The Requin (2022)

 

The Requin (2022)

After a heartbreaking life event, a young couple vacationing in a Vietnamese coastal resort face difficult challenges when a typhoon pulls their villa out into the open ocean, leaving them stranded with no supplies and sharks in the water. The Requin is a 2022 shark movie directed by Le-Van Kiet and starring Alicia Silverstone. The Requin is easily one of the most absurd shark movies released in recent years that wasn't a purposeful parody. The film features a premise that is dumb and unlikely to happen, given that a storm strong enough to sweep them into the open sea would likely have drowned them. Alicia Silverstone is a known commodity in this film, and given her long absence from major films, it's likely this was done to put a famous name on it. The movie pretty much follows a derivative plot about people stranded in the middle of the ocean, so there is little to see besides the couple fighting off sharks and trying to call for help by doing the dumbest thing you can imagine. The Vietnamese resort was quite beautiful, so hopefully the cast and crew enjoyed a nice trip. 

The Shark Hunter (1979)

The Shark Hunter (1979)

A crusty man who hunts sharks and lives a simple life on the beach seeks to recover a fortune lost in a plane crash. Taking on a partner who is a skilled diver, the two work to recover the treasure, but his past catches up to him as outside parties seek to take the fortune he has patiently waited to recover. The Shark Hunter is a 1979 Italian film directed by Enzo Castellari and starring Franco Nero, who is best known for portraying Django in several Italian westerns. While the movie looks like another Jaws copycat, the film is more similar to Peter Benchley's The Deep. The film does feature a sea full of sharks, but they are more for background scenery, as the plot is more focused on the buried treasure. Franco Nero is a tough but likable protagonist who harbors regret alongside his love for his community. The Shark Hunter was released in a three-part Blu-ray collection from Severin, and the print looks spectacular.  

Mako: The Jaws of Death

Mako: The Jaws of Death (1976)

A man who lives his life swimming with sharks faces some challenges when he mistakenly puts his trust in a local scientist and an exotic dancer. Released a full year after the success of Jaws, Mako is quite different from what you expect in a typical shark movie. Mako is far more sympathetic toward sharks, and the protagonist is a man who is tired of society and seems more at home with sea creatures. In some ways, this movie is more like Billy Jack than Jaws, and the protagonist's bohemian lifestyle makes him more sympathetic to viewers. The movie features excellent footage of sharks in their native habitats, and the filmmakers did most of their work without shark cages to give the sharks room to swim more naturally. Mako: The Jaws of Death wasn't gonna break the box office and isn't for most viewers, but its sympathetic message about sharks shows the filmmakers understood the damage Jaws did by making sharks into villains rather than misunderstood predators.  

 

Night of the Sharks (1988)

Night of the Sharks (1988)

David Ziegler (Treat Williams) lives a life of leisure in a Mexican coastal village until his brother draws him into a criminal scheme involving stolen diamonds and a CD containing records of the illegal activities. When the criminals arrive in his village looking for the loot and evidence, David uses his skills as a shark hunter to evade them while trying to avoid the jaws of an aggressive shark. Night of the Sharks is a 1988 crime thriller directed by Tonino Ricci and starring Treat Williams. Night of the Sharks has the look and feel of a Miami Vice episode, but it lacks the action and budget. The story is decent, and Treat Williams is a charming enough guy to carry the film, but the lack of budget relegates the shark attacks to stock footage. The rest of the cast is pretty much made up of locals cast for bar fights and beach scenes, with Starsky and Hutch favorite Antonio Fargas providing comic relief.    

Monster Shark (1984)

Monster Shark (1984) aka Devil Fish

After a series of savage attacks, the sheriff of a coastal town turns to a marine biologist for answers. After recruiting a dolphin trainer and a scientist, the team discovers multiple threats, including a hybrid sea predator and dark-money groups looking to profit from this creature. Like so many Italian films, this movie was released under several titles, including the original title Shark - Rosso nell'oceano. Directed by Lamberto Bava, Monster Shark has the look and feel of a low-budget Giallo with most of the budget spent on the location. The cast includes a few very attractive women who were staples of 70s and 80s Italian cinema, including Valentina Monnier, Iris Peynado, Cinzia de Ponti, and Dagmar Lassander. The creature effects are weird and fake-looking, but thankfully, you only get to see them fully in the end scenes. Monster Shark does feature a few shark scenes, but the truth is, the hybrid monster is more octopus than shark, and more Dunkleosteus than octopus.    

 

Jaws 3D (1983)

Jaws 3 (1983)

Dennis Quaid is an oceanographer at a SeaWorld-like park who discovers a new shark making quick work of the local surfers. This prompts the town's fishermen to go out and capture a live Great White. The park's officials feel the baby shark will bring in the crowds, little realizing that the mother is nearby. This rather lackluster sequel arrived at our shores in 3-D along with some forgettable titles that used this old gimmick. Not much to report other than a few notable cameos by Lea Thompson.

Dark Tide (2012)

Dark Tide (2012)

A woman who declares herself a Shark Whisperer faces harsh reality when a close friend is lost to a shark on an expedition. A year later, she is convinced by her ex to take a millionaire and his son out to swim with the sharks and has to confront her own demons as well as a rich jerk who wants to get his money's worth. Dark Tide is a 2012 thriller directed by John Stockwell and starring Oscar winner Halle Berry. Dark Tide is a shark thriller that centers on a shark expert, portrayed by Ms. Berry, who returns to her trade when her bills pile up, and she risks losing her boat. Her portrayal of Kate is convincing, and how she manages her crew and annoying client carries the story, which, for most of the film, is surprisingly low on shark activity. The film does amp up the intensity with a storm and an accident, both filmed quite effectively. Dark Tide features some truly magnificent shark footage, and the undersea photography is pretty good. While the film spends far too little time on shark attacks, the final scenes are pretty intense, making this film a worthy watch.