Swamp Shark (2011 TV Movie) User Reviews

Actually better than many others of the same genre...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 13 March 2012]

Initially when I sat down to watch this movie I was expecting it to be yet another of those endless streams of crappy b-movies about killer animals, a movie with lousy effects and an equally lousy storyline. "Swamp Shark", despite its name, was actually surprisingly nice in comparison with so many others of the same genre.

The storyline in "Swamp Shark" was pretty much as expected, a killer shark on the rampage, in a swamp nonetheless, terrorizing the people in the area and going on a feeding frenzy. Of course it terrorizes the wrong people and they decide to hunt it down. I mean, what else are restaurant owners to do, eh? Pretty much textbook storyline here, so don't expect any brilliant ideas or surprise plot twists. And you already know the ending of the movie right from the first minute of watching it. But hey, the movie was still entertaining.

As for the cast in "Swamp Shark", well then I think they were actually alright, and put on good performances. Of course, with a movie like this, it is not going to be award-winning performances, but still, the actors and actresses did good jobs with their given roles. Most of the cast was fairly unfamiliar to me, so it was good to see some new faces.

The special effect and CGI in "Swamp Shark" was good enough. Sure there were a couple of scenes where you don't buy into the CGIs, as they were just too much of an eyesore, but in overall general, the effects and CGI came off working well enough.

Despite "Swamp Shark" being somewhat better than so many of the same genre, there just isn't enough entertainment value in the movie for a second watching. You watch this movie once, then bag and tag it on the DVD shelf.

Swampy Jaws

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 7 September 2013]

A small Louisiana town prepares for their annual summertime Gator Fest while a mysterious tanker truck arrives in town. For reasons not entirely clear, it is delivering a shark to nasty sheriff Robert Davi (as Watson). The shark breaks out and runs amok in the swamp. It begins to munch on people, leaving behind body parts to look gross for the camera, when discovered. The "Swamp Shark" also snacks on alligators needed for the Gator Fest. Taking charge of the unfortunate situation is gun-savvy blonde bar restaurant owner Kristy Swanson (as Rachel Bouchard). She is assisted by mysterious stranger-in-town D.B. Sweeney (as Tommy Breysler) and big, southern-accented brother Jeff Chase (as Jason)...

This is "Jaws" (1975) in a swampy southern setting. Producer Ken Badish and director Griff Furst pull out the usual bag of shark tricks. There are a couple of intriguing relationships that go nowhere. Original vampire-slaying "Buffy" Swanson is obviously having a sexual relationship with handsome younger Richard Tanne (as Tyler), reversing usual gender roles. Also, servile busboy Jason Rogel (as Martin) unexpectedly yearns for Swanson's sexy young sister Sophie Sinise (as Krystal). Having either of these end unexpectedly would have lifted the story. There is nothing too suspenseful, but Mr. Furst is very good at staging non-shark interplay, giving the characters and script more life than you'd expect.

***** Swamp Shark (6/25/11) G.E. Furst ~ Kristy Swanson, Robert Davi, Richard Tanne, Sophie Sinise

Buffy, the still yummy swamp shark Slayer

[Coventry · 5/10 · 10 July 2021]

I have, and probably forever will have, a huge fondness for Kristy Swanson. That started when I was a young and horny horror fan, and gazed at her in "Deadly Friend" (one word: basketball). A handful of years later, she was also the first actress to depict Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and - to me - she will always own that role, instead of Sarah Michelle Gellar. The lovely Mrs. Swanson never really broke through as a great actress, but it's fantastic to see she still occasionally pops up in low-keyed, undemanding and trashy horror movies like "Swamp Shark". And, might I add, she still looks sensationally sexy!

As far as exaggeratedly ridiculous and straight-to-video shark movies go (and there are hundreds of them...), "Swamp Shark" is definitely one of the coolest. This is largely thanks to Kristy and the rest of the glorious B-cast, but also setting is excellent and the "fun-factor" is very high. Cajun-horror is always fun, just think of "Southern Comfort" or "Hunter's Blood". "Swamp Shark" obviously doesn't play in the same league, but at least director G. E. Furst tries to make the most out of the Louisianan filming locations and atmosphere. The film is also fast-paced and full of action footage and random kills, which is good because you don't have the time to think about how inept the script, in fact, is. The digital gore effects and the shark itself (supposedly a prehistoric species) are pathetic and truly look awful. Fortunately, though, the looks of Kristy Swanson compensate for everything. The young actress playing her sister Krystal is a feast for the eyes as well. She, Sophie Sinise, seems to be cast purely for her blond hair and impressive chest size, but who cares!

Nothing Really New

[Uriah43 · 4/10 · 9 July 2013]

A corrupt Louisiana sheriff named "Sheriff Watson" (Robert Davi) is buying rare and exotic animals and reselling them for a profit. In one particular purchase, a strange but exceedingly deadly type of shark is brought to him but manages to escape into the bayou. Not far from there is a family-owned restaurant called "the Gator Shed" which is run by "Rachael Bouchard" (Kristy Swanson) with the help of her brother "Jason Bouchard" (Jeff Chase) and younger sister "Krystal Bouchard" (Sophie Sinise). Naturally, since the shark needs to feed, and an annual celebration nearby called the "Gator Fest" just happens to have plenty of people frolicking in the water, things begin to get rather dicey for all concerned rather quickly. So much for the plot which is, of course, very similar to "Jaws" and several of its sequels and clones. Nothing really new. Along with that the acting wasn't that good, some of the scenarios bordered on the ridiculous and the special effects left much to be desired. On the other hand, this film had some decent suspense and a few attractive young ladies (like the aforementioned Kristy Swanson and Sophie Sinise) to keep things interesting. Even so, the good points simply weren't sufficient to overcome the flaws mentioned earlier and as a result it's difficult to rate this film higher than I have. Slightly below average.

SyFy

[trashgang · 3/10 · 5 June 2011]

This is a SyFy production and it's a typical one. Again, it's a creature against humanity and here we have to do with a shark, sadly, the shark is as always for SyFy CGI and badly done. The acting is by some wooden and the movie doesn't starts at any moment. It all takes too long before the shark attacks and even that isn't bloody or gory. The shark comes and goes a few times before he bites of a head in pure CGI style. There are some weird things too, when it starts to rain it rains only above one boat. The other boat a bit further doesn't have any rain and stranger is that the boat that is in the rain , well, the people on it doesn't get soaking wet. Their clothes stay dry, maybe it's so hot in the swamps... Not my cup of tea, one to watch and forget. And just this, if the people behind this kind of flicks want to tease with nudity then show it but don't just cut it out. SyFy didn't convince me here...

Don't waste your time

[rick79robertson · 1/10 · 27 April 2013]

All I can say is Kristy Swanson, D.B. Sweeney, and Robert Davi all must have REALLY needed a paycheck because this stinker is a WASTE of everything. The special effects look high schoolish. The acting is horrible. At no point is there ever even the slightest hint of suspense or horror. This movie was so bad my popcorn even soured. Save the 2 hours you'll spend watching this and sleep or watch paint dry. I was hoping Kristy had retained her hotness, but nope, wrong again. This script is a typical retread of anything the Syfy folks make. It's always monster this or killer that. I'm having trouble coming up with ten lines that accurately describe how bad this movie is. It's not even worth a $2 rental. Avoid this at all costs!!!!

lowest possible budget disgrace

[medicfx45 · 1/10 · 26 June 2011]

This was horrible. A predictable story, like Jaws and all similar type flicks. 2nd rate actors, with poor Christy Swanson, at the age of 40+ pretending to be a 20 year old with a boyfriend half her age. She is cute, but out of shape, excluding the plastic surgeries. A shark that swims at 100 miles an hour and small for the damage it causes is terrorizing a little town in Louisiana. Predictable situations. Teenagers who party, have sex and drink and fall victims to the monster. There is no significant gore, just some laughable decapitations, etc. This is an extremely low budget, made for TV, movie that will likely not satisfy you. It is watchable, if there is nothing else on, but it will remind you of films from the 40's, the only difference being that in the 40's the special effects were better.

"Open on gorgeous swamplands of the Atchafalaya Basin in the summer. Lots of beautiful teens are at the beach the weekend before Gator Fest."

[Jaybegood · 1/10 · 25 June 2011]

Number one, the Atchafalya basin is a swamp, a certified and positive swamp, and there is no "beach!" It's fresh water from the Mississippi River ( do the recent news stories about the flooding and the opening of the Morganza Floodway gates to send the water into the Atchafalya basin ring a bell?) and no salt water animal, even a mega shark, would stay alive in it. The restaurant tries to be all things, a "local dive" a "Tourist attraction" etc. and it's bigger than all get out! This move sucks on so many levels you need a score card to keep up. If you've ever lived or been in the actual area, you'd know that this ain't real folks! On the positive side, the music in the restaurant ain't all that bad!

"What a lousy way to start the summer"

[lost-in-limbo · 29 May 2011]

What a title! Too bad you can't say what a film! It's routine low-budget Syfy Channel original picture fodder. During an animal smuggling trade involving the local town sheriff, it goes terribly wrong as a monstrous shark is accidentally released in the backwoods swamps. There it mauls the gators kept at the McDaniel's "Gator Shack" restaurant, where that night Rachel the owner saw a fin in the water. The sheriff "doesn't" believe her that a shark did it, but she along with some others decides to go out in bayou to prove it. Also to make matters worse, the Gator Fest is on which means more visitors to the area. Nothing startling here (although giggles occur watching the shark jump out of the water to fly across the screen)… as you know what you're about to watch. It's going to be ridiculous, which it is… but is it going to be enjoyable? It's one thing to be silly, but it's got to be entertaining. "Swamp Shark" has its moments, but I found it to tread water for too long with lapses of character's simply rambling on about what they are going to do, than actually doing it and when they do its rather unremarkable. Some crazy things occur, but simply not enough. However what they storm up to dispatch the shark has to be seen to be believed. Hey it's original, but it will have you bug-eyed. The story plays the trump soap operas, delivers annoying characters, throws around ineffective cheap jolts, consists of lousy CGI shark effects and the homage's to "Jaws" are obvious (from story threads to scenes), some even joked about (like the use of a gas cylinder for the climatic battle --- "That's not going to work"). Standing out more so was the photography, which frames some picturesque locations, by instilling some spacious shots and local flavour. While serious the humour is still there, but the b-script doesn't use that mock-style to get it across. Performances are acceptable. Kristy Swanson is looking comfortable and former football player Jeff Chase appears. Robert Davi is good fun in his slimly sheriff role and his comeuppance is a complete hoot. There's a mixture of crumby CGI (where the fin gets a good workout), but also old-fashion special effects of a rubber shark bursting out of the water. It was good to see some practical effects used. This Sci-fi original is ludicrous, but incredibly flatfooted.

Oh Boy

[blumdeluxe · 2/10 · 30 May 2019]

"Swamp Shark" tells the story of a huge shark that haunts his victims after an illegal deal with animals went wrong. The only people willing and ready to stop him are a redtaurant owner and her brave friends.

What you see is what you get and when you see "Swamp Shark" you don't expect to get much. The movie is watchable, yes, but it is by all means dumb and as in many similar movies, I think it would have even been a better movie if they simply let the shark out. The rest is still a lot of stereotype characters and feels like a High School Movie in many parts but still it makes it possible for you to emphasize with the characters and doesn't hurt your brain.

All in all fans of this genre will be happy with the film, the acting is okay and the general plot acceptable. Nonetheless no-one would have missed the film or to be less harsh and generalizing, I wouldn't have.

Another corny CGI movie from the Scy fy channel

[jordondave-28085 · 3/10 · 15 July 2023]

(2011) Swamp Shark HORROR

It has a bunch of teens boozing during "Gatorfest" until Sheriff Watson (Robert Davi) chases them away. Sheriff Watson then goes to see someone about illegal animal smuggling, and this killer shark that was held captive inside a tanker truck eventually frees itself by rattling it back and forth so aggressively that it rolled itself back into the water. The sheriff then instructs the person he was with to keep it quiet, and that is how the "Swamp shark" got into the area. The next scene then centers on another part of town, on the Broussard family owned business restaurant called "The Gator Shed" run by an older sister, Rachel (Kristy Swanson), the younger sister, Krystal (Sophie Sinise), and tall bulky brother, Jason (Jeff Chase) which the residents nickname him as Swamp Thing because of his football-like built figure. As they too celebrating "Gatorfest" with friend of the family and server/ helper, named Martin (Jason Rogel) while Rachel's boyfriend Tyler (Richard Tanne) works at the bar. When a known drunk who causes trouble became the first victim of Swamp Shark, the Broussard family also notice that the alligators were not responding and assumed they too were victims too as they have beepers tagged onto them.

One of the major problems with this film is the fact that the teenagers who were celebrating and so forth all have parents and so forth, and yet not a single one of them have like ever called or so forth. It is also kind of strange how the Swamp shark can swim to several places at once so quickly besides the corny CGI.

Exceptionally enjoyable Sci-Fi Channel entry

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 9/10 · 24 September 2012]

When a series of attacks in their waters lead them to believe a shark is responsible and the authorities doubting the claims, a family of restaurateurs heads into the Louisiana swamps to kill it before it attacks more people.

Overall this one was a pretty decent creature feature and gets some good points to it. One of the better points here is the film taking full advantage of the situation to make for some really tense moments, as there's a couple rather fun stalking scenes in the swamps. The Louisiana bayou setting is appropriately handled with the swampy marshlands and waterways bringing about some really high-end sequences from the first encounter in the open waterways or it taking out the penned crocodiles before the drunk fisherman. There's also a couple other great scenes here taking great advantage of the setting with the attack on the partying students on the row-boat or the hunting party where the family sets out to hunt the creature out in open waters in speedboats making for some really impressive scenes. These here set the stage for the film's two big action scenes on the attack on the partying houseboat and the rescue attempt later on as she tries to save her daughter as both scenes offer up some bloody deaths, tons of fun with the action to keep the creature at bay as well as the suspense of the creature appearing which are highly enjoyable. As well, the finale is a lot of fun as it's the main attack on the festival where it leads from an exciting chase to start off that there's some fun there, the attacks are quite bloody and action-packed while the final resolution of killing the creature makes for a good time. Lastly, unlike how most of these usually are, the shark actually looks really good and has some scenes where it's a full-live shark, prop and not CGI, although the CGI here does look better than expected but can't compare to how good the shark-prop looks. These here are enough to make-up for it's one weak area is that there's not a lot of actual shark attacks going on, and while it's not noticeable to the plot or pacing, it does lower the gore quotient somewhat since there's not a whole lot of attacks in here. It doesn't have that many attack scenes to really ramp up that factor regardless of graphic the few ones are, but this isn't enough to truly deter this one fully.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Language and Brief Nudity.

The Less cgi , the better

[siandjools · 6/10 · 25 May 2011]

I Keep going back for more! Maybe it's a last ditch attempt to recapture the awe i had watching the monster movies i saw as a kid,or maybe it's some kind of damage to the cerebrum due to an early fall, i don't know. I do know that every time one of these Killer Shark / Mutant Bee / Giant whatever movies rears it's ugly CGI infested head on the syfy channel i usually find myself parked in front of the t.v - alone! My wife gave up watching these things with me a long time ago, but my tolerance for them is pretty solid and my plight goes on. Anyway, after sitting through the truly atrocious 'Sharktopus' the night before i surprised even myself by giving Swamp Shark the time of day. I was quite surprised, not too bad, not great by a long shot but not too bad all the same. One of the main winning points of this movie is the toning down of the CGI, most of it is bad in this kind of movie and the films suffer because of it. Although Swamp Shark has it's moments of nasty cheap looking CGI it's not overrun with it.In some attacks the CGI is actually replaced with a good old fashioned rubber shark head,which once may have been scoffed at but now is nice to see. A lot of the sharks screen time is under murky water masking the computer effects,it's only when it leaves the water that the problems start. The Other winning point is the characters are tolerable,quite likable even. Everyone slots into their modern b-movie place nicely, the sister's and ex NFL pro hulk of a brother struggling with their inherited family restaurant/Gator park business - The Ass of a boyfriend who you look forward to getting munched - The Nasty corrupt sheriff who doesn't want to know because he's responsible for the whole mess in the first place - The Undercover agent - They all chip in to keep the film ticking along when the title character is not around causing mayhem. Overall the film keeps it's sense of fun, not taking itself too seriously without trying to parody itself as the afore mentioned 'Shartopus' tried and failed to do. Many will hate this movie and it's probably destined to the usual low score that syfy channel movies get on here(most deserved)but i for one found myself enjoying it. It flows, it's fun and it takes the shark attack movie on vacation to new surroundings. Or maybe Sharktopus is more your cup of chum.

Shark Swamp.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 5/10 · 23 October 2017]

Lining up the gooey The Beast In Me to watch on Netflix,I started looking for a second Creature Feature to see. Going to my local CEX,I found what looked like a short a sweet shark tail,which led to me dipping my feet into the swamp.

The plot:

After an attempted robbery of a tankard goes wrong,the contents spill out into swamp water. Spilling out near the alligators of the swamp,the contents turns out to be a shark,who kills all the alligators. Seeing people turn up half eaten, Gator Shack restaurant owner Rachel Broussard gathers her family and friends to sail out and find the alligators. Nearing the major alligator swamp, (who all have tracking devices put inside them) Broussard is horrified to find no sign of the alligators,and all their tracking devices hoovering alone in the water.

View on the film:

Swimming in a SyFy channel movie swamp,director Griff Furst & cinematographer Lorenzo Senatore do well to give the Creature Feature terror scenes a real crunch, with the practical effects and gallons of blood bringing out an over the top atmosphere that makes up for the iffy CGI moments. Always keeping the shark near the pesky humans,the screenplay by Jennifer Iwen/Eric Miller and Charles Bolon offers up a deep-fried plate of Southern terror,oiled up by charming thumb- sketches drawn of all the people in the town,who become drawn to finding out what is in the swamp. Setting her sights on the beast with a harpoon gun, Kristy Swanson covers the flick in dollops of thigh-tapping Southern sass as the tough fighting Broussard,who wants to return the swamp to a shark-free zone.

Swamp Shark, Swamp Fart

[danumber40 · 3/10 · 30 August 2014]

This movie is rated R only for the brief instances of gore, I would assume, and maybe for the very brief nudity. There were several scenes with blood in the water, but you only saw one mangled corpse and one other man lose his head. It wasn't very scary. The jump scares weren't...jumpy. It was a boring movie.

I'm not going to go into detail with how bad the acting was, but it wasn't plain stupid, as one would expect. But it was far from good. I mean, at the very beginning, when the giant tank of the truck crashes into the swamp. releasing the shark, the sheriff drops a terrible one-liner. After the driver leaves, paying no attention to the deaths of the other two men, the sheriff dramatically takes off his glasses, and, looking into the distance, says, "What a lousy way to start the summer." Speaking of these men's deaths, the bodies disappear in the shots immediately after the kills.

There were several deaths. None were very bloody, except for the one when the shark chopped off a cop's head that was watching a girl strip with his binoculars. Pervert. He had it coming. The deaths of the boyfriend and girlfriend in the boat were not spectacular. Swim away, scream, and disappear underwater. Not a lot of blood. The girl's mutilated torso is discovered later, however. There were at least four other deaths, but none were shown. Only one had blood float to the surface of the water.

It qualified more as a PG-13 movie than a horror, except for the one scene with the girl's shredded torso, which probably gave it the R rating.

I'm not asking for more violence and blood. I'm saying it shouldn't really qualify for a horror. It's more of a thriller.

As a whole, it was pretty boring. I was waiting for the gore to spice things up, and it never came.

And they went ahead with killing off the black guys, because every horror does that.

Fun, original and not terrible.

[steevhopper · 9/10 · 26 August 2011]

Picked this, and MONSTERWOLF, up for £3 each in Tesco- and watched SWAMP SHARK tonight expecting something awful. Surprise! It's actually aces. I admit, I was attracted mainly by the magnificent creature on the box art; which looks exactly like my shark-obsessed six year old had won a competition to draw the scariest shark he could imagine, and then have it made into a film. It looks like nothing on Earth- and predictably the movie itself never reveals it in the same type of glory. Ordinarily, this would annoy me, but the sense of fun the film radiates more than makes up for this disappointment.

The characters are engaging, the cast seem to be having a great time with some good material, and even when the titular beastie isn't around the movie continues to be interesting and enjoyable, buoyed by the script, performances and direction. Yes, the cgi is less-than-stellar- of course it is, but it really doesn't matter one jot. And the fact that they use some good old fashioned rubber sharkery at times just increases the fun.

One or two gory bits, but nothing that's going to offend the younger members of the family unless they're particularly squeamish, no nudity and no swearing means it's a pretty good bet as an entry level horror film for parents like me, keen to hook their offspring on the genre.

Yes, not all of it ties together, and one specific thread (the younger sister and her nerdy chef admirer) is left unresolved, but the sheer shock of picking up a three quid movie that gave so much back completely negates any misgivings I may have had over this.

Oh, and the Cajun soundtrack is brilliant. I want the album now (or at least its inspired me to go buy some of the type of music featured) and the DVD menu screen is not only a visual delight (the cover-creature in full-body magnificence) but the looping music track is great too!

One of the better killer shark movies.

[jhpstrydom · 7/10 · 17 May 2012]

Given the last few killer shark crap fests that passes for movies SWAMP SHARK was actually one of the better killer shark movies, granted it was a tad on the silly side but it was a fun movie and CGI weren't really anything to talk about but then again this is a made for TV movie so its acceptable.

The shark itself looks pretty interesting, while watching the film I thought to myself if SWAMP THING was a shark this would probably be what he would look like (oddly enough the film is called SWAMP SHARK go figure) plus the acting in the film was actually very good, which one of the surprises about this film since the acting in all the other shark movies in the B variety usually sucked.

Overall, its a fun movie and I recommend it if you want to just chill in front of the TV and its way more entertaining than SHARK NIGHT 3D believe it or not.

I love a Cajun horror movie!

[jerrilynnbthomas · 8/10 · 25 June 2011]

A Syfy movie is typically hit or miss. They finally have an interesting script. I'm most likely biased because I'm from Louisiana.

The food, music, interaction between the cast and a killer shark in the swamp have kept me glued to the screen.

Swamp Shark is character driven instead of creature driven. The previous summer premiere movies like Moby Dick bored the heck out of me.

It is really nice to watch a movie about the Cajun country in which the characters accent is not a miss. Not everyone from Louisiana has a thick Cajun accent.

My only beef is that the ending could have been better.

Chomp, chomp...shark got your...

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 9 August 2014]

It's about time for a mysterious creature to raise havoc in the swamps of Louisiana. Crowds are gathering in the Atchafalaya Basin to take part in Gator Fest. A black market exotic animal deal goes awry when a very large unusually muscular shark leaps into the murky swamp. Now how does a shark navigate in shallow, boggy swamps...mean and menacing. When a headless body is found in the swamp it is blamed on runaway gators displayed at the Gator Shack, a family owned drinkin' and eatin' waterin' hole. Owner Rachel Broussard(Kristy Swanson)is not about to let her business get a bad reputation; she more or less rounds up a posse of family and friends to find the shark she was sure of witnessing. A stranger named Charlie(D.B. Sweeney)happens to join in the search for the shark causing so much terror, panic and hysterics. And yes, Charlie is not there just by accident. The exotic shark takes very little time in running up a body count; and seems to bite off heads with the skills of a surgeon. SyFy channel, you gave us an entertaining creature feature. The CGI blends well. Why is it always fun to watch people get chomped and mangled? And a few young bouncing beauties don't hurt a thing. Also in the cast: Christopher Berry, Lauren Graham, Marcus Lyle Brown, Robert Davi, Jason Rogel and former Major League Baseball player, Wade Boggs.

Today We Learned That The Fish and Wildlife Service Has Secret Agents and a SWAT Team

[swiftfire-68904 · 10/10 · 12 February 2022]

This is a very excellent B-shark-movie. Best we've seen in a hot minute for sure. Excellent selection of character deaths. Very nice for bingo. Everyone you want to die (aka basically the entire male cast) dies, and it's very satisfying.

The shark is a lot of practical effects, not CGI, actually! The CGI is mostly the blood and stuff, which is also not terrible except for the Definitely Real Torsos.

Has a small amount of hetero nonsense, but it was actually decently well done so we'll forgive it this one time!

And also Martin is there, and he was very good the whole time :D.

SWAMP SHARK: Silly But Fun!!

[anythinghorrorscott · 6/10 · 21 June 2011]

The middle part of 2011 is proving to be a good period for the SyFy channel and their originals. Earlier this year SyFy's 51 (see review here) and BEHEMOTH (see review here) were promising, but both failed in their respective executions. BEHEMOTH promised a huge, planet-destroying creature but simply gave us a lazy, Lovecraftian-influenced beast who was attached to a mountain. But then last weeks ICE ROAD TERROR really surprised me with how fast-paced, gory, and fun it was (see review here), and now SWAMP SHARK, premiering on Saturday, June 25th at 9pm (ET/PT), once again proves that when the boys and girls over at SyFy really wanna make an entertaining flick, they can do it.

SWAMP SHARK stars the original BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, Kristy Swanson as Rachel Broussard, the owner of the Gator Shack restaurant located right next to the swamplands of the Atchafalaya Basin. She runs the restaurant with her younger sister Krystal (Sophie Sinise, Gary Sinise's daughter) and her older brother Jason "Swamp Thing" (Jeff Chase). Everything's going really well as the town prepares for their yearly big event, Gator Fest, until crooked sheriff Watson (Robert Davi), who sells illegal exotic animals (??!!!?) accidentally releases a shark into the swamps. Yeah I know; it's a silly and completely absurd set up, but it actually fits the entire campy world created in SWAMP SHARK. Swanson is one of the first people to spot the shark and instead of balling up into a panicking, hysterical woman, she grabs her hunting rifle, a boat, and anyone else who believes her and goes out to hunt down the swamp shark. I loved Swanson's character and since her best known film is the original BUFFY, it would've been hard seeing her as anything other than a butt kicking hottie.

And what self-respecting SyFy Original would forget to include some kind of 1980's pop culture reference? Not too worry; SWAMP SHARK has Baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs as a red neck deputy. I would've like to have seen him in a bigger role, but his role is pretty fun.

One of the people Swanson recruits to hunt the shark down is Charlie (D.B. Sweeney; where's he been?), a mysterious man hanging around the town. Their first hunting party doesn't, as you can imagine, go very well and they loose their boat and are forced to regroup. But in the meantime the town is preparing for Gator Fest and the shark has really gotten a taste for human flesh. Of course we get tons of nods to the granddaddy of shark films (and arguably all "giant creature" flicks), JAWS, but everything in SWAMP SHARK is done with such a fun spirit that you just sit back and go along for the ride. Davi's sheriff Watson is so sleazy that you can't help but smile every time he's on screen. The man knows there's a shark in the swamp (because he's the one that accidentally released it) but does nothing to try and fix the situation. He doesn't send out a hunting party and he doesn't prevent people from swimming in the swamp even after the dead bodies start piling up (in pieces). I loved Davi's character and it's nice to see he still "has it"!!

And maybe I'm just getting completely desensitized to bad CGI, but I thought the shark looked pretty good!! SyFy actually exhibits some restraint and doesn't show off the beast at every opportunity. We see flashes of it here and there and get teased way more than SyFy usually does. Of course there's the standard, "must have" scene of the shark jumping out the water to kill someone. This is the best look we get of the shark (until the final reel) and it was actually pretty cool looking. The body count could've been higher for my tastes, but the killings we do get were well-filmed. Director Griff Furst (who also directed last year's flaccid SyFy flick LAKE PLACID 3), takes his time here and sets up some pretty suspenseful kill scenes. And if you're like me you'll wonder why the two twenty-somethings, who wanted some privacy to have sex, took a canoe out into the swamp not 20 feet away from their friends. Sex in a canoe? Hey why not!!

And just like in ICE ROAD TERROR, we get a little more blood than the usual SyFy Original. We get to see a lot of post-attack, ripped apart torsos and appendages, and we're privy to a lot of blood spraying all over various cast members. Yeah people, this one is pretty fun. Maybe it's because Summer's here? Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for a fun "beast attacks" flick? Or maybe it's just because the people over at SyFy are putting in some time and effort into their scripts!! But writers Charles Bolon, Jennifer Iwen, and Eric Miller give us a fun, light- hearted, and fast-paced script that despite the holes in logic keep you interested up to the end. And just wait until you see how they finally kill the shark!! I thought we were gonna get a very JAWS-like ending, but the writers took a hard left turn and gave us something original, fun, and very bloody. Nice job.

A great cast who're obviously having a really fun time, a solid script with some originality in it, and some well-crafted death scenes make SWAMP SHARK a really entertaining and fun summer flick. SyFy has renewed my love of the "attacking beasties" summer flick and I can't wait to see what they have in store for us next!! Catch SWAMP SHARK this Saturday, June 25th at 9pm (ET/PT) on SyFy. Seriously!!

Nice

[konsamlevin · 10/10 · 29 November 2021]

Awesome movies. I like very much. I have search for a long time this movie. But it didn't found. When I found it it can't see again. When can i see this movies Pliz i want to see this movies.

Entertaining creature-on-the-loose flick in the Louisiana swamps

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 5 September 2017]

RELEASED TO TV IN 2011 and directed by Griff Furst, "Swamp Shark" chronicles events in the Louisiana bayou when an exotic shark that's nigh invulnerable due to being used to low depths is released into the swamp. Kristy Swanson, Sophie Sinise & Jeff Chase play the sibling owners of a restaurant whose livelihood is threatened due to the creature. Jason Rogel plays an overweight-but-intelligent Asian worker with eyes on the younger sibling. Robert Davi appears as the corrupt sheriff while D.B. Sweeney is on hand as a gung-ho game warden.

The low reviews are hilarious because "Swamp Shark" works for what it is, a made-for-TV nature-runs-amok flick. The tone is generally serious, but comic booky with campy/amusing elements (e.g. the sheriff & his deputies). True, it's hackneyed and rips-off elements of "Jaws" (so what else is new?), but you can't help but root for the five protagonists and you can't beat the authentic Louisiana bayou locations. Moreover, there are a few decent cuties, including Sinise. Speaking of which, Natacha Itzel has an unexpected and suspenseful strangling scene, which is well done.

THE FILM RUNS 85 minutes and was shot in Henderson & Lafayette, Louisiana. WRITERS: Jennifer Iwen & Eric Miller (also Charles Bolon).

GRADE: Borderline B/B-

Yes it's silly, but I also found it fun

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 6 December 2011]

I'll start off by saying I dislike a lot of SyFy movies, but the cast on paper didn't seem so bad. The premise was one that could've gone either way. After seeing it last night, I have to say while it is far from a perfect movie it is tolerable compared to a lot of what SyFy have done.

My feelings on the computer effects were mixed. They were not so bad underwater, which were quite nicely shot, but looked a little cheap elsewhere. That said though, SyFy have done much worse. The story is quite a decent idea, is well paced and starts off well with some suspense in the build ups, but there are some moments that come across as silly and unbelievable.

The script is not award-worthy, but apart from the odd cheesy line, it is not as terrible or as clichéd as I was expecting. The direction is efficient enough and the editing is not too slapdash.

Swamp Shark has some nice scenery and is generally well shot. It is also never too cheesy or overdone and doesn't take itself too seriously. The music is serviceable without being exceptional, it sets the mood alright which is something a lot of SyFy movies did not do.

The characters are likable, compared to the underdeveloped, stereotypical and annoying characters you often find, and the acting from Kirsty Swanson and DB Sweeney is surprisingly good. Overall, fun if silly, one of the movies in the sprinkle of tolerable SyFy amongst the sea of terrible ones. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Fun movie

[seckinlergafri · 7/10 · 5 August 2017]

Swamp Shark (2011) is a horror thriller that was released in 25 June, 2011. Tells the story of a shark that escaped from inside the giant tank he loose into the lake. The hungry shark began to search for prey, Rachel the owner of the cafe near the lake was also joined hands with her brother named Jason, to stop the shark. Swamp Shark is quite entertaining with all its shortcomings .. The usual CGI effects .. The shark in this movie looks fake .. But the excess movie gore scene, rachel fight and his friends to kill the shark ... But this movie is quite exciting ...