It was rather hard to ignore the commotion created by last year’s SyFy channel event, Sharknado. Still, with all of that fracas, I managed to steer clear of the made-for-TV movie about sharks and tornadoes. With the major push that came about for the film’s sequel, my interest was definitely increasing. While I missed out the on live television premiere, I couldn’t help but read what people had to say on their blogs, YouTube channels, etc. The time has come for me to finally give in and watch Anthony Ferrante’s Sharknado 2: The Second One.
Traveling back home from L.A., Fin (Ian Ziering) and April (Tara Reid) soon realize that they haven’t quite escaped the natural disaster that is sharknado. Now in New York City, they must find a way to stop an even bigger threat when three simultaneous shark storms are about to converge and destroy everything in their paths.
I have to admit, I was expecting a really terrible hour and a half of un-funny jokes and annoying actors. What I got instead, was an awesomely entertaining time with some memorable lines, great acting, and surprising cameo appearances. Sharknado 2 is a cheesy good time and I now have a new-found respect for The Asylum and am an official Sharknado fan.
Ian Ziering was way better than I could have ever expected and I couldn’t be happier with his performance as our main hero, Fin. Sure, he was cheesy at times, but it worked perfectly. For someone like me, who can’t stand goofy comedy in horror films, Sharknado 2 really didn’t disappoint. It was corny in all the right ways, while still maintaining a level of seriousness when it had to. I chalk some of this up to the great performances by the main cast, and even by the myriad of cameos. Mark McGrath and Kari Wuhrer were awesome as some more of our main characters and did a perfect job at taking this film a step above your average made-for-SyFy movie.
I can’t get over the amount of people who agreed to appear in this film. There is an entire laundry list of celebrities that were just dying to be a part of this movie and it ended up making the production that much more fun for audiences. I don’t want to give all of the names away, but some f my favorites were Kurt Angle, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Biz Markie. The best part is that they weren’t just randomly thrown into the shot just for the hell of it. They all had their own little arcs and served a meaningful purpose to the film.
I never watched the first Sharknado film, but I can already tell that the production value has gone up tremendously with this sequel. The FX team was able to spend more time and effort on making sure the sharks, tornadoes, and water all looked much better with more realistic textures, movement, and lighting. While they weren’t the best looking CG effects around, they are certainly good enough to not take away from the fun that is to be had here.
Living in NY all of my life and growing up 30 minutes from New York City makes me appreciate this film that much more. I loved seeing all of the monuments playing a part in the film, really bringing the level of authenticity up a notch. The Mets’ Citi Field, the Empire State building, and the Statue of Liberty all played essential roles in Sharknado 2 and really gave it the Big Apple feel it needed.
At this point, I really hope they continue the Sharknado tradition and I am actually looking forward to another sequel. I can’t wait to see what is in store next for Fin and the crew and what Ferrante and his team can bring to the table the next time around. If you’ve put off watching this film, like I have, now is the time to give it a chance. Cinedigm is releasing Sharknado 2: The Second One on DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital HD on October 7, so make sure to pre-order your copy today! It features tons of behind-the-scenes extras and includes the extended version of the film, itself.
I give this movie 4 squirt guns out of 5.
I never even started watching this because I expected it to be junk. If you say it’s surprisingly good then I’ll add this one to my ” to watch ” list