The Reef [DVD]

A film of this nature has one purpose and that is to entertain you for an hour and a half. From the front of the box and the DVD synopsis you know what will happen and how it'll end. But you know what that's fine, after all isn't that the reason we watch films like this? Anyway, the story revolves around a group of holiday makers and after a series of unfortunate events they end up stranded in the ocean approximately 10 miles from the nearest island. They start swimming and a shark turns up. I was actually gripped by this film, I thought the decision to use a real shark as opposed to the cop-out CGI option works in it's favour, many scenes showed both the shark and the actors in the same shot. These were very effective and had me questioning how they achieved the end result. Its not a perfect film, the plot is obvious, the acting slightly wooden in places but I was riveted to my seat the whole time and I came away feeling I had watched a solid shark film, this is no Jaws but I preferred it to (in my opinion) the over-hyped Open Water. Overall a solid and entertaining film without bringing anything new to the table, probably worth a rent before you buy.

Personally, I never plan to be in a situation where I have to choose between swimming through shark-infested waters to possible safety and staying atop a capsized sinking boat with very little chance of being rescued. Unfortunately, that's exactly the situation the characters of The Reef find themselves in when their boat strikes a reef and capsizes in the waters of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Those beautiful blue Pacific waters aren't so inviting when you're suddenly forced to ponder the dangers that lie beneath. It's true that The Reef follows the standard formula in a genre that is already bursting with shark attack movies in recent years, but this one is well worth watching because it is based on a true story (albeit loosely, with a number of significant changes) and, more importantly, it hits all the right buttons of fear, suspense, and realism.

The trip was supposed to be a holiday for Luke (Damian Walshe-Howling), his friend Matt (Gyton Grantley), Matt's girlfriend Suzie (Adrienne Pickering), and Matt's sister (and Luke's former girlfriend) Kate (Zoe Naylor) - and so it was until their yacht hit a reef and capsized. With the keel pretty much laid open, Luke lays out the group's options. Option 1 is to stay on the slowly sinking boat and hope they are rescued before it goes down - but there is very little traffic in that area, the boat's old distress beacon can only be picked up by a plane flying overhead, and the current is pushing them out toward the ocean. Option 2 is to swim for it to Turtle Island twelve miles away. Luke's sole crewman is adamant about staying with the boat because he knows they are in shark-infested waters, but Luke thinks their only realistic chance is to swim for it. Personally, I would be staying there with Warren - no doubt about it. No one even mentions the fact that, sharks or no sharks, any miscalculation on Luke's part would mean the swimmers would never find land of any type.

We never get on intimate terms with these characters, but they're all likable enough for you to care what happens to them. Being a great lover of sharks, I sometimes find myself pulling for the shark over annoying or patently unlikable characters, but that was not the case in The Reef. This is one serious example of nature's perfect killing machine, to boot. This shark looks like he's been in more than a few scrapes in his time - he's big, he's bad, and he's totally unstoppable. It's no wonder the characters panic every time he puts in an appearance - and realistic panic it is. They do exactly what they shouldn't do, splashing around all over the place as they cling to one another in fear. The actresses do a particularly good job of demonstrating shock - particularly Zoe Naylor, whose over-the-top facial expressions would be laughable in any other situation. As far as I'm concerned, though, there's no such thing as overacting when it comes to displaying the fear of being eaten alive by a magnificent shark.

One of the great things about this Australian movie is that it was actually shot out on the water (in Harvey Bay), and the shark footage is real (shot specifically for this movie). For an entire month, the actors spent up to ten hours a day, six days a week in the water (presumably, inside a large, protective tank) dealing with weather changes and some serious skin wrinkling. At one point, Damian Walshe-Howling had to be rushed to a hospital after being stung by a poisonous fish. The point is -- these aren't a bunch of dopes in a studio pool relying on CGI sharks. They're as close to actually swimming with the sharks as anyone but a complete lunatic could be. That sense of realism is what makes The Reef one of the best shark attack movies of recent years.

The Reef is another 'Adventure-Holiday-turns-bad' story, featuring a cast of five Australians who decide to visit Cygnet reef, an island not too far off the coast. When they underestimate the speed of the tide, they are forced to abandon ship and swim to the next island, all the while being pursued by a great white, terror ensues...

The DVD cover pretty much says it all; "Sharks, people, in the water" and all three are delivered as promised, it's just so predictable however and unfortunately, it's all been done before in the higher-budgeted and much more entertaining Open Water and there was even a sequel to that so it's not as if we are pushing the boat into new & exciting territory with The Reef.

The cast provide believable if a little wooden performances but nobody steals the show, least of all the shark; which whilst it's an impressive beast and probably nothing to be laughed at, the footage they use of the great-white is hardly terrifying as it glides lazily past the camera to overly-dramatic music. It's just not very entertaining at all and at several points my attention wandered due to the laconic dialogue, complete lack of action and homogenous scenery (bobbing up & down endlessly in the big-blue). It's a picturesque experience when it begins, with swooping shots from fixed wing planes showing you the reefs and turquoise vistas but after this cinematic introduction it's all downhill.

Worth a watch if you're into Aussie-cinema but Jaws this ain't.