Review of Open Water (2004) by Ella R — 24 Jul 2008

Okay I am finally reviewing this (in my opinion) devil movie.

The valuable lesson of life: Never put your expectations too high...they could fall of and splatter their intestines out all over the pavement for the little baby sharks to nibble on.

When I saw the trailer for this movie...I was ecstatic to see it! I always said how I wanted to see it so badly...the trailer made it look terrifying. I am quite fearful of sharks...so I thought it was going to be frightening beyond belief.

But no...I sat down excitedly to watch this movie, ready to be scared shitless and well...water. And more water. And a naked woman. More water. 1 meter shark swims by, nibbles on a toe. More water.

I found this whole movie to be just footage of water over all. I mean water's nice, it is but um...it doesn't make a really great movie.

I understand that this is a story inspired by true events of what really happened to a couple of people, and honestly, I think this is an offense to them. It was put in the wrong hands and made into this stupid piece of Hollywood crap. The people were all beautified, it was so typical and I could just predict everything that was about to happen. If this film were in the right hands, it could have been made much better. The fear of the two people could have probably been gotten into a lot better, and really formed a stylish way of filming. But I found myself not connecting with these characters at all...I didn't really see any character development, and the way that they were left behind just seemed to un-realistic and just made me irritated.

And then, of course, the skarks....well. They were like...small. and there wasn't any shark action really, like the trailer made it out to be.

So I remember coming to the day where I hired this movie- and many people had told me "no don't do it. It's crap really" but I, at the time didn't see how it could possibly be crap. It was made out as so terrifying! But...well by the end of the movie, I had the most stupid look on my face. I was just sitting in my chair thinking..."what? THAT is what I have been so cranked up about?" I felt like I had wasted so much anticipation... I couldn't believe it. One of the biggest letdowns I have ever had when viewing a film. I was sitting there for a couple of hours, watching t people sitting in the water going shit, we're going to die. Shit we're going to die. It was as if they had imaginary watches on, checking to see how long there would be left that they had to continue arguing and saying that they're going to die or the husband trying to lighten up the situation and say that they would be fine. I think the birth of this film quite possibly took the place of another movie that could have come instead and shone like the stars. But no, this one had to come. And quite frankly, I would rather get a bucket of water with some plastic fish, and sit and watch it with some sound effects for a couple of hours.