Toxic Shark Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

Toxic Shark Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 17, 2019

'Toxic Shark' is currently only available as part of a two-disc, eight-film 'Meg-A-Shark' collection from Echo Bridge. The set also includes 'Shark in Venice,' 'Malibu Shark Attack,' 'Hammerhead,' 'Shark Attack,' 'Shark Attack 2,' 'Shark Attack 3: Megalodon,' and 'Shark Zone.'

Six young adults -- Eden (Kabby Borders), Audra (Christina Masterson), Erin (Michelle Cortés), Sam (Bryce Durfee), Zane (Sean Samuels), and Ryan (Owen Saxon) -- are attending a fitness retreat sponsored by Bodies by Reese. For Erin, it's an opportunity to forget about breaking up with her boyfriend. For Sam, its about moving away from his ex-girlfriend...Eden. Little do they know they are both in attendance, and surely they could not have fathomed that they would have to set aside their differences in order to survive a horrific ordeal with a toxic-spitting shark that has an appetite for beach bodies.

The film follows a basic SyFy-type Monster Movie formula that includes the main cast’s battle with the shark, which is intercut with scenes of random characters being killed, allowing the film to establish both the protagonists and the antagonist without immediately pitting them one against another. The film's “draw” is a shark that spews some burning hot green sludge that, if it doesn’t hit flesh, is sure to nail a boat engine at a critical moment. It’s goofy, but it’s decent enough 2AM fodder.

Toxic Shark Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Toxic Shark contaminates Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1.78:1 1080p transfer. Colors are flat. Blacks are raised and the entire palette appears washed out, particularly in those darker and more shadowy corners. Shots of swimsuits and sands and natural greens on the beach look OK. The digitally sourced image is a bit flat, too, but reveals essential skin, clothing, and environmental elements with relative ease and efficiency. Some of the overhead establishing drone shots are sloppy: shimmering, overly bright, and plagued with jagged edges.

Toxic Shark Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is one of two tracks on the disc, the other being a Dolby Digital 2.0 track. This review concerns the 5.1 lossless option, which is nothing special but replicates the film's basic sound design well enough. Music enjoys solid width, good clarity to the electronic score to open, and a solid pulsating low end. Ocean waves push nicely through the sides, and the shark's growl offers appropriate low end depth. Dialogue delivery is fine with a natural front-center positioning. The track is nothing special, but it supports the movie's tone quite nicely.

Toxic Shark Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Toxic Shark contains no supplemental content.

Toxic Shark Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Toxic Shark is classic modern Z-movie fodder fit for background noise but little more. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray is featureless but does deliver adequate video and audio presentations. For hardcore genre fans only.