Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Sharktopus Blu-ray Movie Review

"Sharktopus." Enough said.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 1, 2011

Very 'National Geographic,' isn't it?

What happens when a movie takes a goofy title, is played on a network notorious for epically bad movies, and features the involvement of a producer who's made his living on churning out admittedly well-made trashy movies, but trashy movies nevertheless? What happens when two "name" legends of campy cinema -- SyFy and Corman -- team together? No surprise the result is as predictable as the sunrise, a film that's cheesy bad in true SyFy form but also sporting some amped-up production values, a hallmark Corman trait. Their love child is named Sharktopus, the new King of the bad SyFY movies, a film that's awful but at the same time oddly endearing, which is just what a SyFY/Corman collaboration should be. Elements of both are readily evident -- woeful acting and terrible special effects on one side, but a bit more attention to detail and a seemingly higher, or better-stretched, budget on the other -- and help make Sharktopus both unique and as-expected, a film that features the best and worst traits of its cousin films all in one so-bad-it's-good sort of movie. The SyFy/Corman collaboration is a brilliant one, one that took too long to come to fruition, but one that's here now -- and that began with Dinoshark -- and that promises more of the same good/bad sort of movies in the future.

Fish out of water.

The S-11, better known as "Sharktopus," is a secret hybrid creature that's under electronic military control and engineered by Blue Water Industries. The creature is deadly but kept in check, but that's all about to change when it goes rogue, shakes off its electronic components, and goes on a man-eating rampage off the coast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The creature's designer, Nathan Sands (Eric Roberts), and his daughter Nicole (Sara Malakul Lane) are tasked with reeling the bad boy in, but they're going to need some extra muscle. Enter Andy Flynn (Kerem Bursin), a former Blue Water scientist content to live out his days drinking and playing with easy girls. He wants $300,000 to get back in the game, a sum the Sands's reluctantly agree to provide. As they chase down the Sharktopus, innocents continue to die; news of the rampaging aquatic mutant reaches the ear of a small-time reporter named Stacy Everheart (Liv Boughn) who will stop at nothing to get the scoop on the story of her career.

Sharktopus. Roger Corman. SyFy. Those names say almost everything; audiences can expect high camp, a movie that's probably not going to take itself all that seriously, some bad acting, and shoddy special effects. All of that is here, but none of it is quite as egregiously miserable as what's found on the typical made-for-cable and on-the-cheap SyFy Disaster movie. Roger Corman brings quite a bit of weight with him, and with that weight come expectations, expectations for the SyFY formula to be improved upon, maybe even to the extent that the film might actually be watchable. Fortunately, Sharktopus is quite watchable, because Corman and company make sure that audiences understand that the whole movie is an exercise in fun, one that's not to be taken seriously and that even says as much at several junctures, the film poking fun at both itself and its genre with semi-regularity. People who would watch a hypothetical Sharktopus film within the movie are labeled "easily amused," and that scene is not only the film's best of the non-effects shots, but it also proves the film's adherence to its own strengths. Sharktopus goes out of its way to have fun, to make sure its audience is having fun, too, and proof-positive that it knows its place and is more than happy to snuggle up with a smorgasbord of cheese and have a blast at its own expense. Sharktopus follows the same successful formula as the recent remake/re-imagining Piranha; while Sharktopus plays things a whole lot safer in terms of blood and guts, the films share a basic principal: have fun with the material, acknowledge the absurdity of it all, and give audiences exactly what they want in movies like these.

Nevertheless, there's no escaping the reality that, when it comes right down to it, Sharktopus is a bad movie. Granted, the script is maybe a touch better than the average SyFY production and the special effects, while still awful by modern theatrical standards, are at least a bit more defined, crisp, detailed, and better-integrated into the film. Still, the acting is just this side of terrible. Veteran Eric Roberts holds his own and plays the film's most determined character with a sense of purpose; the serious effort works, seeing as that it's counterbalanced by all the bizarre goofiness playing out around him. Otherwise, Sharktopus is home to some lame-to-epically-terrible efforts; the remaining lead actors look good but don't add much to the film, but it's the many victims of the foul beast who really stink up the joint. Sharktopus is built around its primary storyline of Blue Water scientists hunting the creature down, but it's also got a lot of filler that plays almost as separate little vignettes that introduce characters just long enough to kill them off, and the film seems more than happy to use the worst actors it could find to play these small but critical parts. They got their 15 minutes of fame -- good for them -- and in all honesty the almost deliberately overplayed performances only add to the picture's charm. Unfortunately, Sharktopus does lose some steam about halfway through; the novelty wears off rather fast and there's only so many times one can watch people get eaten by the creature, but considering that's the the only drawback that doesn't have some other redeeming side to it, Sharktopus may be considered one of the rare successes of its genre.

Sharktopus Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sharktopus features a generally serviceable but occasionally disappointing 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. The image is fairly crisp, sometimes a step-up from the usual Blu-ray output of SyFy Channel films, but it occasionally sinks back to the same level. There's some underwater banding; a touch of shimmering evident on a few building façades during an early flyover shot; and grain that often appears frozen in place over the image, giving it a dirty appearance that almost looks as if speckled film is covering the camera lens. The image can also soften up from time to time, and shots with characters offset against computer backdrops can look downright messy. Still, fine detail is quite good in most places, and the color palette can be extraordinarily vibrant. Check out the scene introducing Andy Flynn; the bright blue sombrero he's wearing and the lighter-shaded water he's in both look fantastically lifelike. Generally, this is a hit-or-miss image that's more often good than bad, but its problem areas equate to real eyesores that bring the score down considerably.

Sharktopus Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sharktopus arrives on Blu-ray with a solid Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Often, this is a fine, commanding track that spreads out nicely across the front, enjoys crisp details throughout the entire range, and plays with a quality low end. While it's certainly not a track that rivals the best of the big-budget new releases, it is quite the revelation for a low-grade TV movie. The track delivers a quality array of well-integrated atmospherics, too, including the sounds of children at play on the beach, crashing waves, and seagulls that seem to come from every corner of the listening area. Attack sequences are accompanied by a strong low end punch, and underwater scenes are suitably heavy and give off a realistic sensation of submersion. Dialogue, too, is crisply and accurately delivered up the middle. It's not a top-flight track, but it is quite good given the quality and origins of the film.

Sharktopus Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sharktopus features only the film's trailer (1080p, 2:39) and an audio commentary track with Independent Producer/Filmmaker Perry Martin and Producers Roger Corman and Julie Corman. As usual, Roger Corman delivers a highly engaging commentary, beginning by discussing his reluctance to make the movie but acknowledging its success. Roger Corman and company continue to deliver an honest track that looks at the ideas behind the creation of the creature, the work of the cast (including Roger's own cameo), what audiences want out of a film like this, shooting on water, and plenty more.

Sharktopus Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sharktopus really isn't anything new in terms of story, but it is a bit better off that the usual SyFy Channel flub thanks to superior execution and a more pronounced understanding of what it is and where its place in the world of cinema lies. Roger Corman brings a little bit of both name recognition and clout to the film; he understands the genre maybe better than anyone alive, and his Sharktopus is a flat-out fun little film that's perfectly happy to thrive on cheese and live amongst the best of the campy Sci-Fi/Horror pictures. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Sharktopus features a hit-or-miss 1080p transfer, a good lossless soundtrack, and an audio commentary. Fans of cheesy movies will eat this one up, and it's worth a purchase for anyone looking to see what SyFY Channel flicks are all about.