I love giant monster movies, which is why I’m reviewing all seven of the films that have debuted or are debuting on the SyFy channel this week. I wrote about Roboshark yesterday. Today I’m reviewing Mega Shark vs. Kolossus, which was part of the SyFy double-feature on Saturday, July 18.
Mega Shark vs. Kolossus is the fourth of The Asylum’s “Mega-Shark” movies and by far the best. Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus [2009] had three things going for it: the absurdity of the concept, the oft-repeated scene of the shark jumping out of the ocean to chow down on a passenger jet and the just plain fun casting of Debbie Gibson as a scientist.
Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus (2010) had Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) as its hero and would have been much better if his character had once asked “Did I do that?” in a whiny voice. Which is so unfair to the talented White who really is a terrific actor.
Mega Shark vs. Mecha Shark (2014) was an improvement over the two movies preceding it. Creating a giant robot shark to do battle with Mega Shark was very Godzilla-like, almost always a good thing as I see it. The film also had the best human drama to date, courtesy of a fine performance by Elisabeth Röhm as Mecha Shark’s pilot and a woman battling her own monsters.
But Mega Shark vs. Kolossus just takes the shark-cake with a great story, interesting human characters, terrific monsters, thrilling monster action and social commentary. Lifted from the back of the DVD release, here’s the movie’s starting point:
In search of a new energy source, Russia accidentally reawakens the Kolossus - a giant robot doomsday device from the Cold War. At the same time, a new Mega Shark appears, threatening global security. Now the world must figure out how to stop the deadly giants before they destroy everything on land AND sea.
While the unfolding of this story is not without some over-the-top moments, such as when Mega Shark tail-punches a submarine into the Christ the Redeemer statue over Rio de Janeiro, the proceedings are logical by monster movies standards. The “attack on Christianity” might and probably will be considered blasphemous by some, but the use of such a well-known religious icon frames this giant monster return to the Cold War. The destruction of the statue matters. It’s an important symbol and it’s nice to see it treated that way. The Cold war was, of course, a battle of ideologies.
Illeana Douglas gives an absolutely outstanding performance as Dr. Alison Gray. Her character doesn’t want to destroy Mega-Shark, but is sensible enough to recognize when such preservation is no longer an option. Though Douglas is quite glamorous in real life, the good Doctor Gray doesn’t look like your typical monster movie heroine. That’s another plug for me.
Amy Rider is kick-ass government operative Moira King. While this character isn’t at all unusual, Rider plays her with gusto that’s fun to watch.
Brody Hutzler delivers a surprising performance as the billionaire industrialist who wants to save the world. More on his character in our brief SPOILERS section.
Kudos also to Edward DeRuiter as a low-level analyst who’s a lot smarter than his superiors realize and to Tara Price as a tougher-than-nails Lieutenant Commander serving under a mentally unstable admiral. Price could and should be the star of some future monster movie. She’s that...ah...commanding on the screen.
The Mega-Shark in this movie is the latest mega-shark to threaten mankind. There’s a nice bit of dialogue that describes the effects of mega-shark appearances on the economy. But it’s also said at one point in the film that a mega-shark appears when the world needs it to appear. That puts the creature into “Godzilla force of nature” territory, which can be an entertaining place to be.
The design for Kolossus is wonderful. It looks like something you would expect from a Cold War sleeper device. It looks old, but its power is terrifying. Though its encounter with Mega-Shark comes in the fourth quarter of the movie, it’s an exciting monster battle, the best in the Mega-Shark series to date.
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
When I told you Hutzler delivered a surprising performance, I was thinking of how his Joshua Dane character comes across initially as kind of a tree-hugging Tony Stark willing to use his vast wealth to preserve our planet. When he gains control of both monsters, Dane reveals himself as a megalomaniac who wants to destroy the world to “save” and then rule it, not unlike Batman’s Ra's al Ghul. It’s a credit to Hutzler that I didn’t see this coming. The actor goes a little over-the-top with in this manic phrase of his character, but the shock value of the transformation stays with you.
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Mega Shark vs. Kolossus has a thrilling and satisfying conclusion. I’m eager for the next “Mega Shark” movie and hope The Asylum can top this one while cementing the creature’s growing stature as the studio’s own king of the monsters. I’m also hoping we see more of Douglas and Rider in future creature features. Big props to director Chris Olen Ray and writer Edward DeRuiter for crafting such a fine film.
Mega Shark vs. Kolossus is a B-movie classic. If you didn’t catch its SyFy channel premiere, I recommend you keep watch for reruns or spring for the DVD. It’s a keeper.
I’ll be back tomorrow with my review of Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf. See you then.
Mega Shark vs. Kolossus is the fourth of The Asylum’s “Mega-Shark” movies and by far the best. Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus [2009] had three things going for it: the absurdity of the concept, the oft-repeated scene of the shark jumping out of the ocean to chow down on a passenger jet and the just plain fun casting of Debbie Gibson as a scientist.
Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus (2010) had Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) as its hero and would have been much better if his character had once asked “Did I do that?” in a whiny voice. Which is so unfair to the talented White who really is a terrific actor.
Mega Shark vs. Mecha Shark (2014) was an improvement over the two movies preceding it. Creating a giant robot shark to do battle with Mega Shark was very Godzilla-like, almost always a good thing as I see it. The film also had the best human drama to date, courtesy of a fine performance by Elisabeth Röhm as Mecha Shark’s pilot and a woman battling her own monsters.
But Mega Shark vs. Kolossus just takes the shark-cake with a great story, interesting human characters, terrific monsters, thrilling monster action and social commentary. Lifted from the back of the DVD release, here’s the movie’s starting point:
In search of a new energy source, Russia accidentally reawakens the Kolossus - a giant robot doomsday device from the Cold War. At the same time, a new Mega Shark appears, threatening global security. Now the world must figure out how to stop the deadly giants before they destroy everything on land AND sea.
While the unfolding of this story is not without some over-the-top moments, such as when Mega Shark tail-punches a submarine into the Christ the Redeemer statue over Rio de Janeiro, the proceedings are logical by monster movies standards. The “attack on Christianity” might and probably will be considered blasphemous by some, but the use of such a well-known religious icon frames this giant monster return to the Cold War. The destruction of the statue matters. It’s an important symbol and it’s nice to see it treated that way. The Cold war was, of course, a battle of ideologies.
Illeana Douglas gives an absolutely outstanding performance as Dr. Alison Gray. Her character doesn’t want to destroy Mega-Shark, but is sensible enough to recognize when such preservation is no longer an option. Though Douglas is quite glamorous in real life, the good Doctor Gray doesn’t look like your typical monster movie heroine. That’s another plug for me.
Amy Rider is kick-ass government operative Moira King. While this character isn’t at all unusual, Rider plays her with gusto that’s fun to watch.
Brody Hutzler delivers a surprising performance as the billionaire industrialist who wants to save the world. More on his character in our brief SPOILERS section.
Kudos also to Edward DeRuiter as a low-level analyst who’s a lot smarter than his superiors realize and to Tara Price as a tougher-than-nails Lieutenant Commander serving under a mentally unstable admiral. Price could and should be the star of some future monster movie. She’s that...ah...commanding on the screen.
The Mega-Shark in this movie is the latest mega-shark to threaten mankind. There’s a nice bit of dialogue that describes the effects of mega-shark appearances on the economy. But it’s also said at one point in the film that a mega-shark appears when the world needs it to appear. That puts the creature into “Godzilla force of nature” territory, which can be an entertaining place to be.
The design for Kolossus is wonderful. It looks like something you would expect from a Cold War sleeper device. It looks old, but its power is terrifying. Though its encounter with Mega-Shark comes in the fourth quarter of the movie, it’s an exciting monster battle, the best in the Mega-Shark series to date.
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
When I told you Hutzler delivered a surprising performance, I was thinking of how his Joshua Dane character comes across initially as kind of a tree-hugging Tony Stark willing to use his vast wealth to preserve our planet. When he gains control of both monsters, Dane reveals himself as a megalomaniac who wants to destroy the world to “save” and then rule it, not unlike Batman’s Ra's al Ghul. It’s a credit to Hutzler that I didn’t see this coming. The actor goes a little over-the-top with in this manic phrase of his character, but the shock value of the transformation stays with you.
END SPOILERS
END SPOILERS
END SPOILERS
END SPOILERS
END SPOILERS
END SPOILERS
END SPOILERS
END SPOILERS
Mega Shark vs. Kolossus has a thrilling and satisfying conclusion. I’m eager for the next “Mega Shark” movie and hope The Asylum can top this one while cementing the creature’s growing stature as the studio’s own king of the monsters. I’m also hoping we see more of Douglas and Rider in future creature features. Big props to director Chris Olen Ray and writer Edward DeRuiter for crafting such a fine film.
Mega Shark vs. Kolossus is a B-movie classic. If you didn’t catch its SyFy channel premiere, I recommend you keep watch for reruns or spring for the DVD. It’s a keeper.
I’ll be back tomorrow with my review of Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf. See you then.
© 2015 Tony Isabella
Dang it. I was this close to recording this movie, but decided not to. Too much other stuff on the DVR, including the 2nd and 3rd Sharktopus flicks. But I liked Mega-Shark vs Mecha Shark, and if this one is better, I've got to check it out.
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