While Great White does — for the most part — remain rooted in reality for its subject matter, it lacks in the excitement department.
Prompted by the success of the completely bonkers Sharknado series of films, an influx of ridiculous shark movies has washed up on screens lately. Avalanche Sharks, Raiders of the Lost Shark, Land Shark, Ghost Shark and the obviously documentary-style Five-Headed Shark Attack are just some of the creatively titled but ultimately terrible recent entries into the genre. 2021’s Great White, the first film by Australian director Martin Wilson, sounded like it might be a respite from the over-the-top and whacked-out shark attack flicks.
The film starts out well enough. A couple swimming off the coast of a small island in the Pacific is attacked by a shark in a well-orchestrated and rather suspenseful sequence. We then meet our main characters, Kaz (Katrina Bowden) and Charlie (Aaron Jakubenko), a couple who run a small island-hopping seaplane charter service. They’re experiencing some cash flow issues and are elated when another couple books a trip. They’ve asked for the full day package, including lunch to be provided by Benny (Te Kohe Tuhaka,) the charter’s chef.
Their enthusiasm cools, however, when they meet Michelle (Kimie Tsukakoshi) and Joji (Tim Kano.) Joji acts aggressively and antagonizes Benny, who he thinks is flirting with Michelle. When they arrive at their destination — an island called Hell’s Reef — Michelle reveals the real reason for the trip. Her grandfather was the only survivor of a shipwreck that took place on the island during World War II. She wants to spread his ashes there so he can rest with his shipmates.
Before she gets a chance to do so, a discovery leads the group to take to the air to search for a missing boat. When they spot the boat, Charlie sets the seaplane down so they can look for survivors. That’s when things go horribly awry. As you might have guessed, a shark is the cause.
While Great White‘s subject matter — for the most part — remains rooted in reality, it lacks in the excitement department. Thanks to the endless bickering between the characters, the film felt a lot longer than 90 minutes. The bare-bones story and the thin characterizations don’t help.
It’s not all bad though. There are a handful of good scares and the acting isn’t abysmal. The CGI used to create the shark sequences is fair but never convincing. There are some impressive drone shots that emphasize the vastness of the ocean.
But, honestly, we’ve seen this movie before. In fact, Frenzy, a SyFy movie, featured an almost identical plot. (Although it was not handled nearly as well.) So, as tired as I am of the Sand Sharks and Ozark Sharks, I need a little more imagination than is on display in Great White.
2.0 out of 5.0 stars
