Wednesday 12 May 2010

Lost In Your Ice [Review: Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus]

Before I watch an Asylum film I always wonder if it will cure my sci-fi gene deficiency and restore my critical faculties for sci-fi. So far it hasn't worked - despite sometimes laughable production values, I have to say they've all had something to redeem themselves, whether it's the performances, the sense of fun, or just the audacity with which they have been made.

Cruelly overlooked at the Oscars, Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus is nevertheless another such film, and despite aspects which are undeniably cheap and silly, I have to admit as usual that I enjoyed the ride. The plot concerns two prehistoric beasts frozen in an ice-shelf and released due to global warming and military interference - this is a metaphorical film with a strong eco-message but that's not really the point. What's not to enjoy about a film which features an oil-rig eating octopus, an aeroplane-eating shark (technically a megalodon) and, playing their oceanographer nemesis, singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson?

I am inconsistent. I complained here about the poor depiction of gravity in Armageddon which jumped the shark (although I enjoyed that movie too) but I wasn't troubled in the slightest by this shark jumping out of the sea to eat a plane - my sole complaint was that it only happened once! Far too much of this film was about beautiful Debbie Gibson moping around on beautiful beaches watching beautiful sunsets and there was not enough aeroplane chomping.

There is no cure for me. I am lost in the eyes of a giant octopus and I am doomed to continue loving bad sci-fi. Hit it, Debbie!


5 comments:

Maurice Mitchell said...

I actually love this movie for how awful it is. There's a great poster called "Uncovering the secrets of the Megashark" that the shark would have to go to a depth of 1500m to catch the plane in the sky while hauling small marine life into the air with it. Hilariously bad, but we love Asylum for it. Great title BTW
We're announcing your addition to the blogroll on 5/31/2010. :)

Sci-Fi Gene said...

I'm honoured ;) And I look forward to your thoughts on Titanic 2 when the Asylum releases it later this year.

Maurice Mitchell said...

I thought you were kidding till I googled it.

Fanboy Wife said...

If it had a giant squid instead of an octopus, I would have totally watched this already.

Sci-Fi Gene said...

Seriously, that's the only reason you haven't watched it?

My one-minute contribution to the giant squid film genre is here. I'm thinking of developing it into a feature - fancy a starring role?