Eagle Vs Shark 5/5 review by Chris (Joe)
I have never given a 5/5 when writing a review of a movie I just saw. In hindsight, there are a few movies that I reviewed the day after I saw them that got 4/5 that I would actually now like to give 5/5 (The Prestige, A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints). I know why I have never given a 5/5…I’m too stubborn. I always talked myself out of a 5/5 because I figured I couldn’t define a movie as THAT great after having just seen it. I am officially trying to break myself of that pattern, and it starts here. I’m shooting from the hip, writing with my gut, and giving credit where credit is due.
Eagle Vs Shark
-Limited release-
IMDB synopsis:
Eagle vs Shark is the tale of two socially awkward misfits and the strange ways they try to find love; through revenge on high-school bullies, burgers, and video games.
Chris’s review:
Eagle vs Shark is a movie from New Zealand. Made in New Zealand, cast in New Zealand, put together by New Zealanders. I love New Zealand. But, my love does not make me blindly follow all things New Zealand. In point of fact, all my love for New Zealand did with this film is get me in the door. I actually went in to it expecting to be disappointed. To be quite honest, I was REALLY only seeing it for Jemaine Clement. If you are in the know, you would recognize him as the bass playing half of the Flight of the Conchords, New Zealand's 4th most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo. For those of you less in the know, Jemaine is the funny glasses wearing fellow in the Outback Steakhouse commercials. Anywho, the whole point there was that this film is an indie film from down under. It is the story of a girl named Lily who has nurtured a crush on Jarrod for quite some time and finally works up the nerve to talk to him. This leads to them becoming an item and Lily traveling to Jarrod’s hometown to meet his family.
Let me get a couple of things straight:
1. This movie has been, and will be completely misunderstood by many of the people going to see it. I have seen so many write ups that just plainly get everything wrong.
2. This is NOT a New Zealand version of Napoleon Dynamite. Having, never seen that piece of cinematic abortion, I can’t say that definitively, but Taryn HAS seen it and assures me it is not. Some people may claim so, based on Jemaine’s character and the quirky nature of the film. But rest assured, any similarity is purely satirical and nothing more.
3. Though it will be billed as a wacky, quirky comedy and nothing more, this film is actually quite emotion and character driven. Don’t get me wrong…it is also hilarious, but it has a big heart and isn’t just trying to get cheap laughs out of you.
A couple of points, and then I should wrap this up, or else I’ll just ramble on. A girl named Loren Horsley plays Lily, the leading lady, and she is absolutely wonderful. I would be hard pressed to name another female performance to put above hers. If you don’t come out of this movie loving the character then you sir, are dead inside. Also, the craft of the film is quite special. For a low budget, indeed film made half of the world away, I was continually impressed with the cinematography. Additionally they take a bit of an unconventional approach by incorporating some stop motion animation, which at first seems somewhat weird, but ends up being a great little quirk that adds to the charm of the movie. Lastly, the ensemble cast made up entirely of people you have never seen before works wonders. Every character brings something to the table and every actor shows wonderful amounts of craft.
The close it down then, let me recommend this movie as strongly as I can. If you want to be thoroughly entertained, and take in some superb film making, go see this movie!
Chris’s recommendations:
Go see this movie if…
-You love a good, quirky movie, but also can’t stand something that is all filler with no substance.
-You liked movies like Garden State, Benny & Joon, Rushmore. This is in that vein and on par with any of those.
-You enjoy seeing what the rest of the world is doing with the film medium. This is a great foreign film; though technically it shouldn’t be defined as such…it is just plain great.
Don’t see this movie if…
-You think Napoleon Dynamite is the height of comedy.
-You cry easily…this movie packs a good helping of emotion to go along with its humor.
-You need characters that can be put in to boxes and defined by 2 dimensional character descriptions like “the lonely outcast nerd that finds out being different is OK,” or “the one time bully that has an eye opening experience and realizes the error of his ways.”
Eagle Vs Shark
-Limited release-
IMDB synopsis:
Eagle vs Shark is the tale of two socially awkward misfits and the strange ways they try to find love; through revenge on high-school bullies, burgers, and video games.
Chris’s review:
Eagle vs Shark is a movie from New Zealand. Made in New Zealand, cast in New Zealand, put together by New Zealanders. I love New Zealand. But, my love does not make me blindly follow all things New Zealand. In point of fact, all my love for New Zealand did with this film is get me in the door. I actually went in to it expecting to be disappointed. To be quite honest, I was REALLY only seeing it for Jemaine Clement. If you are in the know, you would recognize him as the bass playing half of the Flight of the Conchords, New Zealand's 4th most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo. For those of you less in the know, Jemaine is the funny glasses wearing fellow in the Outback Steakhouse commercials. Anywho, the whole point there was that this film is an indie film from down under. It is the story of a girl named Lily who has nurtured a crush on Jarrod for quite some time and finally works up the nerve to talk to him. This leads to them becoming an item and Lily traveling to Jarrod’s hometown to meet his family.
Let me get a couple of things straight:
1. This movie has been, and will be completely misunderstood by many of the people going to see it. I have seen so many write ups that just plainly get everything wrong.
2. This is NOT a New Zealand version of Napoleon Dynamite. Having, never seen that piece of cinematic abortion, I can’t say that definitively, but Taryn HAS seen it and assures me it is not. Some people may claim so, based on Jemaine’s character and the quirky nature of the film. But rest assured, any similarity is purely satirical and nothing more.
3. Though it will be billed as a wacky, quirky comedy and nothing more, this film is actually quite emotion and character driven. Don’t get me wrong…it is also hilarious, but it has a big heart and isn’t just trying to get cheap laughs out of you.
A couple of points, and then I should wrap this up, or else I’ll just ramble on. A girl named Loren Horsley plays Lily, the leading lady, and she is absolutely wonderful. I would be hard pressed to name another female performance to put above hers. If you don’t come out of this movie loving the character then you sir, are dead inside. Also, the craft of the film is quite special. For a low budget, indeed film made half of the world away, I was continually impressed with the cinematography. Additionally they take a bit of an unconventional approach by incorporating some stop motion animation, which at first seems somewhat weird, but ends up being a great little quirk that adds to the charm of the movie. Lastly, the ensemble cast made up entirely of people you have never seen before works wonders. Every character brings something to the table and every actor shows wonderful amounts of craft.
The close it down then, let me recommend this movie as strongly as I can. If you want to be thoroughly entertained, and take in some superb film making, go see this movie!
Chris’s recommendations:
Go see this movie if…
-You love a good, quirky movie, but also can’t stand something that is all filler with no substance.
-You liked movies like Garden State, Benny & Joon, Rushmore. This is in that vein and on par with any of those.
-You enjoy seeing what the rest of the world is doing with the film medium. This is a great foreign film; though technically it shouldn’t be defined as such…it is just plain great.
Don’t see this movie if…
-You think Napoleon Dynamite is the height of comedy.
-You cry easily…this movie packs a good helping of emotion to go along with its humor.
-You need characters that can be put in to boxes and defined by 2 dimensional character descriptions like “the lonely outcast nerd that finds out being different is OK,” or “the one time bully that has an eye opening experience and realizes the error of his ways.”
posted by Joe Punchface at 11:06 AM
4 Comments:
wow, I don't think I have even heard of this movie, and here it is with a 5... bold move sir, I like that you are finally willing to give 5's where they are due.
But still why with the hate? You get these movies sometimes that you just hate on (ahem, Napoleon) that you sometimes haven't even seen and they become symbols of evil for you... granted, you can do that with like, the Wayans brothers movies, but I thought Napoleon was pretty freakin funny. I love that movie. I would give it a 4. Keep in mind that I saw it before all the hype, so I did get quite sick of it afterward, but if you ignore the hype and what it has become in pop culture, it's pretty awesome. I'd be willing to bet that people who liked Napoleon, but also like deeper stuff would probably love Eagle vs. Shark, and not necessarily feel the need to equate them.
So why with the hate? Why alienate people who might love both films? Where's the love, bro?
The love is in my pants? Is that a good answer?
Haha, I'm with Skankins on that. I was cool with you not liking Napoleon Dynamite until you said you hadn't seen it. The cultural icon it became was dumb. I saw it the weekend it came out, before everyone decided they were Napoleon Dynamite, and it was hilarious.
For some reason, though, this didn't really strike me as particularly interesting. But a 5/5 deserves a good look regardless.
I don't know, sir. I think Tom Arnold had quite a poignant turn as Rosco in "Big Bully" as the once tough youth that sees the error of his ways. Gotta say I wouldn't mind seeing that character revisited. Just a thought before you throw all movies of that ilk under the bus.
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