Are Goblin Sharks Really Extinct?

MEGA SHARK IN MALIBU (DVD)

Release Date: September 20th, 2010
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 96 minutes

Director: David Lister

Cast: Renee Bowen, Remi Broadway, Joel Amos Byrnes, Warren Christie, Nicholas G. Cooper, Jeff Gannon, Mungo McKay, Evert McQueen, Sonya Salomaa, Chelan Simmons, Daniel West, Peta Wilson

Following on from Mega Piranha and Mega Sark vs. Giant Octopus comes Mega Shark in Malibu.

Underwater earthquakes as we know can have disastrous consequences, but for a peaceful community on the Malibu shores, tidal waves aren’t the only dangers they’ll have to worry about. When an underwater tremor releases a horde of once-thought-to-be extinct six bone-armoured goblin sharks from their subterranean prison, they head right to where the meat is in the aftermath of a giant CGI tsunami. While a group of lifeguards clamour to safety, they find themselves trapped as the sharks circle them outside, looking for a way in.

How will they get out? Will they be rescued? Who cares, we want to see them get chomped for their bad acting!

Make no mistake; Mega Shark in Malibu is not a serious piece of cinema. The dialogue together with the special effects makes for an evening of fun with a few friends and a few drinks. There’s a great moment when a guy’s girlfriend gets snatched off the pier by one of the mega sharks. As it chomps her to bits he finally turns around to see what’s happening. He stands there horrified, kind of, until his buddy tries to get him to move along before it comes back. “Give me a minute” he says. Yes, I nearly cried – yeah, laughing!

As if that wasn’t enough, Mega Shark in Malibu poses an ethical question. A woman debates with the others whether or not they should kill the sharks. She tries to convince them that they need to be saved and protected, rather than hunted and killed. The others just want to survive and it isn’t long before Ms. Save The Sharks gets chomped to bits!

Oddly enough, the goblin shark (aka Mitsukurina owstoni) is not at all extinct, though they are quite rare. Perhaps they have enough sense to keep a low profile in case they end up in movies like this, oops, too late. Also contrary to the film’s portrayal, they are not generally known for attacking people or swimming near the surface. Not much is known about them, except that they can live in depths of up to 4000 feet! So if you’re looking to watch a movie and learn something about sharks in the process, this one isn’t it.

Other highlights include a parasailer getting chomped and a good bit of chainsaw action with one of the lifeguards. Funny, but not as funny as Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus.