I would be plainly concerned if any viewer DIDN'T approach this movie with deep, piercing doubt. As well done as the stylized opening credits are, they don't inspire confidence, nor do a light tone from the outset, and extraordinarily direct dialogue and storytelling. It's not that a flick unabashedly called 'Shark killer' can't have real worth, but it's safe to say that one is all too accustomed to seeing pure schlock pollute our screens, and this readily seems to fit in with the same tawdry company. In fairness, regardless of any genre labels that one may append, it's clearly built as a pure romp. We get action, we get thriller vibes, and whether in some of the aesthetics on hand, the suggested violence, or - if we're really stretching the terminology - in its "creature feature" nature, there is maybe even a smidgen of "horror" on hand. Yet all these descriptors almost feel too charged for the generally light tenor this broadly maintains; as if to emphasize the point, protagonist Chase is written as some random white guy who also has significant fighting skills, is gifted with swift wit, and wantonly womanizes - the seaside blue collar equivalent of James Bond, frankly. Suffice to say that this isn't exactly a riveting, white-knuckle must-see. But you know what, 'Shark killer' knows what it is, and doesn't pretend otherwise, and it's not half bad, really.
The least that can be said is that the production was approached more earnestly than we have grown to assume of creature features in the twenty-first century; fare from the likes of The Asylum, and/or SyFy, have greatly lowered our expectations. It's definitely not that this is free of the same issues: the music is more kitschy than meaningful (though some themes are terrific); the inevitable romance is so tiresome as to be actively aggravating; the dialogue and storytelling remain very direct, and the plot is heavily predictable; actors of real skill (Arnold Vosloo, Erica Cerra) are forced into small corners; and so on. There's no mistaking the company this keeps. Still, the digital creations are less transparent, the cinematography is solid and the direction is technically sound, and it's readily apparent that more sincere care went into 'Shark killer' than can be said for a preponderance of its nearest kin. Excepting perhaps the most ham-fisted facets, one can imagine how the picture would look if it were produced as a major studio thriller rather than a mid- or low-grade lark. The effects (practical and post-production) are better than in comparable projects, and the stunts, and in every capacity it looks and sounds better - and more professional - than we would anticipate.
By all means, there were ways that this easily could have been improved upon depending on the flavors one wished to accentuate. It could been more strictly action-oriented (think 'The transporter'), or comedic (an action-comedy like 'Rush hour'); there was potential for a more honest thriller, and even more substantial horror (make Nix and his henchman more violent, and/or amplify the marine massacre, etc). Nevertheless, even if only at a mid-range level, 'Shark killer' is actually reasonably well made. It's reasonably enjoyable, even for all its faults, and some moments are unexpectedly shrewd (e.g., a passing ableist line is pointedly latched upon and tossed back at the offending characters in a subsequent scene). Everyone was here just to have a good time (and earn a paycheck), and along the way, they put in sufficient effort for the end result to be modestly entertaining. By no means should one prioritize this or go out of their way to see it; save it for something light on a lazy day, if you're going to watch it at all. It has its shortcomings. It remains decent enough, though, and sometimes that's all a flick needs to be.
