Bait

Some shark movies are laughable, cheesy, and way too far fetched (Sharktopus). Some shark movies and horror movies in general can just be unbelievably bad. This Australian film was a pleasant surprise. There wasn't scantily clad girls walking around topless (Piranha) or cheap thrills. This had some genuine pillow clenches, it had some unpredictability, great acting, and had a location I had not seen before in a shark movie, Australia. Most importantly it had characters I actually cared about! There is more to this shark flick than just sharp teeth and flesh. Dig your teeth into this film if you are a thriller, horror, shark movie fan.

Bait 3D – CATCH IT (B) Bait is about a group of survivors from different walks of life find themselves trapped inside a submerged grocery store when a tsunami hits the coast of Queensland, Australia. As they try to escape to safety, they soon discover that there is a predator among them more deadly than the threat of drowning-vicious great white sharks lurking in the water, starved hungry for fresh meat. As the bloodthirsty sharks begin to pick the survivors off one by one, the group realizes that they must work together to find a way out without being eaten alive. Bait is Australia's first 3D movie and to be honest its better than I had expected. The special effects, the cast, the monstrous sharks and supermarket half in water is pretty convincing. The movie manages to have pretty famous young and old faces so Xavier Samuel (Good), Sharni Vinson (Too skinny), Phoebe Tonkin (Cool Brat), Lincoln Lewis (Hot Jock), Alex Russell (Cute Guy), Cariba Heine (Hot Chick) and Julian McMohan (Cool). Bait is really entertaining and unlike other horror/thrillers it keeps most of the good people alive so for a killer shark movie that was a new thing.

A tsunami hits the coast of Australia, trapping a group of (mostly pretty) people inside a flooded grocery store. Oh and there's a shark trapped in there with them. Okay, so just when you thought they couldn't come up with any new twists in the killer shark subgenre of horror, they go and come up with the brilliant idea of a shark in a grocery store. It's all pretty stupid but also kind of fun. It's a watchable popcorn flick. The Aussie cast is nice, including former H2O co-stars Phoebe Tonkin and Cariba Heine. They aren't mermaids here but that would have been cool. There's really nothing about this movie that stays with you after seeing it but, while you're watching, you'll probably enjoy it well enough.

Shark movies, how many good ones are out there? Well, after the obvious the list is pretty baron. However, Bait is remarkably watchable. I was quite surprised to find myself glued to the screen after over half an hour of character show and tell and only the opening shark scene to reel us in. The CGI and casting are the only two factors that plead with me to turn the movie off. For a thirty-mil budget the shark animations were truly inadequate, yet Bait managed to survive considering. Which is more than can be said for most civilians who aren't trapped in a supermarket given the state of that Australian coastline. Matthew Lessall and Ben Parkinson (Casting) need a job chat, some sideline characters offer absolutely, indescribably the worst performances I have ever seen. Listening to the psychotic Aussie robber, frantic store manager and squabbling couple in their car really made me shudder with anger. More time establishing deeper character backgrounds instead would have pleased, although they hold up pretty well for a shark flick.

Despite some teeth grinding actors and reminders of Bruce from Finding Nemo, Bait is visually very pleasing and makes for a worthy shark movie.

7/10.

I had mixed thoughts after reading reviews here but I decided to buy the 3D BluRay since it was on sale, glad I didn't listen to all the negative reviews. Phoebe Tonkin of the Secret Circle, Julian McMahon of Tip/Tuck and Dr. Doom in the Fantasitc Four, Xavier Samual from the Twilight Movies, not to mention a few other actors I did recognize from the movie Sanctum. First the good news the use of 3D in this movie is spot on everything coming at you from shark attacks to the minor details of other sea life like jelly fish and crabs, this movie is everything Shark Night wasn't. No its not boring its well paced with solid actors who take the material seriously. The movie never winks at itself and your become drawn in by the relationships, there is no one person who is the big hero and some unexpected deaths add to the drama. Now the bad while I will admit the special F/X could have used a bit more work they are miles above those seen in your typical SyFy Saturday Flick. I enjoyed the movie will watch again with friends and recommend it especially for those of us with 3D TV's you'll enjoy it all the more.