The Shallows, stars Blake Lively and an adorable seagull, and that's pretty much it. But even with such a small cast, once you put in a giant killer shark you know you are in for some entertainment.
Going into the theater with my mom and sister, we did not expect much. My sister and I just love sharks and it was shark week so we were in a sharky mood. The movie concept is pretty simple. The trailer basically gives everything away, as most trailers do nowadays. Nancy is searching for an island that her mother visited when she was pregnant with Nancy. She is a med student dropped out, which comes in handy later in the film. Once she reaches this deserted island, she has one goal, to surf to her hearts content. She meets two other surfers and they all shred through the ocean for hours, which, I must admit, looks pretty cool. However, they inform her that once the tied goes out the rocks that are beneath the water become small little islands and it becomes very dangerous. But of course, Nancy has to make one wave before coming in and you can all guess what happens after that.
Yes, Shark!! But I will say, to me, it is not the "Jaws" for this generation. This is a shark that has a vendetta but it’s not as vindictive as Jaws or as massive. It’s just a normal great white shark with a massive appetite. I will say that I like the approach that this film took on the shark. Nancy was in the shark’s hunting ground and that's how she got caught up in a huge mess. As stated before, she uses her medical knowledge to survive against the shark. I don't want to give too much away about the plot in general but I will say that the action sequences in this movie are pretty decent. The way the action sequences are shot builds a lot of tension. Nancy uses her common sense to time the shark to see how fast it swims and moves. So when she decides to swim out in open water, you watch the clock counting down and let me tell you, your heart will be racing.
The film was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who also made the Orphan and Non-Stop. I've haven’t seen either of those films, so safe to say I had no idea what to expect. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by the directing style. In the film they interpose technology and the actual world in a really interesting way. Whenever Nancy uses her phone we see it transposed into the real world. It is a very cool take on melding technology and the real world together, seamlessly. The filming for this movie was beautiful. The scenery was a huge contribution, but I also feel that the director used several techniques, slow motion in particular, to really make you feel like you are in the water.
Lastly, let’s discuss the beautiful Blake Lively!! Yes, I love her! I am a Gossip Girl freak and I have no shame. Plus who didn't love her in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I follow her on Instagram because she is adorable! Okay now I'm done babbling about her. In the film, true to form, she was good. I have never really seen her in anything where I thought she was extraordinary, but she did play the part well. I have to give props to the makeup artist because they did an excellent job of showing Lively look ugly (well almost). She has to sit on a rock for days and knows that it is likely she might die. She looks dehydrated and has lost a lot of blood and you do feel for the character. Like I said nothing core shaking but you do feel bad and scared for her.
This is a solid B film. There are times you will catch yourself laughing when things get a little lame but there are plenty of scenes that made me jump out of my seat. They trick you in this movie to make things more intense, which I appreciated. All in all, it was a fun night at the movies. Was it amazing? No. But was it worth a night at the movies, yes. I would definitely watch it on TV or buy it for about $10. So it’s worth a look, especially if you are looking for a little fun at the movies, but if you wanted to wait for Redbox that works too.
Til Next Time (which I promise will be soon)!! Please Like and Share! You guys Rock!
- Megan O'Neal
Going into the theater with my mom and sister, we did not expect much. My sister and I just love sharks and it was shark week so we were in a sharky mood. The movie concept is pretty simple. The trailer basically gives everything away, as most trailers do nowadays. Nancy is searching for an island that her mother visited when she was pregnant with Nancy. She is a med student dropped out, which comes in handy later in the film. Once she reaches this deserted island, she has one goal, to surf to her hearts content. She meets two other surfers and they all shred through the ocean for hours, which, I must admit, looks pretty cool. However, they inform her that once the tied goes out the rocks that are beneath the water become small little islands and it becomes very dangerous. But of course, Nancy has to make one wave before coming in and you can all guess what happens after that.
Yes, Shark!! But I will say, to me, it is not the "Jaws" for this generation. This is a shark that has a vendetta but it’s not as vindictive as Jaws or as massive. It’s just a normal great white shark with a massive appetite. I will say that I like the approach that this film took on the shark. Nancy was in the shark’s hunting ground and that's how she got caught up in a huge mess. As stated before, she uses her medical knowledge to survive against the shark. I don't want to give too much away about the plot in general but I will say that the action sequences in this movie are pretty decent. The way the action sequences are shot builds a lot of tension. Nancy uses her common sense to time the shark to see how fast it swims and moves. So when she decides to swim out in open water, you watch the clock counting down and let me tell you, your heart will be racing.
The film was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who also made the Orphan and Non-Stop. I've haven’t seen either of those films, so safe to say I had no idea what to expect. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by the directing style. In the film they interpose technology and the actual world in a really interesting way. Whenever Nancy uses her phone we see it transposed into the real world. It is a very cool take on melding technology and the real world together, seamlessly. The filming for this movie was beautiful. The scenery was a huge contribution, but I also feel that the director used several techniques, slow motion in particular, to really make you feel like you are in the water.
Lastly, let’s discuss the beautiful Blake Lively!! Yes, I love her! I am a Gossip Girl freak and I have no shame. Plus who didn't love her in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I follow her on Instagram because she is adorable! Okay now I'm done babbling about her. In the film, true to form, she was good. I have never really seen her in anything where I thought she was extraordinary, but she did play the part well. I have to give props to the makeup artist because they did an excellent job of showing Lively look ugly (well almost). She has to sit on a rock for days and knows that it is likely she might die. She looks dehydrated and has lost a lot of blood and you do feel for the character. Like I said nothing core shaking but you do feel bad and scared for her.
This is a solid B film. There are times you will catch yourself laughing when things get a little lame but there are plenty of scenes that made me jump out of my seat. They trick you in this movie to make things more intense, which I appreciated. All in all, it was a fun night at the movies. Was it amazing? No. But was it worth a night at the movies, yes. I would definitely watch it on TV or buy it for about $10. So it’s worth a look, especially if you are looking for a little fun at the movies, but if you wanted to wait for Redbox that works too.
Til Next Time (which I promise will be soon)!! Please Like and Share! You guys Rock!
- Megan O'Neal
