Review: 'Jersey Shore Shark Attack'

It's a fine between a movie being fun-bad and simply bad. Creating that mix of camp and self-aware craptastic dialogue that makes a bad movie fun to watch is tough to define (or execute). But as a viewer, you certainly know it when you see it.

Going into "Jersey Shore Shark Attack," I wasn't expecting much in the way of entertainment. Syfy original movies do a lot of things well, but camp isn't one of them. I approached the film thinking "sharks, some predictable Jersey Shore jokes...yawn, yawn."

Boy, was I wrong.

"Jersey Shore Shark Attack" isn't a great movie. Based on the poorly executed special effects I'm not even sure it can be described as well-made. But it's funny and over the top in the way that makes the result a mash-up of "Jaws" and the typical Ernest movie.

As you might expect, the movie is a spoof of MTV's hit series "Jersey Shore," complete with characters who have names like "The Complication" and "Nooki." The acting is so over-the-top it almost defies description and the minimalistic plot must have originally been written on an index card.

But for some almost indefinable reason, "Jersey Shore Shark Attack" is also a blast to watch. While nearly every character is a predictable representation of what you would expect to see, everyone fully commits to the experience. There aren't a lot of winks and nods here. There's just this relentless tide of awkward dialogue and plot twists worthy of the lamest Elvis movie.

All you need to know is that an evil rich developer is illegally pounding the seabed in an effort to complete his brand new Boardwalk development. The relentless drilling attracts a rare breed of killer albino sharks, who begin devouring beachgoers. Of course, it all comes down to the bravery of The Complication and his friends, who grab a few guns and save the day.

One fun thing about "Jersey Shore Shark Attack" is the abundance of character actors playing bit parts. Tony Sirico ("The Sopranos"), Paul Sorvino ("Goodfellas"), Jack Scalia ("Dallas"), Joey Fatone (‘N Sync), William Atherton ("Die Hard") and Vinny Guadagnino ("Jersey Shore") all make brief appearances that frequently end in their deaths. The familiar faces make the movie seem a bit more upscale than it is, although I want to underscore the phrase "bit more."

I had fun watching "Jersey Shore Shark Attack." From the laughable CGI sharks to dialogue that sometimes seemed to be written by someone weaned on bad 80s movies, this movie isn't a classic. But it's a great way to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday night.