O Caçador de Tubarões

"Guardians of the Deep" could more or less be described as a rip-off of Peter Benchley's "The Deep", only … this version is a whole lot better and numberless times more entertaining! It's a very silly and immensely grotesque adventure movie, with highly implausible stunts and unrealistic characters, but the whole thing is so spirited and so vividly directed by Enzo G. Casterllari that you can't help but be amused. Spaghetti western hero Franco Nero (wearing a blond wig that nearly makes him unrecognizable) stars as a treasure hunter on a quest to recover $10 million from a plane wreck that lies on the bottom of the Caribbean Sea. The valuable loot is located nearby a shark-infested cave, but that can't be an issue, as Mike also happens to be a fearless and ruthless shark hunter who doesn't even hesitate to crash down in the open sea with a parachute to take on a Tiger Shark with his bare hands, now how about that?!? His search is complicated when other parties learn about the treasure as well, like a CIA agent on "holiday" and a bunch of corrupt local police officers. "Guardians of the Deep" features a constantly high level of spectacle & suspense and the film benefices extremely from the lusciously exotic photography by Raúl Cubero. This film is very beautiful to look at … and to listen to, as the De Angelis brothers' score is downright phenomenal and dreamy. Although not exactly a legit entry in the "Sharksploitation" sub genre (like "Great White", "Monster Shark" or "Tintorera"), this film contains some of the greatest and most masterfully enacted shark attack sequences ever in low-budget cult cinema! The sharks in the cave assist Mike during the finale and explicitly devour a couple of his opponents. The action scenes are impressive at sea as well as on the mainland, with tough macho fistfights, wild car chases and shootouts. This puppy is quite obscure and difficult to find, but worth tracking down if you like tropical settings, shark-action and Castellari's versatile repertoire.

The 'Poor Man's Peckinpah' triumphed once again at a time when poor Bloody Sam was Hemingwaying himself into a way, way, way too early grave. One of the most reliable Italian genre names of the era, good ol EG (as his buckle proclaims) once more as in Street Law combines his aforementioned master, Shakespeare, impressive stunt work and a confident leading Franco Nero to thrilling effect.

A sharp script, great score and outstanding photography aid the proceedings and elevates Shark Hunter above most euro-action and at a time when the trend was beginning to slip into a still not awakened comatose.

It's about time this and several other of E.G.C's outings once again see the light of day as they're damn classy fun. That being said, there are always pacing problems with Castellari's pictures, but usually nothing major. Still, they're a lost form of the action film which needn't rely on grit or angst to tell a good story but rather operatic flair which elevates the audience's participation into more than just a spectator. These films are full of life, warts and all and i suppose that's just not some people's idea of escapism. But hey ho, there's room for all of us.

Franco Nero is a shark hunter and treasure seeker who has a handful of allies, and also antagonists at every corner.

The film has fistfights, car chases, foot chases, seaplane vs. speedboat chases and some nicely incorporated shark attacks, but no genuine urgency. The music score is very cool, but at times you get the sense that it's expected to carry along long stretches of the film by itself. And the underwater scenes slow down the pace (inevitably).

All in all, pretty forgettable stuff, but not bad. (**)

I saw this movie almost a thousand times when I was a kid. I had it on VHS. And I loved it every time. But now the tape has been lost for years, and I miss this great movie, especially the music score. Is there anyone out there who can tell me how to get this film? On DVD would be perfect, but I don't think that is possible. Even on DivX or SVCD is just fine. I would be VERY grateful...

I'm a lifelong 'judge a B-Movie by its bodacious-looking cover' guy, and I'm big enough to admit, this foolishness has oft led me astray, but any genre film created by Enzo Castellari & Franco Nero is a guarantee of excellence! While, perhaps, more than a little inspired by Peter Yates's The Deep, The Shark Hunter is a boisterously entertaining Euro-Snapper in its own right! The blue-eyed Monsignor of macho, Franco Nero, replete with a bountiful blonde coif, armed only with his depthless testosterone and a humble spear, goes mano a Squalo with unrivalled manliness in Castellari's thrilling deep sea treasure hunt.

Let's be honest, if you are about to experience an unwanted intimacy with man scoffing sharks, who better to call than Django, dude? If celluloid hadn't been thus far invented, The Shark Hunter's righteously entertaining premise would strongly demand it! Highpoints: phooken everything, dude, for real, but The Shark Hunter gets bonus points for Guido & Maurizio De Angelis's uncommonly sweet score, and Werner Pochath's sleazy reptilian hood makes the sharks look like tadpoles! Interestingly, Franco Nero's bluff Shark Hunter returned much later for more maritime mayhem in 'Killer Mermaids'.