Sharknado 2: The Second One
Poster for Sharknado 2
What more can be said about the Sharknado franchise that hasn't been said already? These movies are cheesy, ridiculous, horribly unrealistic and some of the most fun you will ever experience for two hours.
Sharknado 2: The Second One premiered on SyFy Network on July 30th in the most anticipated movie event of the summer. Media outlets all over the world were talking and hyping up the second film in this soon to be multiple movie franchise and those that loved the first film could not wait any longer for the next installment. Stemming from the cult classic original last summer, the sequel delivers and, dare I say, exceeded the greatness that the first one provided.
The film begins with Finn (Ian Ziering) and April (Tara Reid) on a plane headed towards the Big Apple, when all of a sudden, a terrible storm begins to form outside. Finn has glimpses of sharks flying onto the plane's wing, and even outlined in the clouds. After his initial bout of hysteria, the storm starts to take over and his visions come true, where a shark is hurled into one of the planes engines and the pilot, Robert Hays from Airplane! and Airplane II: The Sequel has to call for an emergency landing at JFK. As the plane begins to disintegrate, lives are lost left and right, and stewardess Kelly Osbourne gets her head bitten off by an aerial shark, April is caught in a predicament that forces her to ultimately lose her left hand.
With Finn being the hero he was in Los Angeles, he somehow lands the plane after the hellacious ride. From there, the film only gets more absurd and more awesome.
Finn reconnects with former classmates and friends while back in New York and has to save the residents from another incredible sharknado, but this time, on the East Coast.
I won't delve any deeper into the story because I do not want to spoil the epicness that is Sharknado 2: The Second One. I will say, however, if you love celebrity cameos, this is certainly the film for you.
In this film, one will see the aforementioned Hays and Osbourne, as well as Andy Dick, "Downtown" Julie Brown, Billy Ray Cyrus, Matt Laurer, Al Roker, Kelly Ripa, Michael Strahan, Pepa from Salt N' Pepa, Mark McGrath, Judah Friedlander, and my personal favorite cameo, pro wrestler Kurt Angle, just to name a few. The amount of "star" power in this film is exceptional and each has their moment to shine in the sequel.
What I will say is that while the premise is absurd and technically, technically possible, the film itself was much more inventive and better written/directed than its predecessor. The first Sharknado film was so predictably bad and over the top that it was a laughing stock. However, the sequel was engaging, the acting was better (I know it's not saying a lot, but it's something), and the direction from Anthony C. Ferrante was much better. In the previous film, there were so many quick cuts and shots that really made no sense where they were placed.
Sharknado 2: The Second One premiered on SyFy Network on July 30th in the most anticipated movie event of the summer. Media outlets all over the world were talking and hyping up the second film in this soon to be multiple movie franchise and those that loved the first film could not wait any longer for the next installment. Stemming from the cult classic original last summer, the sequel delivers and, dare I say, exceeded the greatness that the first one provided.
The film begins with Finn (Ian Ziering) and April (Tara Reid) on a plane headed towards the Big Apple, when all of a sudden, a terrible storm begins to form outside. Finn has glimpses of sharks flying onto the plane's wing, and even outlined in the clouds. After his initial bout of hysteria, the storm starts to take over and his visions come true, where a shark is hurled into one of the planes engines and the pilot, Robert Hays from Airplane! and Airplane II: The Sequel has to call for an emergency landing at JFK. As the plane begins to disintegrate, lives are lost left and right, and stewardess Kelly Osbourne gets her head bitten off by an aerial shark, April is caught in a predicament that forces her to ultimately lose her left hand.
With Finn being the hero he was in Los Angeles, he somehow lands the plane after the hellacious ride. From there, the film only gets more absurd and more awesome.
Finn reconnects with former classmates and friends while back in New York and has to save the residents from another incredible sharknado, but this time, on the East Coast.
I won't delve any deeper into the story because I do not want to spoil the epicness that is Sharknado 2: The Second One. I will say, however, if you love celebrity cameos, this is certainly the film for you.
In this film, one will see the aforementioned Hays and Osbourne, as well as Andy Dick, "Downtown" Julie Brown, Billy Ray Cyrus, Matt Laurer, Al Roker, Kelly Ripa, Michael Strahan, Pepa from Salt N' Pepa, Mark McGrath, Judah Friedlander, and my personal favorite cameo, pro wrestler Kurt Angle, just to name a few. The amount of "star" power in this film is exceptional and each has their moment to shine in the sequel.
What I will say is that while the premise is absurd and technically, technically possible, the film itself was much more inventive and better written/directed than its predecessor. The first Sharknado film was so predictably bad and over the top that it was a laughing stock. However, the sequel was engaging, the acting was better (I know it's not saying a lot, but it's something), and the direction from Anthony C. Ferrante was much better. In the previous film, there were so many quick cuts and shots that really made no sense where they were placed.
To wrap up the review of this film, it's pretty simple. The Asylum does not intend to make Oscar nominated films; they plan to create films that will generate a buzz and be entertaining to a movie-goer. When they struck gold with Sharknado, they struck while the iron was hot and created buzz immediately for the sequel. As the months progressed, the cult following expanded, social media took off and the anticipation became almost unbearable.
As a fan of movies, we look to escape from the real world and get lost in a film. While Sharknado 2: The Second One is a better film than its forefather, it is still a ridiculous, B-movie. There are many flaws and the drama that it is supposed to create is ultimately a two-hour joke filled with shark puns. For entertainment purposes, there may be no greater film Sharknado 2: The Second One this summer, but if you're looking for a flawless, award-winning film, this is clearly not your cup of tea.
Personally, I find both films highly entertaining and a great way to kill a few hours. They are an escape and relief from real world pressures and if watching Ian Ziering chainsaw a shark in the middle of a tornado and later lasso one to ride down to safety does not get you to grin, smile, or even burst out laughing; I have no clue what film will do that for you.
Rating: 7/10
As a fan of movies, we look to escape from the real world and get lost in a film. While Sharknado 2: The Second One is a better film than its forefather, it is still a ridiculous, B-movie. There are many flaws and the drama that it is supposed to create is ultimately a two-hour joke filled with shark puns. For entertainment purposes, there may be no greater film Sharknado 2: The Second One this summer, but if you're looking for a flawless, award-winning film, this is clearly not your cup of tea.
Personally, I find both films highly entertaining and a great way to kill a few hours. They are an escape and relief from real world pressures and if watching Ian Ziering chainsaw a shark in the middle of a tornado and later lasso one to ride down to safety does not get you to grin, smile, or even burst out laughing; I have no clue what film will do that for you.
Rating: 7/10