ign logo IGN.com | AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | GameSpy | FilePlanet | TeamXbox | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | Direct2Drive

RottenTomatoes.com

RT Bug Squash
Home Movies DVD Celebrities News Critics Photos & Trailers The Vine Forums
Box Office | Best Of | Certified Fresh | Showtimes
Register for free site & special features! | Log In | What is RT?
                       
MOVIES / ON DVD / EAGLE VS. SHARK
Eagle Vs. Shark

Rate This Movie

Write a Review
Share This Movie
Add to List
Buy Poster

Bookmark and Share

Eagle Vs. Shark (2007)

54%
45%
78%
N/A
N/A
N/A
54 %
Reviews Counted: 95 Fresh: 51  Rotten:44 Average Rating: 5.6/10
 
Consensus: needs more to distinguish itself from other quirky comedies. Though there are frequent moments of wit and mordant humor, Eagle vs Shark needs more to distinguish itself from other precious, Napoleon Dynamite-ish comedies. more
 
Rated: 15
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Theatrical Release: 17-08-2007
Synopsis:
Which is the more dangerous predator: an eagle or a shark? That's a trick question. Don't try to answer it. You'll have your own opinion by the end of Taika Waititi's deliciously tangy, deadpan feature debut about two colorful misfits thrown into each other's orbit. Lily is one of those... [More]
Which is the more dangerous predator: an eagle or a shark? That's a trick question. Don't try to answer it. You'll have your own opinion by the end of Taika Waititi's deliciously tangy, deadpan feature debut about two colorful misfits thrown into each other's orbit. Lily is one of those weird, sweet-natured girls with stringy hair who is quite lovely and charismatic under a surface of shy awkwardness. But most people don't have enough vision to notice, and the truth is that Lily isn't looking to change. She cashiers at a fast-food joint and pines for Jarrod, the self-aggrandizing, clueless geek from the computer store across the way. Fiercely optimistic, Lily crashes Jarrod's animal/video-game extravaganza, impressing him enough with her shark suit and gaming prowess to score a hookup with Eagle Lord (Jarrod) himself. Soon Lily and her brother are driving Jarrod back to his hometown to confront his childhood nemesis. But here Jarrod's self-absorption blossoms so mightily that it may drive even the most adoring of girlfriends away. As Jarrod prepares to exact his revenge on the past, Lily's quiet power gathers force as well. With so much subtlety and precision in Loren Horsley and Jemaine Clement's straight-faced, oddball performances, Lily and Jarrod's attempts to reach each other are hilarious and excruciatingly real. Meanwhile, Phoenix Foundation's charming, moody score perfectly reflects lopsided hearts as they stumble through uncomfortably transformative terrain. -- Sundance Film Festival [Less]

Genre: Comedies

Starring: Jemaine Clement, Loren Horsley, Brian Sergent, Joel Tobeck, Rachel House

Director: Taika Waititi
Screenwriter: Taika Waititi
Producer: Cliff Curtis, Ainsley Gardiner

DVD Info

Release:

Aug 1, 2008

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English
  • Subtitles - French, Spanish - Optional

Additional Release Material:

  • Audio Commentary - Taika Waititi - Director; & Guests
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Music Video - "Going Fishing" - The Phoenix Foundation
  • Outtakes

Reviews

 
T-Meter Critics
 
 
Top Critics
 
 
RT Community
 
 
My Critics
 
 
My Friends
 
 
DVD
 
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5
Arrange By: Name | Fresh | Rotten | Date | Source
 
 
Ratings Image

Coarse.

Full Review | Comment
08/25/07 06:02 AM
Philip French
Observer [UK]
Ratings Image

The genius of this film is the way it keeps us laughing at the eccentricities while also challenging us to find a positive way to move forward with our lives.

Full Review | Comment
08/17/07 07:49 AM
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Ratings Image

If you're going to make fun of awkward chavs, even with the best will in the world, you have to avoid simply laughing at them.

Full Review | Comment
08/17/07 07:36 AM
Derek Malcolm
This is London
Ratings Image

From the seemingly helpless geriatric who gets up to push his own wheelchair to the genial brother who constantly mimics movie stars, however, Taika Cohen’s film seems nothing so much as Little Britain Down Under.

Full Review | Comment
08/17/07 07:15 AM
Neil Smith
Independent
Ratings Image

The film wants to be your cuddly, quirky friend, and makes you feel bad for not returning the affection.

Full Review | Comment
08/17/07 06:59 AM
Anthony Quinn
Independent
Ratings Image

Lead couple Lily (Loren Horsley) and Jarrod (Jemaine Clement) are such unoriginal, checklist misfits that there's little about them to celebrate or even stomach.

Full Review | Comment
08/17/07 05:42 AM
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

Eagle vs Shark lays on the whimsy with a trowel, almost smothering the real talent of an endearing cast. Provincial New Zealand.

Full Review | Comment
08/17/07 05:26 AM
Martin Hoyle
Financial Times
Ratings Image

You don't have to be a schoolyard bully to find yourself longing to administer swift, vicious wedgies to the nerdish inhabitants of this kitsch Kiwi excursion.

Full Review | Comment
08/17/07 05:07 AM
Xan Brooks
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

Eagle vs Shark is a quirky New Zealand comedy which unravels with rather less off-beat joie de vivre than Napoleon Dynamite did.

Full Review | Comment
08/17/07 04:38 AM
James Christopher
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

A shameless rip-off of indie hit Napoleon Dynamite, this New Zealand comedy may contain the odd laugh, but it doesn’t come with many original ideas.

Full Review | Comment
08/17/07 04:26 AM
Daily Mirror [UK]
Ratings Image

Slight yet undeniably touching, this loser comedy has some brittle wit and an odd charm. Deserves a wider audience than it's destined to find.

Full Review | Comment
08/17/07 04:11 AM
Jamie Russell
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

Contrived? Yes. Second-hand ideas? A few. But this funny ha-ha, funny peculiar indie is lifted by a stand-out female lead – and writer-director Cohen could be the southern hemisphere’s Jared Hess.

Full Review | Comment
08/17/07 03:27 AM
Jonathon Dean
Total Film
Ratings Image

New Zealand's answer to Napoleon Dynamite.

Full Review | Comment
08/17/07 02:42 AM
Adrian Sandiford
Little White Lies
Ratings Image

So quirky that it’s almost in danger of collapsing under the weight of its own antic whimsy at times, but a comic delight destined for cult adoration.

Full Review | Comment
08/17/07 02:27 AM
Olly Richards
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

This is a sweet-natured, extremely funny romcom that marks Waititi out as a talent to watch. Highly recommended.

Full Review | Comment
08/16/07 03:16 AM
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
Ratings Image

Self-consciously quirky but hard to dislike, with laugh-out-loud moments and a refreshingly unappealing hero.

Full Review | Comment
08/14/07 03:17 AM
Anna Smith
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

Off-planet strangeness with a captivation factor.

Full Review | Comment
01/23/08 04:38 PM
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals
Ratings Image

Romantic comedy about two lonely people who find each other while orbiting on the outer fringes of society reminded me of 'Napoleon Dynamite.'

Full Review | Comment
01/15/08 01:53 PM
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
Ratings Image

...mostly tedious and depressing, its eighty-eight minutes going by in about eight hours.

Full Review | Comment
01/08/08 11:43 AM
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com
Ratings Image

a fun little quirky movie but to similar to another curtain quirky movie..

Full Review | Comment
01/06/08 04:45 PM
Stefan Birgir Stefansson
sbs.is
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5
See More Topics...

Related Forums

‘Eagle vs. Shark’ interviews: director Taika Waititi, star Loren Horsley
by: filmforlife 6/22/07


(2007 USA release/Rated R)-EAGLE VS SHARK re-skedded to open June 15th in NYC & LA!!!
by: ReelReviewer.com 6/21/07


Perfect Summer Movie
by: supershelli 5/23/07


REEL_REVIEWER
(2007 USA release)-EAGLE vs SHARK skedded to open in NYC and LA on June 1st!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 4/9/07


REEL_REVIEWER
(2007 USA release)-EAGLE vs SHARK skedded to open in NYC and LA on June 1st!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 4/9/07
all

Pictures

all

Videos

Trailer
Watch Now >>
all

News

RT on DVD: 3:10 to Yuma, Sunshine Arrive!
posted by Jen Yamato January 07, 2008
Tasty treats are in store for us this week at the video counter, where you'll find an action-packed Western (3:10 to...


Total Recall: In Honor of AVP:R, Memorable Cinematic Title Fights
posted by Alex Vo December 26, 2007
This week, we're taking it to the screen with Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, the latest mash up of modern sci-fi's two...


RT Speaks With "Eagle Vs. Shark" Director Taika Waititi
posted by Alex Vo June 18, 2007
With "Eagle vs Shark"'s frequent comparisons to "Napoleon Dynamite," it'd be easy to think of...


Critical Consensus: "Silver Surfer" Trips Fantastically, "Nancy Drew" Without a Clue, "DOA" Dead on Arrival
posted by Alex Vo June 14, 2007
Pop quiz, hotshot: which of the lesser Roberts do you prefer? Because this Friday, it's a match between Eric Roberts...

Around the Network

• Eagle Vs. Shark at Rotten Tomatoes
• Eagle Vs. Shark at IGN
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | ModCenter | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive

By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2008, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.