Director: Zhu Jiang
Year: 2021
Country: China
Alternate Titles: Escape from the Shark's Mouth
Genre: Sharks
Plot:
Trying to get past a personal tragedy, a worker in a Thai resort becomes stranded with several other guests when a massive earthquake triggers a tsunami keeping them inside the flooded corridors until help arrives, but when it’s compounded by man-eating sharks inside must help everyone get to safety.
Review:
Overall, this one has some likable factors. Among the more favorable aspects found here is a fun series of setups that constitute the main human drama on display. While nothing is outwardly original or clever, there's enough going on to provide some fun characters along the way. With the main guy being a former swimming champion now working for the father of his deceased wife after being killed in a shark attack, the possibility for him to earn a heroic redemption angle comes off rather well. Likewise, the other guests there range from a self-centered billionaire who usually throws his money or his vicious bodyguard at others to get what he wants without much repercussions there to scout the hotel for a possible merger, a nagging wife and her put-upon husband enjoying a vacation, or the other hotel stragglers that were staying there when disaster struck, we get a fine cross-section of individuals staying there who get caught up with the sharks.
As a result of this, when the action hits this one really comes into its own with quite a lot to like. The opening disaster of the earthquake strike followed by the large-scale tsunami striking the facility is a spectacular high-energy affair that looks far better than what it should for films on this scale. The aftermath of it all results in the survivors trying to move through the flooding hallways and corridors of the resort that play far more like scenes from a disaster film than a creature feature which allows for some great action to keep things moving while the sharks swarm around and strike at the most opportune moments. These are usually kept to brief stalking scenes where the creatures appear to launch a vicious attack in churning, blood-soaked water. None of these are really impressive but the ferocity and consistency of the attacks throughout here make for a generally fun time as the cheesy effects make for a lot to like.
Outside of these factors, there are some aspects here that bring it down. One of the main issues to be had is the constant need to fall into reliably present cliches in the genre that prove this to be another effort in the genre without much deviation. The use of a troubled hero who needs to be redeemed for an act that wasn't his fault as he's now fallen on hard times causes his arc to be telegraphed the second he appears on-screen. Likewise, his budding romantic relationship serves to come as no surprise with how they're going to end up which is also the case with the fate of each of the various members when they get introduced. That carries over into the action scenes which feature the same sense of familiarity for the way it handles the deaths being doled out as there's little surprise for who gets killed when. Alongside the sometimes cheesy special effects for the CGI shark when it's shown on-screen, these manage to bring the film down somewhat.
Overview: ***.5/5
A wholly serviceable cheesy killer shark film with quite a lot going for it, this one is really only let down by factors that are expected of it leaving it more fun than expected for fans of the genre. Viewers who appreciate this kind of cheesy creature feature fare or don’t mind the drawbacks being levied against it will be the most receptive to it while those who don’t appreciate the style or approach of this should heed caution.
This review was originally published on Asian Movie Pulse and is gratefully reprinted with their cooperation.
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