The Shallows - Finally, a Worthy Jaws Successor?

Marter

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The Shallows - Finally, a Worthy Jaws Successor?

The Shallows might just be the second best shark movie ever.

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LetalisK

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This sounds like a win-win movie. Women get a bad ass chick and men get to state at Blake Lively in a bikini for an hour and a half.
 

FPLOON

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I was already sold on the initial trailer... and now I can justify watching this movie alone...

Other than that, second best is second-best-out-of-two at the end of the day... No point questioning that fact right now... :p
 

Wrex Brogan

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...So, are the filmmakers also going to become life-long advocates for Shark Conservation?

But cool, I had some... concerns following the trailer - such as the 'magically size-changing shark' deal where an apparent massive Great White was able to leave a thigh wound on whats-her-face's leg instead of ripping her in half - but if it's not as silly as the trailer made it out to be then I might give it a watch.
 

Super Cyborg

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I have a hard time getting behind shark movies these days. I could take the cheesy Scy-Fy movies because those were just insane and a time sink to laugh at how ridiculous it is. When it comes to things being serious I have a problem because people seem to automatically think it's true. The shark at most would've eaten the guy at the beginning because of being mistaken for a Sea Lion, assuming there are those kinds of things there to begin with. A shark would not be hunting this woman down, and after a bite the shark would be uninterested because we are not food. People think Sharks are these violent creatures that are out to get us, but I've seen a number of sharks in the wild, including Great Whites, and they are the most chill animals I have seen in the water. At least since this is a movie it probably won't be as stupid as Shark Week.
 

Proto Taco

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I'm glad it's a good movie, but given the dire situation shark populations are in right now due to exactly this kind of movie and the relentless press of sharkfinners I'd feel too guilty going to see it. Although Pixar could capitalize big time on making a movie about a clueless shark who keeps tripping over humans and freaking out about it.
 

Hawki

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Proto Taco said:
I'm glad it's a good movie, but given the dire situation shark populations are in right now due to exactly this kind of movie and the relentless press of sharkfinners I'd feel too guilty going to see it.
You took the words right out of my mouth.

Shark attacks have been on the rise here in Australia, especially on the western coast. But while tragic, the fact remains that way, WAY more sharks are killed by humans per year, and often in inhumane ways (e.g. cutting off the fin and leaving the shark in the water, unable to swim, and therefore suffocate. It doesn't help that sharks fill a very important role in the oceanic food web. I don't think this movie is in of itself a bad thing, but like Jaws, I don't see it doing shark preservation any favours.

Proto Taco said:
Although Pixar could capitalize big time on making a movie about a clueless shark who keeps tripping over humans and freaking out about it.
Destiny and/or Bruce? A new ship, a third movie in the Finding Nemo continuity after the excellent Finding Dory, that would have quite a bit of justification for its existence?

Pixar, you've got a new writer. :)
 

Neurotic Void Melody

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Does the film tell us why the shark is evil? Did the lady make friends with the seagull before or after evil shark activities? Because I reckon that bastard's the catalyst for this miscommunication. Unpaid scavenger debts rack up you know. That seagull probably was looking for a human scapegoat to distract the shark's aggressive debt collecting techniques.
 

JUMBO PALACE

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lacktheknack said:
But is it better than Sharkansas Women's Prison Massacre?
I saw that on the rack at my local Bestbuy and I'm still kicking myself for not buying it. It would have been worth the $5 gamble.
 

Flatfrog

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Sounds good, but in the tally of good shark movies you missed Open Water, which sounds at least vaguely similar to this one
 
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I came here just to say that The Reef is another good shark film that's worth a watch. Effective use of actual footage of sharks really pays dividends. But might catch this at some point.
 

Fdzzaigl

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Super Cyborg said:
I have a hard time getting behind shark movies these days. I could take the cheesy Scy-Fy movies because those were just insane and a time sink to laugh at how ridiculous it is. When it comes to things being serious I have a problem because people seem to automatically think it's true. The shark at most would've eaten the guy at the beginning because of being mistaken for a Sea Lion, assuming there are those kinds of things there to begin with. A shark would not be hunting this woman down, and after a bite the shark would be uninterested because we are not food. People think Sharks are these violent creatures that are out to get us, but I've seen a number of sharks in the wild, including Great Whites, and they are the most chill animals I have seen in the water. At least since this is a movie it probably won't be as stupid as Shark Week.
Pretty much sums up my thoughs too. As a longtime diver / ocean person you simply know the premise is hogwash.

The only one in recent years I could somewhat appreciate was "Dark Tide", because at least the sharks there weren't going around actively stalking humans.

Still, if it receives that high a score it might be fun to watch.
 

Raddra

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I thought these filmmakers learned their lesson after Jaws single handedly decimated shark populations as stupid people went out to kill sharks and the author himself publicly stated he regretted ever writing it due to the great ecological damage it caused.
 

Hawki

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So, the movie finally came out in Australia, and I get to see it, despite looking at earlier comments in my thread. So, um, yeah.

In a word, it's "good." That's really all I can say. It joins the ranks of the other "good" movies I've seen this year (probably takes the #13 spot), but possibly with the least amount to talk about. It's an example of how a simple premise that's been done to death can still be a good product if the execution is, um, "good" enough.

Though on a few points:

-Am I a terrible person for being fine with three redshirts dying, yet happy in the end that "Steven Seagull" survived?

-Speaking of which, how the heck did they get that seagull to stay in place?

-I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that most sharks don't grow that big. And what exactly did that flare ignite towards the end? Oil? Did it come from the buoy, or the ship that passes by?

-The way that elements such as the wristwatch time and phone conversation being super-imposed over the movie was an interesting technique. I'd say it works most of the time. What didn't work so much is the slow motion at the start. Yes, movie, Blake Lively is wearing a bikini. Get on with it.

So, all in all, good flick.