![]() Shark is a total wolf in sheep’s clothing situation. Not to confuse you with too many animal species here, but Eagle vs. ![]() Either that or it’s become easier for me as an audience to connect with Waititi’s particular aesthetic in his first film, which felt much more generic when I first gave it a try a few years ago. It turns out that Waititi’s quirky indie romcom beginnings seemingly have improved with time. The film’s dark edge, that touches on parental disappointment and suicide, seems misplaced when it was sight gag comedy this film was shooting for.Falling in love with Taika Waititi’s last two feature films, Boy& What We Do in the Shadows, has recently prompted me to revisit his debut, Eagle vs. It’s lowbrow deadpan humor that lacks wit and originality and was never funny in its vain attempt to be different it nevertheless winds up being derivative. All the laughs come from looking down on the inept characters. ![]() The film is filled with numerous socially awkward moments, from the mechanical lovemaking between the misfits to their awkward passive-aggressive conversations to Jarrod’s oddball family of his dad who can walk but remains in a wheelchair and a nasty sister Nancy and her husband both dressed in track suits from designers who went out of business, and a mysterious 9-year-old girl. Damon gives the nasty Jarrod and his selfless sis a ride to the Lough family home, and while there Lily finally figures out her dreamboat is a boat load of trouble (which any person who wasn’t a moron could have figured this out within a few minutes of the film). Even though Jarrod is an obnoxious, macho-bent and arrogant lad with a depressive personality, the lonely Lily still loves him and agrees to go with the videogame store clerk on his “revenge of the nerd’ mission back to his hometown to take care of Eric Elisi (David Fane), the Samoan bully who used to jump Jarrod with his other ruffian friends and made his schooldays miserable. Lily’s folks are deceased, and her loving brother cares for the teen while Jarrod suffers because his mom died after being kicked in the head by a cow and his heroic family favorite protector brother Gordon (Taika Waititi) committed suicide. Lily comes as a shark, while Jarrod is an eagle, and the two square off in a violent video game called “Fight Man” to see who is the champion. Jenny rejects the offer as an insult, but Lily crashes the party and is escorted by her kindly cartoonist brother Damon (Joel Tobeck). The one time he hits her counter, he invites the other counter girl Jenny, a pretty blonde, to an animal costume party he’s giving, where each guest is to dress as their favorite animal. Lean and plain-looking Lily (Loren Horsley) works behind the counter at Wellington’s Meaty Boy burger franchise and her only pleasure is if she gets to serve the nerdy Jarrod Lough (Jemaine Clement), someone she has a crush on. New Zealand writer-director Taika Waititi makes his feature debut in this grating sitcom romantic comedy. ![]() For me, the charm never kicked in and I found it an annoying watch. “A paean film to lonely misfits that follows along the same tracks as “Napoleon Dynamite,” and relies entirely on being a charmer.”Ī paean film to lonely misfits that follows along the same tracks as “Napoleon Dynamite,” and relies entirely on being a charmer. EAGLE VS SHARK (director/writer: Taika Waititi cinematographer: Adam Clark editor: Jono Woodford-Robinson music: The Phoenix Foundation cast: Loren Horsley (Lily), Jemaine Clement (Jarrod Lough ), Craig Hall (Doug), Rachel House (Nancy), Brian Sergent (Jonah), Joel Tobeck (Damon), Chelsie Preston-Crayford (Jenny), David Fane (Eric Elisi), Taika Waititi (Gordon) Runtime: 87 MPAA Rating: R producers: Ainsley Gardiner/Cliff Curtis Miramax 2007)
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