Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014)

Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014)
Directed by: Anthony C. Ferrante
Written by: Thunder Levin
Starring: Ian Ziering, Judd Hirsch, Kari Wuhrer, Mark McGrath, Tara Reid, Vivica A.Fox

My initial response to the first Sharknado movie was, “I think Sharknado has raised the bar. Not just for crappy shark films, but life in general. I’m not sure I’ll experience something as spectacular as this ever again. It really has to be seen to be believed. Literally anything that I experience from here on in will just be disappointing”. Well, I don’t know how they managed it, but that bar has risen once more! For those unfamiliar with this meteorological phenomenon, a Sharknado is a tornado full of sharks that it has picked up while moving from the sea/ocean. When it reaches land, all hell breaks loose, with sharks falling from the sky and severe weather, including flooding.

Whilst flying to New York, heroes of the first movie Fin Shepard (Ian Ziering) and April Wexler (Tara Reid), get caught up in the madness once again. Yep, the film wastes no time in letting the shark hit the fan, and within minutes, their flight is being bombarded with all manner of sharks that have been caught up in some extreme weather. One thing you’ll notice from the outset is the amount of cameos, with the likes of Kelly Osbourne, Wil Wheaton and even Airplane!’s Robert Hayes (Ted Striker) as the Captain (It appears The Asylum, have created a cultural phenomenon). The opening scene sets a precedent for the silly set pieces that follow, involving swords, massive chainsaws and IED’s made from tiny propane tanks and smoke alarms. The film seems more self aware, sending itself up even more than the original, which seemed like a more straight laced film, ramping the silliness up, including sharks in the subway, flaming sharks and er.. Shark Frogger.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWY4-u9Ewdc[/youtube]

The film is stacked full of references, from the aforementioned Airplane!, to Star Wars, Taxi (the TV show) and not to mention Jaws, with most of the characters sharing the same names as those in Spielberg’s classic, Including Fin’s brother in law, Martin Brody. There’s also a set piece that puts Cloverfield to shame. Never has the Statue of Liberty seemed so menacing. The only thing that’s missing from all these cultural nods, is a “groovy”, in one particular scene, which I won’t spoil here. It’s as entertaining as the first movie, but does feel it’s been crammed with filler to stretch out the running time, as it keeps cutting away from the action to mock ‘Today’ show segments (one can only assume this is a popular TV show in New York), which are quite amusing at times, but do wear a bit thin. The laughs are quite consistent, usually due to the terrible dialogue or even worse death scenes, which usually involves a shark biting someone’s face off. The acting is just as fantastic as you’d expect, with Tara Reid once again showcasing her skill set, with some of the funniest facial expressions this side of a gurning contest. And why Ian Ziering isn’t a bona fide action superstar by now is beyond me…

Overall it seemed as though it’s trying to one up the previous film by being even more ludicrous, and it was good fun, but after the impact of the original, it’s surprising they managed to pull it off. Although I’m pretty sure the writer was pulling each scene out of a hat at random, or googling shark memes for inspiration. The budget appears to have been increased by about £2.50, with even more craptacular set pieces, with the sharks looking as terrible as before, but that’s all a part of the charm, isn’t it? I could go on, but then you have to remember, this is a film called Sharknado, about sharks caught in a tornado, with a somewhat murderous agenda. need I say more? Well, if you thought the climax of Sharknado was unreal, then you ain’t seen nothing yet! Ever since I first saw the first film, it’s hard to imagine what life was like without Sharknado, and The Second One, much like the first, has to be seen to be believed! It looks like Sharknado wasn’t a one off after all.

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