Genre: Comedy

Director: Anthony C. Ferrante

Cast: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, David Hasselhoff, and Ryan Newman

Studio: The Asylum

Runtime: 86 Minutes

Release: Airs on SyFy July 31, 2016

Rated: NR

Rating ★★★★★

Let me start off by saying I’m not too familiar with the Sharknado series. I watched the first one a few years ago and I remember getting some laughs from it. Movies that are so bad they’re good are my guilty pleasures, and I love Star Wars, so I figured Sharknado: The 4th Awakens would be an enjoyable time.

The 4th Awakens takes place five years after the events of the third Sharknado film. Fin Shepard (Ian Ziering) and his family have been happily living their lives free from sharknados; however, after a sand-sharknado appears when they take a trip to Vegas, it’s up to Fin to fight against the sharks and figure out why they’re coming back.

Despite being the fourth in a franchise, viewers shouldn’t worry about needing to see the previous films, as the story is pretty straight-forward. There’s enough explanation put in to help fill in the gaps, and to avoid confusion. That’s about the only aspect The 4th Awakens succeeds at because this movie is an unfunny mess.

There is a sense the filmmakers didn’t try at all, as the movie repeats the same two scenarios. The gang travels someplace spouting exposition, then a sharknado appears and they destroy it. All while the same joke is beaten like a dead horse over and over again―that being “We’re so bad, it’s good; just look at how bad this is!”  Too bad The 4th Awakens fails at telling this joke. When a movie is so horrible it comes across as enjoyable, it is typically unintentional. The enjoyment comes from the fact that what you’re seeing is awful but the director thinks it’s movie gold. When the filmmakers are in on the joke―like they are with The 4th Awakens―the film doesn’t come across as humorous as it does cringe-worthy. There’s only so many times you can watch someone get attacked by a poorly animated shark, while delivering a bad one-liner, before going insane.

The acting here ranges from okay at best, to just plain bad. The two actors who hone it in the most are Ziering and Tara Reid, who plays April Shepard. I got the sense that these roles are nothing more than paychecks for Ziering and Reid, as they deliver each line with the same soap opera staccato. The only person who looks like they’re having fun is David Hasselhoff, who hams it up in most of his scenes. As Fin’s father Gil, he provides the film a tiny smidgen of charm. Alas, he’s not in it nearly as much as he should be, so he can’t save this train wreck.

The 4th Awakens also features a cavalcade of celebrity cameos from several D-list stars―Carrot Top, Al Roker, and Dog the Bounty Hunter, just to name a few. And these appearances are about as entertaining as they sound, which is not very. The cameos offer nothing more than the novelty of viewers being able to say, “Hey, I know that person.” The worst sin though is the film is boring. It’s one thing to make a bad movie but to make a boring bad movie is unbearable. The lack of a plot makes the The 4th Awakens an absolute chore to watch.

The film ends with a cliffhanger as a teaser for the inevitable fifth installment but if there’s any justice in this world it won’t happen. This is a series that has outstayed its welcome. Diehard fans may take enjoyment out of this but for everyone else, stay far, far away from Sharknado: The 4th Awakens.

Photos: ©2016 SyFy. All Rights Reserved

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