Frankenfish (2004)

"Sam Rivers" (Tory Kittles) is a medical examiner who works for a police department responsible for a large portion of the swamps in Lousiana. Although he is working on a homicide case he is called away to investigate what appears to be an alligator attack deep in the bayou. However, after investigating the bite marks a bit more closely he realizes that this was no alligator attack and with the help of a biologist named "Mary Callahan" (China Chow) theorize that it may have been a bull shark which has swum in from the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, they soon realize how mistaken they were when other similar attacks occur and find that they are now being targeted as well. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this movie turned out to be a pleasant surprise as I wasn't expecting much from it. But the director (Mark A.Z. Dippe) took full advantage of the swamp scenery and the actors performed well enough within the framework of the rather generic and well-used plot to produce an adequate "creature feature" for the most part. Likewise, having two attractive actresses like K. D. Aubert (as "Eliza") and the aforementioned China Chow certainly didn't hurt in any way either. In any case, while it certainly won't win any Academy Awards, viewers who like films of this type might get some enjoyment out of this particular picture and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

I was not expecting to even like Frankenfish, but I did. The story is ridiculous on the whole, in the script there is a sea of corniness and eye-rolling cheesiness amid the odd sprinkle of wit, the characters are on the annoying stereotypical side and some of the effects are cheap. Despite all this, I did enjoy Frankenfish. The editing was not as choppy as I had anticipated and some of the locations are great. There is enough suspense and tense fun to make up for the ridiculousness of the story, the fish although not great in design(though I have seen far worse) are menacing and great to watch and while the lead is uncharismatic the acting is reasonably good. On the whole, not great, but I sort of liked it. 6/10 Bethany Cox

After the badly mutilated body of a local fisherman is found, the county medical examiner (Tory Kittles) and biologist (China Chow) must investigate. Initially thought to be either a rogue alligator or bull shark, it soon emerges that something even more ravenous is feeding on the local inhabitants of the bayou community, leaving a trail of assorted body parts and carnage in its wake.Fast-paced with realistic set design and a high, graphic attrition rate, "Frankenfish" is somewhat better than the unfortunate choice of title might mislead. Perhaps most disappointing, considering the potential, is the premise on which the protagonists are based – which we learn after more than an hour. With all the mystery developed to that point, the explanation is weak and unconvincing, and introduces a number of one-dimensional characters who contribute little to maintaining the picture's standard.Ultimately, what promised much, briskly capitulates to a disappointing conclusion in which the bad guys force the beleaguered survivors to help hunt down the rabid fish, with predictable results for all concerned. Regrettably, the cast features so little recognisable talent, as a few of the supporting roles would've benefited from the experience of a seasoned character actor. Perhaps a better script, character development and a hand brake might have transported this promising little shocker into a more memorable addition to the 'creature feature' stables. In any event, still entertaining in spite of the limitations and briefly spiced-up by Noelle Evans and Richard Edson's characters in humorous, if ill-fated supporting roles.

Oh come on you whiners, grow up ! This movie has a big B written all over. What is the point comparing it to first rate blockbusters ? If one takes it for what it really is, one gets a hour and a half of very decent entertainment.So instead of stating the obvious (cheesy script, second-rate acting, low budget sfx, etc), I'll try to summarize what made this flick worth watching IMHO:a bunch of picturesque bayou weirdos (especially the white rasta crack-head and shell-shocked viet vet) pretty good creature design and animation a couple of imaginative death scenes amusing means of getting rid of the nasty critters as it has been already pointed out, black heroes a pace that (barely, but still) allows the action to stay ahead of plot inconsistencies decent comic relief character good lighting and general image qualityAll in all, a very decent B movie.