The Shallows

When I think about the movies I've endured simply because the plot centered around a shark, it makes me somewhat embarrassed. Terrible films, with dialogue and acting to match, and almost always with shoestring budgets, that have to resort to cheap looking CGI sharks. I imagine Steven Spielberg taking a shot of Manischewitz every time he sees a CGI shark and thinking to himself "Do you amateurs have any idea what I went through to make Jaws?" That's probably why his 75 masterpiece remains the one truly great shark film ever made. Its sequel wasn't bad, but every other shark film, including Renny Harlin's big budget Deep Blue Sea, were nothing more than poorly made, sub par knockoffs. So it is with great pleasure and surprise that I announce that The Shallows not only isn't terrible, but is actually pretty damn entertaining. Blake Lively is terrific as a surfer stranded on a rock formation, who is forced into a battle of wills with a great white who won't let her leave. That's about it plot wise, but these films are all about tension and suspense, which this film delivers, and about the quality of the shark scenes, which, considering the film's less than 20 million dollar budget, are more than impressive.  Spoiler alert - click to reveal textAn injured seagull and fellow strandee is also a riot, providing a little humor amidst the drama. So a few good shark scares, a little humor and Blake Lively in a bikini the entire time. Sounds like a recipe for a pretty good summer movie to me.