Shark Attack

If it were not for the abysmally banality of the shark attack sequences, which are some of the worst I have ever seen, and for the ridiculous explanation at the denouement of the picture and all that leads up to it, "Spring Break Shark Attack" might have ended up being a merely passable made-for-television creature feature. Heck, it might have even ended up at being flat-out mediocre instead of a dead bore as it is. But it must be given more credit than the norm of this genre. It is much more ambitious than over creature features; they're at least trying at some point in the picture. It's rather amusing. In most movies like this, when we're away from the monster, we feel as lifeless as a piece of driftwood. When the creature arrives, we're still bored, but usually amused by the awful special effects and poor directing. Well, here, it's a little of the opposite. When there are no sharks, the movie is amusing and when there are sharks, it's as dull as dishwater.

They were at least attempting to build a good human story here. Our protagonist is played by Shannon Lucio (in a good performance) as a normally obedient high school graduate who decides to become a rebel and go to Florida on spring break against her father's will. She joins up with friends, ogles at the local beach stud (Riley Smith), tries to avoid a lascivious, sex-starved rival (Justin Baldoni), and then...well, you guessed it, evades man-eating sharks. Yes, around this time, a group of sharks begin to attack the beach on spring break.

I may be crucified by some, but I cannot deny that there were some parts of this movie that I did enjoy. None of them had to do with the sharks, however. They had to do with Shannon Lucio, who is quite good in the movie, and her character and what she goes through. Her relationship to her romantic interest is banal and boring, but there are some good elements such as her attempt to bury the hatchet with her brother, who is studying at a seaside university, and oddly enough the scenes with her and Justin Baldoni almost work. These scenes don't always work, but you can feel the refreshing air where the filmmakers were at least attempting to make a good story. Unlike a great many "Jaws" rip-offs, where you get the sense even the makers of the movie couldn't have cared less.

So when the movie's out of the water, on the beach, it's not good, but not too bad either. At these moments, it might have had a 5/10 going for it. But then there's the shark attacks, which are so abysmally bad, and there are so many of them in the last half of the movie, that they pull everything under along with their screaming victims. The cardboard and rubber fins painted gray are utterly awful and the phony screaming and thrashing of their victims so cheesy that one cannot even laugh at them. Honestly, nobody expected a real scare from a movie called "Spring Break Shark Attack" but at least a good laugh here and there. Here, no laughs. The open time I opened my mouth at the sharks was to yawn. We also question why the sharks are congregating on this particular beach at this particular time and when we do find out why, the explanation the movie gives is so harebrained and boneheaded and deprived of logic (even on the standards of this genre) that it produces nothing more than an exhausted yawn.

Perhaps this film would have fared better had it been a beach story with no sharks or shark attack back-stories. Shannon Lucio is pretty and quite good in her role and there are some fine supporting performances, including two by great actors Kathy Baker and Byron Brown, but ultimately the movie is just too banal, too clichéd, and too dull to recommend even without the sharks. Coupled with them, it sinks lower on the scale. Ambitious as it is, "Spring Break Shark Attack" is nevertheless an unfortunate failure.

It's best if you just view the movie in high speed reverse. If you do, you'll see an eloquent story of how a school of sharks throw up enough hormonal co-eds to open up a series of beaches on the Florida coast...so many that they are forced to party. A few of the regurgitated find one another and become friends. Apparently, the main regurgitated female is so inspired by what has happened in her own form of immaculate conception, that she adopts an at first just over protective, but, eventually loving family.

If you choose to watch the movie by way of the order that the producers, directors, and writers (whom I'm sure were paid for their troubles) intended, you may walk away from the film at best disappointed, and at worst claiming that there is no god.

I didn't expect much, and got what I expected. I can't believe this has 6 votes of a perfect 10. Was the cast and crew here on IMDb voting? There wasn't that much eye candy, although the HD broadcast was pretty good and Riley Smith is looking better than ever. There are a few minor technical flaws. For example, that was the strangest Florida coastline I've ever seen - complete with mountains, rocky islands, etc. It looked suspiciously more like Hawaii or Mexico. The only mountains I've seen in Florida where man-made ones in Disney World. Is it obvious I'm fishing for 10 lines here? This movie doesn't deserve 10 words, let alone 10 lines. Did I mention that Riley Smith is looking better than ever?

As a year round resident of Florida (one of the few under the age of 75), I have dreamt of spring breakers being eaten by sharks, lots and lots of sharks. My dreams were finally realized thanks to CBS finally bringing to the small screen a compelling story that needed to be told: "Spring Break Shark Attack." Simply put, this movie was hysterical. Yes, it was full of clichés, the worst acting this side of "Plan 9 from Outer Space", and terrible, terrible dialogue. Folks, the movie was named "Spring Break Shark Attack." (The name alone sends me into fits of giggles.) Were you expecting Martin Scorcese? Because of its God-awfulness, I can't remember the last time a TV movie made me laugh so hard. One can only imagine how good it would have been to see this monstrosity on a big screen.

Eric Peterson who commented this movie before me must have some thing to do with this film, because i cant believe anyone giving this a 10 out of 10. Its really av bad movie with some nice chicks, and micro thrills. Regret that i saw it, a waste of time.

I'll give it 3 out of 10 because its not the worst movie I have seen, but not far from it either. It could maybe entertain young people as they don't see a movie like adults.

I almost forgot the bad effects and sharks looking like stiff plastic. Mainly the movie is about some young girls and a couple of boys hanging out on spring break. There isn't as much shark thrills as expected. i cant believe someone would spend money on making such a bad movie, as it has a lot of statists and effect, though they are bad just like my English. Sorry for that.

Summary: Se Jaws instead!