What began as Jaws 3, People 0 (vetoed by none other than Steven Spielberg himself) and quickly changed to cash in on the 3D craze that briefly took over cinemas in the early 80's we have...a film that has a shark at least.
We open with a POV of something attacking a grouper before following a group of water skiers into the newly refurbished Sea World. From there the shark, like you're surprised at this point, hides out in the new lagoon. While sneaking in, the gate is knocked off its track.
Mechanic Overman (Harry Grant) is ordered down there by his boss Michael Brody (Dennis Quaid) as his boss, Calvin Bourchard (Louis Gossett, Jr.) wants everything in tiptop shape by opening day. Overman does as he told and quickly finds out why the gate is messed up. His arm is the only part that is salvageable.
When Overman fails to check in, Brody and Dr. Kate Morgan (Bess Armstrong) take a sub. They fail to find him, but they do find a baby shark. They inform Bourchard, who tells his friend Phillip Fitz-Royce (Simon MacCorkindale). Fitz-Royce, besides being the 16th Earl of Haddonfield, is also a big game hunter and the idea of going after a great white with nothing than his wits and a dozen or so hand grenades really flexes his marys. Morgan argues that capturing the shark alive and putting it on display would be more profitable in the long run. Bourchard finally agrees with Morgan.
During all of this, Michael's little brother Sean (John Putch) arrives. Unlike his brother, Sean has opted to go to college as far from the water as possible, although his tone softens when he meets park water skier Kelly Ann (Lea Thompson)
The baby shark, meanwhile, shows why keeping great whites in captivity is a bad idea and dies. Also Overman's remains are found. All this makes our heroes realize that there must be another shark still in the park and now it's extra mad...
Weak and overwrought. The deaths are down to almost nothing and even the attacks are as poorly done as possible, with Fitz-Royce being gummed to death. The 3-D effects look cheap and every single character is a nitwit. This might be the very definition of an idiot plot, as the story only works if every single character is a moron.
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