Movie Title: The Shallows
Grade: B
Rating: PG-13, 87 minutes
In a Nutshell: This ain’t no Sharknado. In fact, this shark is extremely realistic looking, gigantic, and scary.
But who’s looking at the shark when you can watch gorgeous Blake Lively in a bikini…according to all of the men in the audience. She actually gives an impressive performance, so even the females in the audience will enjoy this “girl vs. nature” thriller.
I know the feeling of being out in the ocean and suddenly wondering what’s underneath. It’s pretty creepy. I’m a terrible swimmer and would be dead so fast if I were in this movie.
Uplifting theme:
- Tip: Learn how to whistle loudly for help; screaming doesn’t always work.
- Be a fighter to the end. Tenacity, persistence, hope.
- Carlos tells Nancy to stop looking down at her cell phone and instead, look up to appreciate all the beauty around her. Great advice.
Things I liked:
- There are some easy jumps and scares that you can see coming a mile away, yet they still get ya!
- Steven Seagull! He reminded me of Tom Hanks’ Wilson in “Castaway.” I’ve read that he was real and that he was CGI. Either way, the friendly bird provided some comic relief to ease the tension and give Blake someone to talk to.
- Thank goodness for GoPro, eh? Other merchandising spotlights were Baby G watch, Uber, and Body Glove.
- The underwater footage is really great.
- Do big ocean buoys have flare guns on them? Good to know.
- Blake Lively does most of her own surf shots, with a body double stepping in for the more dangerous moments. A couple of local guys also do some pretty good surfing before becoming shark bait. Speaking of awesome surfing, congratulations to Jordy Collins, my friends’ son who just won the 2015/2016 Surfing America prime Series Season Crown for Boys Under 18!
- The cove where the movie takes place is supposed to be in Mexico, although filming actually took place in Australia. The scenery and colors are beautiful.
Things I didn’t like:
- I’m sure no real animals were harmed in the making of this movie, but you see a dead whale in the ocean, which becomes the shark’s feeding grounds.
- The family story in the background doesn’t quite reach the emotional depths I had hoped it would.
- It’s still not as good as JAWS.
- Nancy keeps asking people what the secret beach was called in the beginning of the movie. By the end of the movie, no one mentions it again and the running theme just gets dropped.
Funny lines:
- “Get a life, Buddy.” – Nancy to Steven Seagull
- “Ew” – Nancy after she eats a crab and vomits it back up
- “You know my friend we left at the hotel who smells like Don Julio and bad choices?” – Nancy
- “Not very many Americans here…bummer.” – Nancy
“Gracias a dios.” (Thank God) – Carlos (Oscar Jaenada)
- “What’s this place called?” – Nancy
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” – surfer
“Well, that would ruin my whole day.” – Nancy
Interesting lines:
- “I’m NOT dying here!” – Nancy
Tips for parents:
- The audience sees a LOT of Blake Lively. She’s in a bikini the entire time.
- You see Blake try to sew her leg that has been bitten by a shark, so it’s really bloody and gory.
- Profanity, including 1 F-bomb.
3 Responses