‘Shark Warning’ DVD Review
Stars: Gordon Mudd, Jonas Silbor, Andi Rexha, Andrew J Katers, Angela Cole, David Chokachi, Rebecca Ritz, Canyon Prince | Written by Ryan Ebert | Directed by Jimmy Gadd
As someone with a soft spot for both aquatic carnage and the gloriously unhinged cinema of The Asylum, I approached Shark Warning with tempered expectations and a hopeful heart. After all, when they’re not busy crafting mockbuster mayhem, The Asylum does occasionally deliver a creature feature that scratches the right B-movie itches. With the chill of fall settling in and the inevitable flood of homicidal holiday mascots on the way, Shark Warning seemed like the perfect seasonal send-off for summer sharksploitation. In hindsight, maybe I should’ve waited for a killer reindeer instead.
The story kicks off in Lake Havasu, where young Danny (Gordon Mudd) becomes a midday snack for a rogue great white, under the negligent eye of Uncle Ron (Andi Rexha). Fast forward twenty years, and Danny’s brother Alan (Andrew J. Katers) returns for the town’s fishing tournament, just in time for more toothy trouble. He’s greeted by Lisa (Angela Cole), who instantly recognises him with a line that feels torn from a soap opera: “You’re the brother that lived!” Ron (now played by David Chokachi) doesn’t recognise him until he’s punched in the face – a moment that sums up the film’s blend of melodrama and unintentional comedy.
The central absurdity—that a great white has been lurking in a freshwater lake for two decades—is never convincingly explained, despite a few half-hearted lines about salinity and ageing infrastructure. When the mayor (Rebecca Ritz) decides to dynamite the local dam to let fish into the tournament area, she inadvertently unleashes the same shark from Alan’s childhood trauma. Logic takes a backseat early and stays there for the duration.
Of course, the script hits all the expected beats: the doomed local who thinks he can out-fish a shark, the beachside bloodbath, and the mayor who, instead of cancelling the event, offers a cash bounty to attract more participants. Naturally, this sets up the unlikely alliance between Alan, Ron, and Lisa, who, yes, eventually dons a bikini for the third-act monster hunt.
Visually, the shark is a mixed bag. It passes muster when gliding beneath the surface, but the moment it leaps into the air or lunges onto boats, the CGI collapses into cartoonish territory. Blood is minimal, scares are soft, and tension rarely builds beyond a mild ripple. For a genre that thrives on shock and spectacle, Shark Warning often feels like it’s just going through the motions.
Writer Ryan Ebert (Shark Side of the Moon) and director Jimmy Gadd (Squatting Panda) seem content to colour within the lines, delivering a plot that’s as safe as it is shallow. It’s more coherent than Megalodon: The Frenzy, but only marginally more engaging. The film lacks the wild creativity or over-the-top energy that can elevate an Asylum creature feature from forgettable to fantastically bonkers.
Still, for die-hard fans of the studio or those who just need some chum-filled noise in the background while folding laundry, Shark Warning might offer mild amusement. Everyone else, however, should consider this one a finned threat best left in the depths.
** 2/5
Shark Warning is out now on DVD from High Fliers.
