Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens

'SHARKNADO 4: THE 4TH AWAKENS': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

The fourth installment in the popular Syfy network television film series (which began in 2013). This chapter was once again directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, and Thunder Levin once again wrote the screenplay (the duo performed the same duties on all three previous movies). Actors Ian Ziering and Tara Reid also reprise their starring roles (for the fourth time as well). Other returning cast members (from at least the previous installment) include David Hasselhoff and Ryan Newman; they're joined by newcomers Tommy Davidson, Gary Busey, Masiela Lusha, Cody Linley and Cheryl Tiegs. Cameos (this time around) include Stacey Dash, David Faustino, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Gilbert Gottfried, Steve Guttenberg, Lloyd Kaufman, Vince Neil, Wayne Newton and Al Roker (for his third time). The film has it's moments, but it's not as funny (or as cleverly bad) as the previous three installments.

The story takes place five years after the events of the third film; and there hasn't been a 'sharknado' in all of that time. Thanks to technical genius Aston Reynolds (Davidson), and his company's atmosphere stabilizers. Fin (Ziering) has been enjoying the peace and quiet, and he's now traveling to Las Vegas; for a family reunion. Unfortunately, he soon learns, that his break, from the sharknado action, is now over.

All of the 'SHARKNADO' films are laughably bad, which makes them also somewhat enjoyable. In my opinion the series reached it's peak in 2014 (with the first sequel). Now I think it's definitely running out of steam. This chapter is still mildly enjoyable, and it's also not really any worse than the other three chapters (how could it be). Fans of the series will probably still enjoy it.

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We witnessed the catastrophic third "Sharknado" attack last summer but, in TV-movie time, "It has been five years since the last Sharknado. Tech company Astro-X has used their revolutionary energy system to stabilize the atmosphere and prevent the formation of all tornadoes, using cheap, clean reactors dubbed Astro-Pods. The world has been peaceful and prosperous thanks to Astro-X's visionary founder Aston Reynolds, but now the future is about to be threatened once again…" This helpful prologue credit roll, looking like "Star Wars" (and sounding like "Superman") sets up the story. To celebrate five years of bliss, billionaire businessman Tommy Davidson (as Mr. Reynolds) opens a "Shark World" theme park in Las Vegas...

The inevitable happens. The Astro-X system fails and Vegas is hit with a "Sharknado". Yes, Virginia, there are sharks in Las Vegas. Sharks can attack anywhere, we are told. The monster storms do not have to be water-based. For example, the Vegas attack is sand-based. This looks like a job for Superman… or, rather, super-hero Ian Ziering (as Finlay "Fin" Allan Shepard), strange visitor from "Beverly Hills 90210" who came to Asylum with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. To save the world, we must summon Mr. Ziering from his small Kansas town and give him a chain-saw...

In another story-line, we find Ziering's deceased blonde squeeze Tara Reid (as April Wexler) really isn't dead. She's been life-preserved by crazed father Gary Busey (as Wilford). He's made Ms. Reid a "Bionic Woman". In a notable subplot, Ziering's older son Cody Linley (as Matt Shepard) gets married. It will be interesting to see if the bride Imani A. Hakim (as Gabrielle) appears in "Sharknado 5" (2017). Hmmm. She may only be shark bait. Other beautiful young women include Claudia Shepard and Masiela Lusha. You also get the handsome, legendary and talented "Hoff" (as Colonel David Hasselhoff)...

There are a lot of cameos by the once famous, somewhat famous and not so famous. Sadly, we don't see many of them actually eaten by sharks. Part of the "Sharknado" fun is seeing someone like Matt Lauer or Ann Coulter disappear into a shark's mouth. Among the latter, it looks like an abundance of the cast and crew's friends, relatives and total strangers were accommodated with screen time. If they continue, we will all be in a "Sharknado" movie. The soundtrack, by Quint, is always a plus. Their theme song sounds like "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" by the Ramones. Series writer Thunder Levin gives them a fun script to start. Reynolds is good, but the "Sharknado" series is getting long in the tooth. If you've never seen a "Sharknado" before, this one might be fun.

**** Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens (7/31/2016) Anthony C. Ferrante ~ Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, David Hasselhoff, Tommy Davidson

As most of the readers of my reviews might have noticed, I am a guy with very mixed taste. Not only I watch theater releases and must-see movies but I also watch obscure movies that nobody would ever seek, movies that were popular for a while and then fell into oblivion, and very awful movies. I have a confession: despite my huge knowledge in bad movies I have never seen the previous SHARKNADO entries but watched this one in particular for completing the movies of a particular cast member. Now I can go to the review.

When the movie begins we are told that the Sharknado phenomenon has been stopped by an invention of the Astro-X that also managed to resurrect Colonel Shepard (David Hasseloff). His son Fin travels to Las Vegas for meeting the nephew when suddenly a tornado destroys a shark aquarium and causes a new sharknado that kills various Vegas people, and they gradually become bouldernados (made of boulders), oilnado (made of oil), a firenado (made of flames), a cownado (made of cows), a lightningado (made of lightings) and a nuclearnado after hitting a nuclear plant. April Wexler (Tara Reid), who was transformed in some sort of cyborg thanks to her dad (Gary Busey), goes with Colonel Shepard and the gang for stopping all the nados and freeing the people swallowed by sharks after they are all swallowed by a whale.

The plot, as crazy as might sound, was funny in some points and it didn't made me cringe for the fact that I was watching it. The acting was at times bland (especially by Reid and Steve Guttenberg) and at times ok (by Carrot Top, David Hasseloff, Gary Busey and the late Gilbert Gottfried). The CGI was decent, and the sharks especially were very adorable to look at (except when at the end they are cut open). What was annoying was the dialogue because at times it didn't even make sense, neither some of the actions of the characters.

So it's bad but not that much because it can actually entertain. Perfect watching for killing one and a half hour or for having some laugh at the ineptness of it.

FYI... 4 of the cast members of this (Tara Reid, Bo Derek, Carrot Top and Gary Busey) put me likes on my comments on their posts on Instagram since November 2022. Perhaps they read my review and thought I liked it just for them, who knows?

Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens seemingly had a different tone and atmosphere than the previous films of the series. And the reason for the backlash and criticism is that it is quite different. It isn't as good as the others but it's different in various ways and the writers and team should be applauded for trying something quite different. It's not great but still watchable.

This film felt less like a shark horror comedy and more like an action and superhero film. Enjoyed that this film takes place 5 years after the events of the third film where Tara Reid suffered serious injuries, and although they somewhat remade Tara Reid into a sort of terminator/superhero figure, it was over the top but different.

It moves at a quicker pace yet does feel a little rushed. It is more ridiculous with the inclusions of different type of tornadoes they have merged (we hear "Firenado, Lightningnado, Sandnado"). It is over the top, silly but we come to expect it by now. Overall it really is not that enjoyable, funny or fresh as the previous three but there is still some charm.

As a rewatch 04/30/23' opinions remain same. Some solid moments but overall not very enjoyable.

The first two 'Sharknado' movies were not great and had a lot wrong with them, but they were guilty pleasure fun as long as not taken seriously. 'Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!' however was a let-down, it lacks the fun and charm of the first two as a result of being too self-aware and trying far too hard, really wanted to not take this seriously and view it as a guilty pleasure but it was just too amateurish and tired.

With 'Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens', the amateurish-ness and fatigue are multiplied and highly indicative of that despite starting off in guilty pleasure fashion the novelty has worn off and well thin now. The previous film may have lacked charm, fun and energy, though the fun came in occasionally, but 'Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens' is completely devoid of all three and has so many other things wrong too. Even when one tries to take it for what it's trying to be, which it manages to fail at.

Ian Ziering is likable and charismatic in the lead role, he plays it straight but still looks like he's having fun with the role. There is some nice scenery, an energetic and eerie music score and some of the references are fun and inspired, when they aren't being over obvious or dumb.

Very little else works. Tara Reid continues to be unspeakably awful, her facial expressions look so expressionless and very forced in the few times she tries, her line delivery is mechanical and she constantly looks ill at ease. The dizzying amount of cameos and the quality of them are nowhere near as entertaining as in the first two outings, not just the too deadpan approach but also that they're poorly written and feel too random and brief. Some also downright irritating, especially Jedward whose "annoying factor" from their joke act 'X Factor' days has not changed a bit. David Hasselhoff didn't seem comfortable and neither did Gary Busey.

Even for low-budget, 'Sharknado 4' is very shoddy stuff. The scenery is pretty good but the film is shot in a very rushed-looking and drab way, editing is sloppy as well as choppy and the shark special effects are typical dreadfully artificial Asylum/SyFy fare. Regarding the shark attacks and death scenes (none being good enough to even reach "reasonably fun" level), that the sharks have little personality let alone menace hurts them and even more so the unintentional silliness comes at the expense of thrills and suspense, which are nowhere in sight, and gets tiresome. The film is directed flatly, the energy and enthusiasm in the pacing is missing and there are too many cardboard characters that are difficult to give a toss about. The first two films had some great funny lines, but the script here contains nothing remotely amusing or memorable and instead feels stale and tiresomely cheesy.

'Sharknado 4' is even more of a pale retread than the third film, with very little maintaining interest and instead having numerous scenes leading nowhere It's further not helped by trying too hard being dopey fun and in the process taking itself too seriously at times that any life is sucked out, then including new ideas, like the different kinds of "nados", intended to be fresh but are just cheap and ridiculous.

Overall, a less than extravagant awakening and feels tired. 3/10 Bethany Cox