The Shallows is directed by Juame Collet Sera and stars Blake Lively as a young woman who goes surfing on a remote beach that her mother once visited. Once she arrives, she becomes the victim of a vicious Great White Shark attack and now must contend with both it and the elements of the sea to get to shore and to safety. Shark movies have gotten a very poor reception in the many years since 1975's 'JAWS' to the point where the sub-genre has become the subject of pure parody (Sharknado). However, 'The Shallows' brings it back to its former dignity, even if for a brief moment this summer.
The film is slick and has great cinematography that has come to define many of Sony Pictures' latest films. I am not exactly sure if its the production company themselves or just coincidence, however I stand by that this company has some very well shot films in their library. The score is what you usually come to hear with a thriller nowadays, serviceable and very well done but nothing special unfortunately. Speaking of the music, there are two sequences in the film where modern techno/pop music will play during the film activities and to me even though both scenes represent happier moments in the film, they are jarring and completely out of place.
Blake Lively does really well in here as well. You feel her character develop gradually but at the same time at a good enough pace that we can still get a fully three-dimensional character out of her. We learn new things about her during moments that they're needed, not just exposition dropped to get it out of the way like in many other horror or thriller films. It's Blake Lively that keeps the film going as we genuinely feel for her and want her to survive at any cost. Hell, I would have accepted her losing a limb if it kept her great character intact.
One of my few complaints is that the film is not one I would say is a keeper in fish terms. It's certainly a fun film and I'm glad I put down my $7.50, however the film will most likely leave my memory until the rental comes into my email inbox and once again I will pop it in and enjoy it. Many critics and audience members seem to take this as a negative when it comes to many films, and yes I am saying its a fault of the film, but I don't immediately believe the film to be a complete waste either. The films of Juame Collet Sera are fun and good to watch with your friends or on a rainy day and that's not always a bad thing, but we should be demanding better films to be the majority rather than the minority. It's what I like to call 'Balance of the Movie Force' (Don't Sue Me Please).
'The Shallows' can also be at fault for having a slow pace, even myself kind of dozing off at times but this is minor at best as the film is only about an hour and a half, still though it needs to be said. Interestingly enough though, in today's CGI riddled films I was expecting the shark in this film to look absolutely atrocious and to my surprise...it looks pretty decent. In fact, its so much more well done than what I am used to in films like this, that when the other sea creatures featured in the film come out, they look really cartoonish and fake. Consistency is all I ask please. All in all, 'The Shallows' is worth a watch, but don't be surprised if you come home and want to pop in 'JAWS' again to enjoy something much more memorable. That being said, I'm giving 'THE SHALLOWS' a:
((B-))
All Images Are The Property Of Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures Entertainment. I DO NOT OWN any of the rights to 'The Shallows.'
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