Rating: 2/5
Synopsis:
The notoriously subpar shark-horror blend has another attempt to reinvigorate the genre. Is it the next “Jaws”? Zephyr, a surfer with a free spirit streak, begins a relationship with a local Australian. But when a local fisherman abducts her, her romantic interest begins to suspect something has gone wrong. This lunatic fisherman has plans for Zephyr, intent on using her as part of his ritual to see the brutal nature of shark attacks when provided with fresh meat. Can Zehpyr’s newfound romantic interest figure out how to help before she becomes shark bait?
Positives:
Although the shark genre is hit and miss, I often find myself enjoying anything involving these predators (to a degree). I love the threat they pose, especially in the middle of an ocean on a claustrophobic ship. A similar situation occurs here, where a remote boat encounters the threat of these deadly creatures. This time, we get a massive shift in the plot, where a deranged serial killer kidnaps couples looking to dive with the sharks…using them as bait to satisfy his strange fascination with the brutality of shark attacks. I’ll give the film credit for being original. I have never seen a movie quite like this one. Naturally, with a creative director and unique plot, it takes some bold creative swings that go against the grain. Some of them work well and others don’t. The film has a campy tone that manages to combine a maniacal villain with a survival thriller. Jai Courtney’s performance is the reason to see this movie. He’s finally found a role that highlights his strengths. He wonderfully hams it up as this over the top villain who has a sick fettish hidden beneath his friendly shark tour business. He balances a menacing persona with a hammy cynicism well.
Negatives:
Outside of Jai Courtney’s performance, the film is quite disappointing. It wastes this concept and stretches it out too long. I’m not normally one to complain about a ninety minute runtime but this was clearly extended to be a feature length film. Zephyr escapes her confines too many times and is poorly apprehended by Tucker (the killer). This goes on a few times to the point where the audience stops buying into the plausibility of the situation. The longer the story progresses the sillier it gets. Unfortunately, not in a fun way…but more of a tiresome exercise in believability. I can suspend disbelief to a degree, but “Dangerous Animals” abandons any sense of logic established early on in the film in regards to how sharks behave. I found myself rolling my eyes at the inherent logic gaps. Our leads are wounded throughout the film, losing lots of blood in the process. They then proceed to fall into the water a few times but manage to avoid being eaten by sharks (that are close by) just because the plot says it has to. There is a moment towards the end of the film that is so illogical that I almost got up and left right then and there. The film leans into its worst tendencies for no good reason. There’s a story that was more effective somewhere out there.
I also found the reasoning behind Tucker’s shark fascination to be weak. Sure, it makes sense (to a degree) but I never bought the direction his life went after a deadly encounter with a shark in his youth. Zephyr is unfortunately a weak lead too. In a film that features a small cast, they have to be strong characters. She unfortunately doesn’t match Tucker’s screen presence, so it was hard to root for her. It says a lot when I’m not sympathetic to a lead when they are kidnapped to be shark bait! Her standoffish nature and free spirit persona didn’t make for a likeable character.
Conclusion:
I wanted to like “Dangerous Animals” more than I did. But it divulges into a self parody that leans too far into the camp and abandons the terrifying premise it established early on. The plot is silly to begin with, but I didn’t enjoy some of the creative choices that went into the latter half of the story. I have a feeling this one won’t resonate with audiences as much as it does with critics. Too bad for Jai Courtney because his performance is great! I’d say skip this shark adventure and go watch “Jaws” or “The Shallows” instead.
