Eagle vs Shark (2007)
Director: Taika Waititi
Movie review
From Time Out London
In 2003, Kiwi director Taika Waititi (sometimes credited as Taika Cohen) made ‘Two Cars, One Night’, a charming and spiky short about two pubescent kids waiting in a pub car park. The boy was cocky and guileless but had a certain appeal; the girl was sceptical but indulgent. Waititi’s debut feature offers pretty much the same dynamic with characters a decade or two older, but the spikiness has been smoothed into quirkiness. The result, though not unenjoyable, feels distinctly derivative.
Mousy, moochy Lily (Loren Horsley) works at the Meaty Boy burger joint and has a crush on Jarrod (Jemaine Clement), the alpha dork from the Screenblasters electronics store in the same mall. He habitually blanks her until she sneaks into his animal costume/video game tournament party and demonstrates her prowess at the console. (He’s the eagle, she’s the shark.) A socially clumsy romance begins but Jarrod is also nursing a vendetta against an old classmate…
Overendowed with quasi-retarded losers, off-kilter handicrafts (World Trade Center candles, sketches of big cats), whimsical stop-motion animation and an essentially formulaic love story, This wears its influences heavily: ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ looms especially large, with hefty dashes of Michel Gondry and Wes Anderson too; it comes as no surprise that it was developed through the Sundance Lab. That said, ‘Eagle Vs Shark’ pleases even if it doesn’t surprise: the dialogue and performances are likable, the photography accomplished and the soundtrack pleasant. You just can’t help feeling the set was plastered with signs reading ‘Think quirky!’
Author: Ben Walters
Time Out London Issue 1930: August 15-21 2007
User reviews of this film
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- Jack and Sam Know All said...
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Posted on Feb 12 2008 03:46
I'm suprised at the lack of reviews on this one.
Aw i love this one. A twee and film that is wonderfully written with fantastic dry humor and a wicked soudtrack! 'The Phoenix Foundation' - give them a bash.
Flight Of The CC's rock.
BITCH
COCKHOLE
yeah............................go see. - Report as inappropriate
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- Sir Toby Belch said...
- Posted on Dec 09 2007 11:14 havent seen it but loooks awesome. Flight of the Conchords!
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- Paul said...
- Posted on Aug 19 2007 09:33 Whale Rider meets Napoleon D, some good quirky laughs and embarrassing moments. Understand why so many kiwis come to London. NZ answer to Matt Damon
- Report as inappropriate
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- tyson said...
- Posted on Aug 16 2007 04:41 it was a good game
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Taika Waititi
Producer: Ainsley Gardiner, Cliff Curtis
Cast: Loren Horsley, Jemaine Clement, Brian Sergent, Craig Hall, Rachel House, Cohen Holloway, Joel Tobeck, Morag Hills full cast
Genre(s): Comedy
Rated: 15
Duration: 87 mins
UK Release: Aug 17 2007
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