Let’s close this year’s Shark Month with a big bang, shall we?
And frankly i don’t think there’s anything better in that regard as Sky Sharks, a movie you’ve might have heard of but wondered when or if it’s actually coming out.
Borne from a succesful Kickstarter campaign, Sky Sharks was supposed to come out in 2018, but production hit roadblocks, various issues came up, for some time we didn’t hear anything about it at all, but then, in 2020 it resurfaced, complete and was released, even on home video (might have to import it, though).
And it was definitelly worth the wait, since this one of those rare shark movies that sets out to be a big B-movie by design, trying to tick all the usual exploitation-but-awesome points… and actually succeds in living up entirely to its trailer promising flying sharks piloted by undead nazi uber-soldiers, alongside nudity and lots of gore. It’s just missing vampires, a christian-protestant feud, psycho priests with bayonet-blades longer than an arm, but i’m really nitpicking in this case.
As it’s usually the case with stories about nazis, it all starts in 1942, with a secret Nazi experiment that officially never happened and that should have been completely destroyed years ago. In this case Project Himmelfaust, concocted by Dr. Hans Kammler in order to turn the tide of WW II in Germany’s favour, by using a serum that resurrects fallen soldiers, making them also stronger and nearly indestructible, so they can rise again and keep “fighting for the Fatherland”, while also using a new method of aviation for their purpose: genetically enhanced, weapon loaded sharks that fly using jet engines, in combination with the new serum.
Also, the titular “sky sharks” can turn invisible thanks to advanced technology. Amazing.
Of course this thing that shouldn’t be anymore… is, and has been waiting for a chance to strike the world in order to avenge Hitler’s failed reign. This also forces a former nazi officer, now the head scientist of a famed pharmaceutical megacompany, to finally confront the past and join forces with various experts and powerful figures to stop the nazi sharks from obliterating everything.
In case you weren’t paid attention or have been watching too many of these movies to the point of being desynthetized, this is a fuckin ludicrous concept, stupid as shit, but fun as fuck, and the execution is on point, with plenty of nudity, violence, cool action scenes, weird ass nazi contraptions, and marred to these the desire to tell an insane story like this, but doing with care and attention to detail, because they want to make it good and not just half ass it because “it’s exploitation”, because people would watch it anyway once they heard the premise.
I really have nothing but praise, because they knew exactly what they were doing, for whom they were doing, and while the budget it’s nothing compared to a standard big budget Hollywood productions, they did put a lot of money and effort to make it look as good as they could, using both CG and practical effects pretty well (some of the CG gore and some of the aging makeup could be a bit better, but it’s a nitpick), even going the extra mile of having an animated propaganda film to explain the nazi project, the serum effects, the scope of the plan, etc.
And most importantly, nothing feels superflous or annoying, you will find yourself caring to see where this goes even if the sky sharks themselves haven’t been on screen for some time, the cast stars Thomas Morris, Diana Grossman, even Tony Todd (among others), but the bottom line is that Sky Sharks is a lot of fun. Even its “side bullshit” like the parody army enrollment sponsored trailer is fun, and the musical score it’s a blast, going from synthwave (because of the 80s neon retrofuturistic taste B-movies have nurtured), industrial metal, even some “western blues”.
Fuckin LOVE this one, If the idea even so much tickles you, just go buy the Blu-Ray, NOW!
Or rent it, regardless, go see it!
Wise Cafe (International) 