Director: Anthony C. Ferrante
Starring: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, Cassie Scerbo, Frankie Muniz and David Hasselhoff.
Running Time: 93 Minutes
Certification: 15
As if Sharknado and it’s sequel hadn’t provided enough toothy twisters for most people, the Syfy channel has delved back into it’s surprisingly popular franchise for a third instalment, the aptly named Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!
Armed with progressively more elaborate chainsaws and an uninspiring script, Ian Ziering, Tara Reid and Cassie Scerbo return to the fray – this time joined by Frankie Muniz and David Hasselhoff – as they attempt to snatch an unlikely victory from the jaws of defeat (sorry).
During a trip to Washington DC, Fin Shepard (Ziering) finds his shark-slaying services required when a storm obliterates the capital. With all flights grounded, Fin must battle his way to Orlando where his pregnant wife April (Reid) awaits and take on a sharknado that threatens the entire east coast.
Upping the stakes and stuffed full of cameos – including Jackie Collins, Lou Ferrigno, George RR Martin, Jerry Springer, Penn & Teller, Ne-Yo, WWE’s Chris Jericho, Jedward and even Michele Bachmann – there’s no doubt that Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! tries to raise its game, but unfortunately the film is surprisingly dull in places (despite it’s insane narrative) and often painful to watch, partly down to its obvious self-awareness. Spotting the aforementioned cameos quickly became one of the highlights when watching the film, acting as a pleasant distraction from the repeated jokes, clumsy visuals, bland characters and trite dialogue.
Unfortunately the biggest issue with Sharknado 3 is that it lacks any real charm or originality, trying too hard to tick the right boxes. One of the major challenges when extending a limited concept like Sharknado into multiple films is keeping it fresh, something which – despite their best efforts – director Anthony C. Ferrante and writer Thunder Levin fail to do. Simply adding more outrageous situations and references to the previous films aren’t enough when ultimately the concept has lost any B-movie appeal that it once had. When an already ridiculous franchise like this one ‘jumps the shark’ so spectacularly, you know it’s time to let it sink back to the depths where it belongs.
A jumble of poor ideas and self-references, Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! is a largely unfunny, often painful attempt to be ‘so bad it’s good’ that only hits the former.
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! is available on DVD now.
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