An honest critique of “Sharknado: The 4th Awakens” is somewhat pointless. The movie, like the other three in the franchise, is so blatantly terrible that to treat it as a serious film is downright impossible. Fortunately the “Sharknado” series possesses the important quality of being so bad that it’s entertaining, and when treated that way, it can provide perfect summer escapism. Movie fans looking for a serious science-fiction film will be sorely disappointed, but anyone looking for non-stop absurdity should look no further.
The year is 2020 and the world has been sharknado-free for five years, thanks to a revolutionary invention by the Astro X Corporation. The peace doesn’t last long, however, and sharknadoes return with a vengeance — this time in new, equally ridiculous variations, such as a sand-nado, boulder-nado and even a lightning-nado. With the world in peril, it is up to world-famous hero Fin Shepard (Ian Ziering) to stop the sharknadoes and save the day.
The quality of acting is difficult to judge given that the writing is so laughable. The fact that anyone is able to talk about the science behind a sharknado with a straight face is an accomplishment in and of itself. With this being the fourth installment in the series, the writers needed to top the level of ridiculousness of the previous film, which they certainly did.
At one point, someone must be rescued by cutting through what can only be described as a series of Russian Nesting Doll sharks. The special effects are equally terrible, but all of this simply adds to the weird humour that is “Sharknado.”
If “Sharknado” deserves any credit, it’s that the filmmakers and actors are very aware of what kind of movie they’re making. The movie is packed with meta-jokes and the actors look like they’re having a blast, which makes for an enjoyable film experience. The only exception to this may be Tara Reid, playing the female lead April Shepard, who seems to take her role so seriously that the only explanation is she believes a sharknado could be a distinct possibility in real life.
Half of the fun of the movie is simply spotting all the D-List celebrity cameos, and subsequently watching these D-Listers be viciously eaten by sharks. Everyone from Carrot Top to Stacey Dash to Al Roker makes an appearance. As you can guess from the title, “Sharknado” is also rife with references to other famous films and television shows, like “Star Wars,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Baywatch.” It would almost be worth a second viewing simply to catch all of the references.
The ending makes it obvious that there will be another installment, so the world has “Sharknado 5” to look forward to in the summer of 2017, if nothing else. For some, the joke of shark tornados may be running thin, and topping this latest installment will be a challenge, but seeing what absurdities the filmmakers can come up with next will definitely be interesting. The “Sharknado” films probably aren’t for everyone, but if you enjoy hilariously bad science fiction, “Sharknado: The 4th Awakens” is pure gold.
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