Review of Sharknado (2013) by Lenny R — 18 Dec 2015

I've read a number of comments about this film that give it the old 'so bad it's good', and then give it a low score. If it's so bad it's good, why do you treat it as though it's bad? If it's so bad it's good, its badness MAKES it good, which means it's just GOOD - so why not give it a good mark?

I can't make it through Plan 9 From Outer Space. People call it 'the worst film of all time' as though 'worst' equals entertaining. But it isn't entertaining. It's just a bad film - so bad it's bad. The key difference between Plan 9 and Sharknado (apart from the former's lack of Tara Reid) is that Ed Wood approached his film as though he was making a masterpiece, because he thought he WAS making a masterpiece, whereas these people are under no delusion that they're making quality cinema. They know it's dumb, cheesy, melodramatic and far-fetched, with appalling CGI. They know the stock footage inserts look phony. But that's part of the fun. In fact, that's MOST of the fun. They're laughing with us.

Let me say this - Sharknado is bad, but it's not BAD bad; it's GOOD.

The dialogue is actually pretty great at times, especially the banter between Fin and Baz. I'm not saying it's Mamet or Tarantino, but it is pretty funny, like real buddies goofing around. The characters are likeable, and actually relatable, despite the preposterous situation they're in. It hits all the requisite beats for a disaster action movie (I'd place it in that genre rather than horror, despite all the gore). It has an attractive, mysterious young woman in a bikini who's a crack shot with a pump-action. Sure that's lame, but ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THAT'S LIKE THE BEST THING THERE IS. EVERY SINGLE MOVIE SHOULD HAVE ONE OF THOSE.

My only real problem (SPOILER ALERT) is that Baz isn't given a cool enough death. He was my favourite character, and he deserved better than he got.

This is not Plan 9 From Outer Space. But it's not Jaws either. But it isn't trying to be Jaws, so that shouldn't be held against it. You either get that or you don't. I got it, and I loved it.