"MEGA SHARK VS. GIANT OCTOPUS"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) STARRING Lorenzo Lamas as ALLAN BAXTER Deborah Gibson as EMMA MACNEIL Sean Lawlor as LAMAR SANDERS Jonathan Nation as VINCE Vic Chao as DR. SEIJI SHIMADA Not Rated Studio: The Asylum Directed by: Jack Perez Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
An illegal military exercise accidentally releases a prehistoric megalodon and gargantuan octopus that were trapped in the ice, locked in battle. Now that the monstrous sea creatures have escaped, they are wreaking havoc on coastal cities. It’s up to a partnership with an environmental researcher, a Japanese biologist and the American military to take the mega shark and giant octopus out before they destroy more human civilization.
WHAT I LIKED
Over the years, I have grown very fond of campy sci-fi and horror movies. That was what was so brilliant about the “Godzilla” movies of the 70s. Unlike the modern day version of Japanese giant monster movies, these 70s-era relics didn’t take themselves too seriously and always served up a goofy if not entertaining piece of filmmaking.
“Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus” is a throw-back to that era. The movie itself is delivered straight, with Deborah Gibson giving a solid go as an actress. Lorenzo Lamas seems to have a better handle of the nature of the film, letting quite a bit of cheekiness enhance his delivery. But ultimately, it’s clear that no one believes this will be an Oscar winner, and that’s what makes things work.
That’s not to say that the filmmakers didn’t care. There’s a decent amount of low-budget special effects with the sea creatures locked in battle. However, the effects or the story do not stop this film from being deliciously ridiculous, like when the shark leaps out of the ocean to eat a jumbo jet, or when the octopus swats an F-16 from the sky as if it were a mosquito.
Too often, low-budget filmmakers embrace their low-budget or genre nature so much that they lose on delivery. It’s nice to see a film group like Asylum giving us some decadently fun films.
“Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus” made a splash not too long ago with a goofy and fun trailer on YouTube and various other internet outlets. You only have to watch that once to realize what the film will deliver, and when I finally got to see it, I had a blast.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
There’s plenty to criticize in this film, from the relatively cheap special effects to the rocky acting from Deborah Gibson and the rest of the cast. Of course, with a name like “Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus,” no one should be expecting “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”
To really point out the flaws in dialogue, story, science and acting would be somewhat unfair. After all, I expected all of these things when I watched the film, and it didn’t stop me from loving it.
DVD FEATURES
The DVD comes with a blooper reel and the relatively informative “The making of Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus” featurette. Considering the use of low-budget effects and camera tricks, this featurette gives the audience a bit more information than even your standard studio release.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Anyone who loves movies about giant monsters... and Lorenzo Lamas.
