Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (2009)

The California coast is terrorized by two enormous prehistoric sea creatures as they battle each other for supremacy of the sea.

Director:

Jack Perez (as Ace Hannah)

Writer:

Jack Perez (screenplay) (as Ace Hannah)

Stars:

Lorenzo Lamas, Debbie Gibson, Vic Chao

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Debbie Gibson	...	Emma MacNeil (as Deborah Gibson)
Lorenzo Lamas	...	Allan Baxter
Vic Chao	...	Seiji Shimada
Jonathan Nation	...	Vince
Mark Hengst	...	Dick Ritchie
Michael Teh	...	Takeo (as Michael The)
Chris Haley	...	Kenji
Sean Lawlor	...	Lamar Sanders
Dustin Harnish	...	Helmsman
Dean Kreyling	...	U.S. Sub Captain
Stephen Blackehart	...	U.S. Sub Sonar Chief
Dana DiMatteo	...	Marine Biologist (as Dana Dimatteo)
Myles Cranford	...	Deputy
Dana Healey	...	Naval Officer
John Bolen	...	Weapons Officer

Storyline

A huge iceberg calves that holds a megalodon (mega shark) and a giant octopus frozen inside it. Deployment of a LFAS (low frequency automatic sonar) unit causes it to shatter. The two behemoths thaw and return to life. The shark terrorizes the California coast while the octopus creates havoc things near Japan. A group of three oceanographers put together a plan to draw the beasts into a trap with pheromones.

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Plot Keywords:

shark | octopus | psychotronic film | 1930s to 2020s | underwater scene | 

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Taglines:

Winner... Eats... All!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Emma, Seiji, and Lamar are interrogated, Baxter describes Emma as "a woman whose career is all washed-up." That's a reference to 'Debbie Gibson's music career, which reached its peak with the album Electric Youth in 1989, but floundered through the 1990s.

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Goofs

When the Megalodon is first spotted approaching the Battleship, the Captain calls for "Battle Stations". All US warships use the term "General Quarters" to signal the crew to prepare for battle.

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Quotes

Allan Baxter: This is unacceptable. I want that commander on report.
US Sub Captain: That commander just saved your ass.
Allan Baxter: Should have done so in a more timely manner.

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Crazy Credits

Special Thanks: BETSY AND BENJI

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Connections

Followed by Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus (2010)

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Soundtracks

Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 107
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Tina Guo

User Reviews

"It Rises!"

I'm sure that most of the people who have seen this film were suckered in by the trailer, which became an Internet viral-video smash earlier this year. How could you not want to see it after watching the clip of a gargantuan shark jumping out of the ocean and attacking an airliner? Giant Monster Movies have always brought out my inner 8 year old, and "Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus" was no exception. Is it a good movie? Of course not. But is it a fun movie? Oh, hell yes. For Z-grade direct to video aficionados like myself, this flick is manna from Heaven. I've read much about the notorious production house "The Asylum" (and its celebrated "mockbuster" ripoffs of more famous movies) over the past few months but this is the first film of theirs I've seen. I hate to admit it, but after seeing "Mega Shark" I am now curious enough to investigate some of their other works like "Transmorphers" or "The Terminators". (I must be in dire need of medication.) As you'd expect from a movie made on a six-pack budget, "Mega Shark" is not exactly a feast for the eyes. The special effects are minimal (done mostly in cheap C.G.I.), and the title monsters tend to look like bathtub toys swimming around in dirty dishwater. The human cast isn't much more interesting, although former '80s teen queen Deborah (a.k.a. Debbie) Gibson seems to be having fun with her role as a crusading oceanographer who is pressed into government service (by perennial Direct To Video mainstay Lorenzo Lamas) to help rid the oceans of the two monstrous creatures. Teamed up with her former professor (played by an Irishman doing what appears to be a low-rent Sean Connery imitation) and a Japanese colleague (played by an Asian guy doing an equally low rent George Takei imitation), the three spout a near endless stream of unintentionally hilarious dialog (at least I hope it's unintentional) to pad out run time between the too-short scenes of monstrous mayhem. Mega Shark devours a hunk of the Golden Gate Bridge in addition to his airliner snack, whilst Giant Octopus destroys an offshore oil rig, then the pair team up to destroy a few battleships and submarines full of overacting extras before they turn on each other in what is supposed to be a Battle Royale but in reality takes up approximately two minutes of film. A romantic sub-plot between Debbie and Japanese Scientist Guy is jammed in out of nowhere, apparently so that Debbie has someone to snuggle up with on the beach at the end of the film. Needless to say, I laughed my way through the entire movie. Now that I think about it, The Asylum probably should've teamed with Toho Productions to make this film -- I can only imagine what the "Godzilla" special effects team could've done with this concept. Basically, if you're a lover of bad monster cinema, you need to see "Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus" at least once. Otherwise, you're better off sticking with watching the trailer over and over on YouTube. All the best parts of the movie are in it anyway.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 May 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus

Filming Locations:

AES Alamitos, 690 North Studebaker Road, Long Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$722

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Asylum, Giant Seafood

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1