5.6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A baby dinoshark swims away from a broken chunk of Arctic glacier that broke away due to global warming. Three years later, the dinoshark is a ferocious predatory adult and kills tourists and locals offshore from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The protagonist, Trace, is first to notice the Dinoshark and witnesses his friend get eaten, but has trouble convincing people that a creature of such antiquity is still alive and eating people.
Starring: Eric Balfour, Roger Corman, Richard Miller (XXIV), Iva Hasperger, Dan GoldenHorror | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 3% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
These creatures have been extinct for over 150 million years.
Dinoshark is one of those movies of which one could feasibly write a completely accurate review without even watching a single frame. Only
the title and a slight bit of background knowledge on these style of films, in addition to a familiarity with the names "SyFy" and "Corman,"
are pretty much all one needs to thoroughly understand the picture from top to bottom. And there's not much to understand. The title and the
names
involved imply a paper-thin plot built around the title, not a title derived from the story; cheap special effects; bad-to-miserable acting; and an end
product that's a fun little diversion of the old "so bad it's good" variety. Expand out to 800 or 1,000 words and, voila, a review of a movie that's bound
to be so predictable that nobody would be the wiser if the writer didn't actually give the movie the time of day. Well, of course, this intrepid reviewer
did actually give the movie a courtesy watch from start to finish, only to have every suspicion listed above confirmed. Dinoshark is typical
low-budget SyFY fodder, but with the expected slight uptick in quality thanks to the involvement of Roger Corman and a lead actor who's not yet a
washed-up has-been.
I make that loser Sharktopus look like a Mega Piranha.
Dinoshark floats onto Blu-ray with an average 1080p transfer. Despite a few slight edge halos, a somewhat artificially sharpened look, and some sporadic noise, the image holds up rather well, looking about as good or better than it did on SyFy HD. Colors are sometimes vibrant and sometimes duller than expected, and flesh tones favor a reddish shade, though given the shooting locales, a sunbaked appearance isn't unexpected. The image is generally clear and sharp -- a few softer shots do creep in from time to time -- and detail is steady but not exceptional. Dinoshark definitely has a flat, lifeless HD video look about it. That does the Blu-ray no favors, but overall, Anchor Bay's transfer seems fairly accurate to what is a wishy-washy source.
Dinoshark tears into Blu-ray with an all-around solid Dolby True HD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. While the opening title music is nothing impressive -- even with decent energy, fair clarity, and an aggressive volume -- it manages to set the stage for a track that goes for a good-time texture that might not be the clearest or most lifelike ever assembled, but that is instead as loose, energetic, and fun as the movie it accompanies. Underwater scenes do manage to deliver a fair bit of immersive energy and a palpable sense of pressurized depth thanks to some hard-working LFE and surround elements. Otherwise, the subwoofer and back speakers don't carry many effects, though they do chime in in support of music. Most atmospherics -- rolling water, screeching seagulls -- are handled adequately by the front half of the soundstage. Gunshots pop but don't ring out with much positive energy, but when it's clear the actors aren't pulling triggers, the actions aren't working, and they are feigning recoil -- muzzle blasts are all-digital -- it's hard to take them seriously, anyway. Fortunately, dialogue is steady and accurate as it flows from the center channel. There's a lot of energy to the track, but it's not abundantly and realistically clear. Still, it's a fine listen for a midlevel made for TV romp.
Dinoshark features only a trailer (1080p, 2:10) and a wonderful commentary track with the always-enjoyable Roger Corman, his Co-Producer and Wife Julie Corman, and Director Kevin O'Neil. The track is moderated by Perry Martin. Roger Corman dominates the track, discussing the history of the project, working with SyFy, and more. Julie discusses working alongside Roger, the film's look and production values, shooting locales, and other interesting tidbits. O'Neil shares plenty of positive insights as well, speaking on a general spread of film-related topics. Roger Corman commentaries are always some of the best in the business, and this one is no exception; it's almost worth the price of admission alone.
Dinoshark is a completely transparent film; there are absolutely no surprises, no deviations from the norm, nothing to set it apart from every other similar picture except, of course, for the title. Audiences should know exactly what they're going to get without even watching the movie; a review is almost superfluous, so chances are most are interested only in the technical specs of Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release. While not a show-stopper, Dinoshark's 1080p transfer and lossless soundtrack are both aceptable considering the quality of the film and its made for television roots. The commentary track is typical Corman goodness, and the trailer is a nice little added touch. Fans of this sort of moviemaking can buy with confidence, while others who are just curious or who have never seen a movie like this are encouraged to rent.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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Slipcover in Original Pressing
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