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PLOT: When Zephyr, a rebellious surfer, is kidnapped by a shark-obsessed serial killer and held captive on his boat, she should work out how one can escape earlier than he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks under.
REVIEW: I’ve by no means so rapidly been on board for a movie as when the trailer for Dangerous Animals first dropped. There’s simply one thing a few shark movie that all the time excites, even supposing we’ve just about simply gotten the one good one. And with so many following the identical components, it’s good to see one which detours from the anticipated. Because having a madman (Courtney) who baits sharks with kidnapped women has all of the makings for an superior shark movie.
Dangerous Animals follows Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), a transient who lives out of her van and surfs. Unfortunately for her, her nomadic nature makes her the proper sufferer for Tucker, an area tour information who makes a behavior of kidnapping individuals and filming the act of feeding them to sharks. Zephyr must attempt to discover a method out earlier than she turns into chum. There’s a reasonably lame love subplot with Josh Heuston‘s Moses and Zephyr. I get it, they needed someone who’s on the market trying to find her, so it’s not fully hopeless, but it surely results in many corny, stereotypical plot beats. This is the movie’s principal downside. All of the drama feels so melodramatic and hammy that it’s onerous to take any of it critically. It clashes a lot with all the stress happening board the boat. A bit of little bit of subtlety would have gone a great distance. Instead, we’re given monologues that don’t work and a few actually convoluted moments meant to increase the narrative.
Like any good shark film, the movie actually stews within the pressure of the primary large shark look. But there’s by no means that “oh my god” stunning second with the sharks. Instead, the movie makes it clear: Jai Courtney‘s Tucker is the villain, not these sharks. They are simply doing what sharks do: eat when there are signs of food in the water. There’s a second the place we get to seek out out simply how lengthy he’s been working, and it solely provides to the approaching hazard as he’s clearly been getting away with this for fairly a while. The opening ten minutes are the place the movie actually excels, as the stress could be minimize with a knife. But it loses steam every time Tucker is offscreen.
What works so properly with Tucker is that his character is actually a touch upon society’s lust for shark violence. We have Shark Week yearly devoted to those creatures, and it’s typically the tales of after they assault people. It doesn’t occur naturally sufficient on the earth, so Tucker has to make it occur himself to satiate his personal obsession. Jaws actually did a quantity on the general public’s notion of those majestic creatures, and this appears to attempt to break from the standard mould. And Courtney is completely phenomenal, actually inhabiting the character and making him one of the intriguing villains I can recall.
Dangerous Animals makes use of actual footage of sharks to create some actually stunning visuals. Usually, it’s the Great White or Tiger Shark that will get all the eye, however there are some attractive Mako’s that get the primary actual showcase of the movie. And it’s an enormous ocean, so I’m glad that it’s not the identical shark all through. Different species work together, with an enormous Great White being the principle occasion. Makes issues a bit extra dynamic, as they aren’t handled just like the villains. Though as a lot because the movie is attempting to make some extent about how sharks don’t deliberately feed on individuals, it’s nearly instantly upended with a Hollywood-style bombastic ending that appears to overlook that time.
I actually loved the shark puppets which might be used, as they appear life like and work properly. The CGI on the sharks (exterior of 1 second) can also be dealt with very well. But that one dangerous second stands out a lot that it’s onerous to not be a stain on the movie. The gore is slightly disappointing within the shark assaults themselves, though the aftermath is kind of brutal. There’s one shot specifically of somebody’s higher physique floating within the water that’s really haunting. And there’s a motive for the assaults being how they’re as a result of, exterior of the very hammy last kill, they’re presenting these sharks in a sensible gentle. They aren’t these sentient beings which might be inclined to leap scares like each shark film in existence makes them out to be. These sharks transfer at regular speeds and have regular habits. It was a breath of contemporary air.
It may be me, however I used to be very distracted by how nonetheless the digicam/boat have been throughout among the ocean-set scenes. I perceive that these have been doubtless completed on a stage for comfort, however there’s not even slightly little bit of sway to the boat. They are completely nonetheless, and it consistently breaks my immersion on the earth. Maybe being pulled out of the world with moments like this is the reason the drama actually didn’t work for me. You’re telling me you couldn’t simply have a cameraman sway slightly bit to offer the impact of being on the water? Instead, it feels overly staged.
I actually wished to like Dangerous Animals, however I simply ended up liking it. Which is completely high quality. There are some good moments, with Jai Courtney being an absolute standout. But it feels just like the idea isn’t totally taken benefit of. I didn’t want the random romance subplot, and it actually took away from the stress on board. I get its function, but it surely feels a bit sloppy in execution. Thankfully, Courtney is so maniacal, and the stress on the boat is sort of a tightrope, that it nonetheless makes for a enjoyable time. You simply must shut your mind off greater than anticipated.
DANGEROUS ANIMALS IS IN THEATERS ON JUNE 6TH, 2025.
