DVD Review: THE REEF (2010)

   
THE REEF
Written & Directed by:  Andrew Traucki
Distributed by:  IMAGE Entertainment

Ok, I'll be honest. I wasn't real excited about another shark movie.  I mean, the sci-fi net work has almost wore me out with the shark films lately....SHARKTOPUS, DINOSHARK, etc.  Don't get me wrong, I liked these films, but I am ready to see something else.  But THE REEF is nothing like those movies mentioned above.  THE REEF is back to a 'real' shark movie.  The only shark movies I could compare THE REEF to would be OPEN WATER and yes, even the one that started them all....JAWS.  Here is the basic premise from the Image Entertainment website:

On the beautiful but dangerous waters of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, ship delivery man Luke and four friends chart a yacht to its new owner. Along the way, their ship is torn open by sharp rocks and begins to sink, leaving the passengers with a terrifying choice: stay on board with slim hope of rescue, or swim twelve miles to the nearest island… through shark-infested waters. When they enter the water, an unstoppable, relentless Great White immediately follows their trail for a white-knuckle chase that will fill the waters with blood! From the director of the acclaimed monster hit Black Water comes a pulse-pounding, visually stunning thriller that never lets go until the final, heart-stopping scream!
  
  Now don't get me wrong, this movie was no JAWS....but then, can any movie live up to that masterpiece?  I highly doubt it and it is probably unfair to compare a shark movie of today with that classic film.  But I will say this.....THE REEF gets awfully close.  In fact, I would say this is the most enjoyable shark film I have seen since watching the JAWS films.

  The acting in this film was superb, not a bad performance in the bunch, which is quite a rarity in most films these days.  The women were particularly good, giving performances where they looked and acted so scared, you wondered if the director told them they would be in the water with real sharks!  Oh yeah, did I mention they used REAL sharks for this film!  That's right, no CG sharks here..this is the real thing....and that shark is HUGE!

 THE REEF clocks in at a good time of 94 minutes...short enough that all the action is packed in tight leaving little to no slow or dull parts of the film.  That is one thing I really noticed about this film....I was entertained the entire time.    It hooked me in from the start and never let go until the end.  If I had to sum up THE REEF in one word it would be...intense.  My wife watched this movie with me (a rarity for sure, since she hates horror films) and she said the entire time her muscles were tensed up.  That is a sign of a great terror/horror film in my opinion!  

Check this one out for sure!  THE REEF is available now on DVD and Blu-ray from Image Entertainment.


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to visit the film's official website
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD or Blu-ray



CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Image Entertainment

Check out the cool trailer for the shark film, BAIT 3D!

There are a couple of new shark films coming out soon, and one is called BAIT 3D.  This one is a little different than most shark films.  In most shark films, the people go out into the water to where the sharks live and are attacked.  In this film, though, the water and sharks come to the people!  
Here is the synopsis:

In a sleepy beach community shoppers at an underground supermarket are terrorized by a crazed bandit when the unimaginable occurs: A monstrous freak tsunami swallows the town. Now trapped, with rushing water threatening to entomb them in a watery grave the survivors discover they are not alone. The tsunami has brought unwanted visitors from the depths. Not only must they overcome the threat of drowning and the predator within their midst, but a threat far more deadly and far more bloodthirsty – hungry great white sharks.

Now I know this premise sounds..well...kinda dumb.  But watch the trailer.  Even though it is a little far fetched, it still looks like it could be a really cool movie.  And I have to say, the shark effects don't look half bad!  I found the trailer while browsing Quietearth.us (one of my favorite websites).  Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think!


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer