Eagle vs. Shark (hilarious New Zealand film)

c.g._eads

Veteran
Oh my God, this movie was so hilariously funny. I would say that if you liked Napolean Dynamite, check this out, because that is the movie it is most similar to. Yet I'm one of the few people who hated that terrible p.o.s. movie with a passion I usually reserve for more positive things - like making films. Why I found this movie hilarious and that movie terrible, I'm not quite sure. But it probably has something to do with the male lead being the star of FLIGHT OF THE CONCORDS, the funniest show ever (where as Jared Hess or whatever his name is doesn't have an ounce of talent on his body). The thing is, despite how awesome he was in the movie, it's the girl who you actually end up remembering more.

The movie is this sweet quirky love story with two outright nerds kinda falling for each other. Surprisingly, despite the movie essentially being a straight comedy, the direction is quite amazing. There's a lot of inventiveness going on and this may be the best looking image I have ever seen on a regular DVD. I don't know what they did or what they shot on but the image looks crisp, clear, and colorful. I cannot recommend this enough.

Although the movie is largely dependent on the leads' quirky performances, here's an idea of what you're in for. The movie starts with a geeky lonely girl working at a made-up fast-food restaurant. To her first customer, she earnestly tries to sell them the latest company-pushed burger - an inside-out burger: the meat is on the outside and the single bun is on the inside. If you find that funny, you'll probably like this movie. If not (and I'm not judging you if you don't) then you might think it's pretty stupid. But if you're just out of movies to rent, still check this one out.
 
I'd love to see this. I lived in New Zealand for a short while so I'm a big supporter of their industry, glad to see they're making good stuff.
 
I saw another New Zealand film recently called "Black Sheep". It was a horror film about sheep that turned into zombie sheep. It was a little too much for me but my dad loved it.
 
I loved it for its quirkiness...but usually quirkiness is a turn off for me. This movie had the creativity of Nappy D's characters, more charm, more class, and more sincerity. Very well done. 4/5
 
Just couldn't get into this film or the characters. At all. It felt like it tried too hard to be quirky... just for quirky's sake.

A great New Zealand film is "The Whale Rider". It's incredible.
 
I thought it rode that line perfectly. The characters had just enough depth to outweight the "quirkiness for quirkiness' sake" problem that happens sometimes in these films. Just looking in that lead actress' eyes - seeing how desperately she wanted to be loved, really made me believe these characters.
 
Just watched this last night and I love it. Depression + Comedy = My-Kind-Of-Movie. Its beautiful too.
 
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