We’re deep in the throes of the waning days of Summer, where vacations and lazy days spent poolside will be distant memories, replaced with the fervor and briskness of the Holidays. That doesn’t mean we still can’t enjoy those customs that are synonymous with the Summer months, though, including beach days, tropical drinks, and of course…shark movies. Films centered around the ocean’s greatest predators have become increasingly popular over the years, essentially developing into their own subgenre. Saban Films’ Maneater, written and directed by Justin Lee, attempts to take a bite out of the killer shark genre with a heaping helping of pretty people in an idyllic location vs a hungry Great White.

Reeling from a broken engagement, jilted and heartbroken Jessie (Nicky Whelan) decides to go on her prepaid island honeymoon, inviting along her supportive group of friends. Shortly after arriving, the group plan an excursion to a remote area of the island to drink, snorkel, swim, and drown Jessie’s sorrows. Their seemingly perfect vacation is soon turned upside down when a bloodthirsty Great White inhabiting the waters threatens not only their lives, but also those living on the island. One of those islanders, grieving the loss of his daughter from an attack by the shark, is the embittered Harlan (Country Music star Trace Adkins), who is forced to take matters into his own hands. Will Harlan be able to put a stop to the attacks before it’s too late for Jessie and her friends?

Maneater heads right out the gate with the shark attack goodness with that aforementioned death of Harlan’s daughter, and makes good on offering up plenty of moments of victims being bitten in half that fans have come to expect with the genre. In between all that, it goes heavy on prolonged musical montage scenes of Jessie and her friends enjoying time on their chartered boat, the beach, and in the water. We do get a good sense of who these characters are, though, and the dynamic between them, which helps ratchet up the stakes once the body count increases. There’s a believable authenticity to their interaction that doesn’t feel forced or trite, where the audience will feel a sense of familiarity with them. 

The film’s strongest point comes from the portrayal of Harlan and his steadfast determination to rid the island of the shark, come hell or high water, and his unlikely partnering with the traumatized Jessie. Saying more would reveal too much, but the two of them together is a surprisingly sweet and refreshing plot point that helps propel the movie forward, even when complications with the overall story begin to chum the waters.

Maneater does what it can in special effects with the budget it has to work with, but portraying a goliath of a predator going after its victims in the water is always going to be difficult to pull off effectively. The filmmakers manage the camera work in a way to still capture the frenzy of an attack without lingering too long to one specific shot.

Perhaps the roughest waves of the entire film come with its overtly derivative use of tropes and homages to genre pioneers such as Jaws. It’s one thing to pay homage to a classic, but another to go so far into that territory that it becomes predictable and egregious. Harlan, though completely likable in his own way, has so many traces of Robert Shaw’s character Quint, that it borders on groan-worthy. His plight to go after and kill the shark, along with the ensuing battle with local authorities, is just too on-the-nose to feel original. There’s even a line of dialogue that is clearly borrowed from one of the most famous phrases in Jaws that makes a valiant attempt to be cheeky, but instead comes off as eye-rolling.

Part of the problem is that the movie doesn’t need to rely so heavily on these nods, and could have benefited more from focusing on its own story. There are genuine, enjoyable characters who you find yourself rooting for, and a fun, suspenseful plot that moves at a steady clip. In many ways, Maneater is more entertaining than it probably should be, as long as you’re able to wade through the trope-filled waters and just enjoy it for what it is.

6 Out Of 10