A diver is killed, and a marine biologist and his female assistant require someone to take on the dangerous task. Literally exploding into the country, Burt Reynolds soon causes a stir in the local town with his petty thievery and obnoxious ways. He quickly forms a relationship with a young boy, Runt, and the inhabitants of a seedy hotel (a drunken doctor, a mad Arab, and "Fatso" the owner). Soon Reynolds is joining the fishing crew, but trouble comes in the form of a corrupt policeman and double-crossing between friends.
Okay, I didn't know what to make of this. The packaging intrigued me. First of all it looked like a JAWS rip-off, but I soon found it was made before JAWS. There was also a ridiculous note that the film was dedicated to injured stuntmen - a marketing ploy if ever I saw one. And then there was Burt Reynolds. Trust me, Burt is the one thing which redeems this film and stops it becoming an unwatchable mess. Because Burt is THE king of cool. Whether he's fighting off greasy thugs or cracking wise-ass jokes, Burt sure knows his stuff.
The rest of the plot is inconsequential really. There's a heck of a lot of character building. The shark of the title is seen swimming around and eats a couple of people, but that's about it. The main plot is about Burt and his relationships in the town. There's little in the way of suspense, but quite a lot of action fighting scenes. Arthur Kennedy also appears. I don't know why this film had a 15 certificate, as the only gory bit of it was when someone was getting attacked by a shark and a load of what looked like red paint was coming off him. The young boy was pretty endearing though. If you're anything of a Burt Reynolds fan, then this film is for you. I wasn't a fan before I saw his performance, but my opinion is definitely changed now I have.
Okay, I didn't know what to make of this. The packaging intrigued me. First of all it looked like a JAWS rip-off, but I soon found it was made before JAWS. There was also a ridiculous note that the film was dedicated to injured stuntmen - a marketing ploy if ever I saw one. And then there was Burt Reynolds. Trust me, Burt is the one thing which redeems this film and stops it becoming an unwatchable mess. Because Burt is THE king of cool. Whether he's fighting off greasy thugs or cracking wise-ass jokes, Burt sure knows his stuff.
The rest of the plot is inconsequential really. There's a heck of a lot of character building. The shark of the title is seen swimming around and eats a couple of people, but that's about it. The main plot is about Burt and his relationships in the town. There's little in the way of suspense, but quite a lot of action fighting scenes. Arthur Kennedy also appears. I don't know why this film had a 15 certificate, as the only gory bit of it was when someone was getting attacked by a shark and a load of what looked like red paint was coming off him. The young boy was pretty endearing though. If you're anything of a Burt Reynolds fan, then this film is for you. I wasn't a fan before I saw his performance, but my opinion is definitely changed now I have.