Jurassic Shark

Lore & Background

The plot follows a megalodon accidentally unleashed after an oil rig on a small island lake drills too far into the lake floor, causing an explosion. The shark eats two girls before attacking a group of art thieves—Barb, Rich, Doug, Jerry, and Jack—on a boat. Jack is eaten; the others escape onto the island but drop a painting into the water. Jerry is sent to retrieve it but fails and is killed. Meanwhile, college students Jill, Tia, Kristen, and Mike try to reach the island so Jill can study the rig for an essay on pollution. The shark attacks their boat, killing Mike, and the survivors meet the thieves, who claim to be tourists. They spend the night on the island and find the facility and the sole explosion survivor, Dr. Lincoln Grant. The thieves reveal their true identities, force Grant into the water to retrieve the painting, and he is eaten. Jill, Tia, and Kristen hide, but Kristen is eaten during a chase. The next morning, Barb forces Jill and Tia to dive for the painting while Rich distracts the shark with dynamite. The girls throw a rock at Rich, causing the dynamite to explode in his hand, killing him. They then throw a rock at Doug, who falls into the water and is eaten. The girls get a gun and engage in a standoff, but the shark jumps out and eats Barb. Jill uses remaining dynamite to kill the shark, and she and Tia leave the island. Two fishermen are then eaten by another megalodon, hinting the threat continues.

Reader's Guide

Attack of the Jurassic Shark is a Canadian independent film that gained attention for its ambitious attempt to parody two major Spielberg films on a low budget. Reception was sharply divided: Fangoria called it an 'Ottawa-shot sharksploitationer' with a mood 'pure fun,' akin to Piranha 3D and Sharktopus. Conversely, Alex DiGiovanna of Move Buzzers panned it as 'one of the worst pieces of cinema,' criticizing its terrible prop work, awful CG, pathetic death sequences, a flying shark, and a long dialogue-free walking montage. Dread Central found the early trailer underwhelming for showing very little shark, while JoBlo predicted potential from the later trailer but ultimately called the film 'ridiculous shit.' Aint It Cool News panned the poor CGI that made the shark look cartoonish, calling it 'an exercise in how not to make a low budget flick.' Despite the criticism, the film spawned two sequels: Jurassic Shark 2: Aquapocalypse (2021) and Jurassic Shark 3: Seavenge (2023). Its legacy lies in its status as a cult oddity among low-budget creature features.

Did You Know?

• The film parodies both Jaws and Jurassic Park simultaneously.
• A sequel, Jurassic Shark 2: Aquapocalypse, was released in 2021, and a second sequel, Jurassic Shark 3: Seavenge, in 2023.
• The film features a scene where the shark jumps out of the water and eats a character named Barb.
• Critics noted the film includes a flying shark and a long dialogue-free walking montage.