by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
How many shark-based horror films will we get in our lifetime? The real answer… 1,000. I wish that was an exaggeration, but it sure feels accurate. It does make you wonder just how many ways you can have people attacked by murderous sharks (which is not believable at all since sharks don’t do that). Unfortunately, Hollywood has learned all the wrong lessons from Jaws,and that is why we are in the spot we are in now. But here comes another one… Maneater.
Does the story for writer-director Justin Lee’s new horror film offer up anything fresh? Not really. There are plenty of tropes and stereotypes that are laid out in the film. There is a character that is all but Quint from Jaws,except he is a big country man with guns (thank you, Trace Adkins). There is a silly captain that would make Kurt Russell in Captain Ron blush. There is even a young woman being murdered by a shark in the opening scene. But one lesson they should have learned from Jaws was to limit the screen time for the beast. The CGI is some of the worst I have seen all year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the special effects budget was $100. There is no tension or horror when you don’t believe the shark for one second.
But are there any elements that make up for some of its errors? Honestly, Adkins is the best part of the film. He has a presence that makes him surprisingly believable as a driven father looking to seek revenge on the shark that killed his daughter. Even though half the dialogue he is expected to say is trashy at best, he still brings some weight to every line. He certainly is the most exciting aspect of the film, too. But for some reason, the film decides to sideline him for a third of the film. His arc is the heart of the film that works but the film doesn’t seem to remember that.
What does the rest of the film focus on? Stupid young people on a vacation, shallow romance, and obnoxious butt shots fill up most of the film to its detriment. You have the likes of Shane West popping up, yet there is no real depth to their adventure or their lives. They just become cannon fodder for a horribly rendered shark. Lee even decides to glorify the blood and guts at times, which never fits into this silly and ridiculous tone. Not even one of those seven or eight characters is worth connecting with, and it just leaves open expectations. If we just stopped following dumb drunken young people on vacations, we would probably have fewer shark-based horror films.
But do any of the rest of the cast stand out besides Adkins? Our lead (I guess… it really should be Adkins) is portrayed by Nicky Whelan. She gets little to do, and that amounts to a forgettable and stereotypical lead performance. West is long past his time in the spotlight and is just recognizable enough to throw on the poster. Lost alum, Jeff Fahey, is a regular now in these VOD releases, but his charm is wasted on a singular scene fully filled with exposition.
Does Maneater stand out in this sea of shark films? To put it plainly… no. Adkins is really the only positive. They even almost ruin his presence with one of the flattest and cheesiest sequel stingers ever placed at the end of a film. But this film was doomed when the shark was horribly rendered, and all those scenes lacked any tension or suspense.
Score: 3/10
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