Movie Review: Sharknado 2

"Think of it this way. It's a twister with teeth."

-Al Roker

I am a sucker for B-movies. Hence why I write this blog, which seems to be pretty much just B-movie reviews. I love a good gimmicky movie. Sure, I can appreciate a good plot with talented actors and great art direction as much as any pretentious film critic, but man, put out something with that screams gimmick and I'm there front row and centre. That's this past week, after the kids had gone to bed, my lovely wife and I made some popcorn and chip dip, got out the sodas and planned our indoor date night in front of the television set as Sharknado 2 was on the marquee. Last year, Sharknado became a sensation, grabbing monster ratings for the SyFy network and garnering a loyal following on the internet, so it's no surprise that the sequel was announced not long after the movie aired. I have a feeling that the first movie was a hit due to curiosity over the name. I mean, it's sharks in a tornado for goodness sake, who doesn't want to watch that? Well, just when you thought it was safe to go anywhere, the most famous, unrealistic natural disaster returns. This time, the twister with teeth takes a bite out of the Big Apple. If you read my review of the first movie, you know how I feel about  Sharknado, does part 2 measure up? Let's find out...


We catch up with our heroes from the first film, Fin (Ian Ziering) and April (Tara Reid) who are now celebrities from being the people that stopped the now infamous Sharknado. April has written a book while Fin doesn't want the fame. Anyway, on their flight to New York for a book signing, a storm begins to brew. Fin sees something familiar on the side of the plane (you can take a wild guess at what he sees in the sky). Fin becomes like John Lithgow in Twilight Zone seeing the gremlin on the wing of the plane, no one believes him, but of course he's right and the plane is invaded by sharks. April's hand is taken by one who she is sure she did it on purpose (I guess these things hold a grudge). They manage to land the plane in NYC, but the story has just begun as a Sharknado is brewing and it's going to be even bigger than the one that hit L.A. Fin is trying to get to his sister and family, apparently, he is originally from New York. What ensues is more thrills, kills and gills than you can shake a chainsaw at. There are side plots a plenty: one about a washed up baseball player needing one more shot at glory (he hits a home run on a shark that has to be seen to be believed), problems between Fin and his brother in law and a love triangle! Of course, it is all up to Fin to save the day and Steve Sanders will not let this Sharknado take him (or NYC) down.

Any good sequel needs to amp it up from the original, and Sharknado 2 certainly does that. The sharks look meaner, there's more of them and they definitely provide more kills. Also, every celebrity from the B list down makes a cameo, from Billy Ray Cyrus to Perez Hilton. Some are even killed in delicious ways, I particularly liked Kelly Osbourne's death by having her head bitten off; her dad would approve! The effects improved as the CG sharks looked more realistic (well, as realistic as they could be) and there was a lot less green screen used as it seemed they were actually on location in New York City. The bigger budget seems to be due to the amount of sponsors. This film had product placement for Coors, Subway and the New York Mets, that had to bring in some dollars. What I liked the most about Sharknado 2 was the fact that it knows what it is but does not get too self referential, the actors seem to take their roles seriously. I've said before that any good B-movie thinks it's an A-lister, otherwise it's basically a parody. They managed to top the chainsaw scene from the first movie with an even bigger chainsaw kill, and in this one, Fin manages to ride a shark in the tornado and retrieve April's missing hand. I don't know how he found that particular shark in that particular tornado; damn he's good. I also loved the theme song, I immediately thought of The Ramones when I heard it and actually tweeted as such, the next day the director tweeted me saying that The Ramones would've been their first choice and the song was a kind of tribute to them. Hey, I was right!  There isn't much to say on the negative end of things, other than I thought the random inclusion of "Rob Ford" was unnecessary, I guess living close enough to Toronto, I've heard enough about him and didn't need to see him impaled by a shark. I really felt director Anthony C. Ferrante did a good job with this film; we all know what we're getting into when we sit down to watch SHARKNADO 2, just sit back and have fun!  I loved the action and I was entertained from start to finish, not only with what I was watching onscreen, but what I was seeing on my Twitter timeline.

And that's where I think films like Sharknado 2 and others like it can really find an audience, particularly on television. With people interacting so much through social media, these types of films become events. You don't see people tweeting all at once about the latest Hollywood blockbuster because so many people are concerned with spoilers and not as many people are watching at the same time. But, do you care if the ending to Sharknado 2 is spoiled for you on social media? Not really. Plus, even if this kind of movie isn't really your bag, you just join in on the fun and try to get as many re-tweets or favourites based on the obnoxious comments you can make poking fun at it. It's "event" like this that give TV the edge over Netflix and services like it. I think we'll likely see a Sharknado 3, and as long as the ratings and internet buzz continue I expect to see one every year in the forecast. That is until they jump the shark!

Best Scene: Flying Great White Chainsaw Carving
Worst Scene: Random Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Sharking
Grade: 8.5/10
Viewed on: Space Channel