Mr. Thomas is the granddaughter of golden age Hollywood actor Melvyn Douglas. Blond Brody Hutzler (as Joshua Dane) has a little fun near the end. Apparently, director Christopher Ray and the crew were given a string of Christmas tree bulbs to use for lighting. The story makes very little sense and is almost impossible to watch with any attention.

** Mega Shark vs Kolossus (2015-05-16) Christopher Ray ~ Illeana Douglas, Amy Rider, Ernest Thomas, Brody Hutzler

Mega Shark vs. Kolossus (2015)

* (out of 4)

Considering how awful this movie is, I'm not going to spend too much time with the plot since we've basically got the good ol' U.S.A. going up against Russia, which leads to our giant shark battling a large robot.

MEGA SHARK VS. KOLOSSUS is the fourth film in the "Mega Shark" series and it's certainly the worst to date. I say it every time I watch a film like this but you really can't go in expecting anything in terms of quality but instead you hope to just find some cheap entertainment. Sadly, there really wasn't anything entertaining here as the entire film was a real chore to sit through and at just 90 minutes the thing feels three times longer.

I'm really not sure who thought it was a good idea to have a screenplay full of dialogue but it really backfires because this film is simply boring from start to end. The worst thing is that we're given subplots dealing with science and politics and it's just downright awful and makes for some horrid melodrama and lame comedy. The CGI effects of the two monsters were better than you'd expect but why the two didn't battle more is anyone's guess. Either way, this is a really bad movie that should just be skipped.

Another "Mega Shark" movie, and with the entire series being questionable and cheesy, then there is still something alluring about creature features that involve sharks. So naturally I did sit down to watch "Mega Shark vs. Kolossus" as I had the chance to do so.

As for the cast that starred in the movie, well I can't really claim to be familiar with anyone who was in the movie, aside from Illeana Douglas . Now, that is definitely not a bad thing for me, because I do enjoy watching new faces and talents in movies. And people were actually doing good jobs with their given roles and characters, given the cheesy and campy concept of the movie.

The story in "Mega Shark vs. Kolossus" was as to be expected, and you know what you are getting yourself into here if you have seen any of the other movies in the series. If you are new to the series of "Mega Shark" movies, then do not take the movie too seriously, because it is definitely rather outrageous in concept and idea.

It should be said that the effects in this particular movie were actually quite good, and might very well range among the better of CGI and special effects seen in the "Mega Shark" movie series so far. However, I just can't grasp the concept of having sharks growl. Sure, because a silent killer is not as menacing as one making sound. But come on, a growling shark just makes it seem ridiculous.

Now, the concept idea of a massive kolossus doomsday machine was just a bit too far out there. But it did fit in well enough with the rest of the campy concept of the movie in a way.

While "Mega Shark vs. Kolossus" is not a movie experience of Shakespearian proportions, then it is still entertaining enough for what it turned out to be. If you enjoy these cheesy and campy shark creature features, then "Mega Shark vs. Kolossus" should prove entertaining for you.