Director: Johannes Roberts
Year: 2019
Country: United Kingdom/USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Sharks
Plot:
Trying to get along together, step-sisters and their friends set out to ditch a class trip by going to a secret lake leading to an underground tunnel and a submerged Mayan temple, but when their own reckless behavior traps them underwater, they realize the dwindling air is the least of their worries when man-eating sharks arrive.
Review:
This here wasn’t too bad of a follow-up but was somewhat flawed. Among the best aspects at play here is the fact that there’s quite a lot to like about the main subplot revolving around the group coming together as friends. Based around the idea of trying to get the younger sister out of her shell and stand-up to the bully at her school, the idea of taking the trip together with the older sister’s friends as a way of sticking together as a family to spite the bully on the intended class-trip brings them together. These scenes offer up a lot to like then with their trek through the jungle and eventual arrival at the swimming hole that leads into the caves where this becomes quite fun leading up to their eventual arrival in the underwater temple.
The other enjoyable aspect of this one is the fun attacks that are incredibly fun. The idea of being in the underground temple, already a twisting confusing maze of tunnels, tight corridors and hallways, creates an eerie and suspenseful setting that brings several strong and enjoyable attacks scenes. The initial encounter when the shark appears out of nowhere and takes the one victim before chasing them through the complex has some tense moments, much like the realization that the creature is hunting the assistant in the adjoining lab through the radio playing while he works. As well, the attack in the pond that gets interrupted by the creatures or the last rescue attempt that has some unrealistic but still thrilling action, keeping the pacing up enough to have a lot to like here.
There are a few problems in the film. The main issue here is the absolute stupidity and moronic decision-making that goes on to stick everyone in the situation. Despite all the good intentions for getting them together as friends, the idea of going into the cave system with no plan, no formal safety system and a cavalier attitude towards being down in the temple causes everything that happens to them and results in their being stuck down there. It’s impossible to root or care about them for being so willfully ignorant of the situation and then be shocked and surprised when that causes their being trapped instead of being caused by accident through being in proximity to the sharks, especially in their rescue attempt that gets thwarted by their own reckless behavior and stupidity.
The other problem here is the laughable and oftentimes outright woeful CGI used for the sharks. The idea of their physical ailments is logically thought-out and integrated into their design but that doesn’t account for the fake manner in which they look here, at times floating aimlessly through the water while sneaking up behind victims or simply swimming around in the water searching for them. The physical lack of realistic details, combined with some utterly infuriating logistics about their history and behavioral patterns that are completely unbelievable and insulting to think would’ve played out in a normal fashion all combined to make for a rather underwhelming killer and being the film’s true detrimental factors.
Overview: ***/5
A somewhat better than expected effort which keeps the action up enough to potentially overcome how unrealistic and logical that stuff actually is, this is an enjoyable and entertaining effort that works so long as you don’t mind that lack of logic. Those who can look beyond that part of the film will like it as well as those who enjoyed the original, while those who don’t like the original or appreciate the flaws involved here should heed caution.
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