Santa Jaws

Have been on a roll watching many killer shark films made on a low budget recently. A few tolerable ones but most have been lame at best and often terrible, even when knowing what to expect and taking it for what it's meant to be.

Am well aware, just to make things clear right now, that films like 'Santa Jaws' are not ones to be taken seriously, have been well versed enough to not expect that. Have seen my fair share of low-budget shark films, and any other kind of low-budget creature film, and will admit to finding some guilty fun in some of them (i.e. the first two 'Sharknado' films). There are definitely worse shark films than 'Santa Jaws', which compared to many killer shark films is one of the more watchable ones. Despite being cheesy, not well made and ridiculous, there were signs of a little effort and didn't feel like my intelligence insulted.

Some of the scenery is semi-decent and some of it is reasonably nicely shot.

Did feel that there was the odd amusing and heartfelt moment, but they were too far and between. The lead performances are surprisingly credible.

The acting from everyone else is pretty poor, with the usual mix of overplaying and blandness. Any few attempts to develop the characters results in padded and pointless scenes, development is at best flimsy and it's all overwrought and does little to make the characters endearing or care or learn enough about them.

The execution of everything else is severely underwhelming, not just being visually cheap and poorly acted and written even worse but what seemed like a decent, and fairly inventive for a killer shark film, idea was executed in generally typically shark film fashion, with no imagination whatsoever, everything is so ordinary, and only occasional splashes of fun.

Faring worse are the effects, story and writing. 'Santa Jaws' is at times sloppily edited, but it's the truly abysmal special effects that are the worst. As the shark was made on a low-budget it would have been forgiven a little if it was not great, but when the effects for the shark looks as if no effort was given in making it without looking so goofy and unfinished-looking that is hard to ignore or forgive.

Can say no better about the portrayal of the shark either. It exudes little personality either, no menace, not even any unintentional goofiness. Generally the shark action, apart from the odd mild amusement and moments of ferocity, is sloppily edited and devoid of suspense or sense of horror by holding very few surprises, being excessively predictable. Any gore is cheaply cartoonish and adds nothing, instead being gratuitous.

Writing ranges between incredibly bad to appalling. Any comedy mostly is incredibly forced and is so cheesy it is enough to make the eyes roll in disbelief, while the more serious moments are very awkwardly written and as trite as anybody can possibly go, complete with some truly muddled parts. The silliness goes well overboard as the film progresses and it becomes intelligence insulting in spots even when one tries to take it for what it's trying to be.

Really wanted to like the story here because the concept was intriguing slightly, but while it starts nicely the further the film progresses the lazier, cheesier and more formulaic it gets, also making the mistake that most killer shark films make of trying so hard to be over the top and stupid but in a painfully predictable and less than fresh way that it becomes tiresome. With the dramatic elements, it also tries to take itself seriously, but the credibility-straining, overwrought melodrama and lack of sense makes it difficult to take it at face value and gives the impression the film was not sure what to do with itself. There is not much warmth for a film set at Christmas and it feels somewhat mean-spirited. The stupidity gets stale quickly and the film is a little flabby pace-wise.

Overall, tolerable but rather mediocre as well. 4/10 Bethany Cox