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Parents' Guide to

Shark Night 3D

By Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Violent 3D shark attacks ... and not much else.

Movie PG-13 2011 91 minutes
Shark Night 3D Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 15+

Based on 8 parent reviews

BlitzGuy20
BlitzGuy20 Parent of 7-year-old
August 5, 2020
age 13+

Ridiculously bad acting and some fun scenes are followed by bloody violence and sexual content

This movie is bad, and the only reason you should watch it is for some cheesy fun, but is the movie appropriate? Let’s see in mt review sorted into 5 categories: VIOLENCE: Intense shark attacks throughout shown under and above water. These attacks show bloody mist, gory wounds and some dismemberment. A girl is attacked by a shark and eaten. Bloody and shown onscreen for the most part. A man has his arm torn off by a shark offscreen, then we see hus body without the arm and the arm being picked up by a man. Very bloody. A girl is pulled underwater by a shark and it is found out she is dead. No blood, mild scene. A man fights and kills a shark with a harpoon as he is bitten multiple times. Blood is shown in this scene. A man is eaten by sharks after he jumps into the water as suicide. Bloody. A shark jumps in the air and bites a man in the face off of his jet ski. Blood is shown throughout the scene. A man and a women are held hostage on a boat, and the man is shot in his chest and thrown in the water (no blood, brief), then he is eaten by a shark with blood mist as he is pulled under water. After a girl is forced to remove her clothing to bra’s and panties, she is violently licked and kissed on her neck before she is tossed into the water and is eaten piece by piece by cookie cutter sharks. She is bitten several times then in the face. Very bloody and extended scene. A man is cut in the leg with a knife. A bloody wound is shown. A man is thrown into the water and eaten by a shark as a man watches. Blood shown. A knife is thrown into a mans chest, and then shortly after another man is eaten alive by a shark. A giant hole is blown into a shark, causing organs and such to splatter everywhere. LANGUAGE: Utterances of the expletive “f*ck” are heard on occasion, one being clearly mouthed under the water while the middle finger is being held up. “b*tch”, “sh*t”, “titties”, “pr*ck” and more are heard several times throughout. SEXUAL CONTENT/NUDITY: Sexual behavior and sexual references are heard throughout. A mans buttocks are shown for an extended period of time sexually as he shakes it for a woman and grins. This is during an art class for a pose. The side of two women's breasts are shown as they are changing, a lot is shown. ALCOHOL USE: College kids are shown in possession of beers as they hand some to a cop. It is unknown which age they are. FRIGHTENING SCENES: The film can be frightening to younger children, but overall the quality of the film is so poor that the “scariness” goes away 100%. OVERALL: 13+ recommended
wonder dove
wonder dove Adult
September 14, 2012
age 14+

Blah!

Shark night was a flop, I didn't really enjoy it at all...then again I wasn't expecting anything amazing out of it. Characters were bland, story was a good idea but had no depth, lots of gore but without a great story it doesn't matter. I think teens would enjoy it for the thrill of sharks, but if you want to see a great shark flick, try the classic Jaws, nothings gets better than that! Lots of sexual innuendo, some language and drinking.
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Uptight pre-med college student Nick (Dustin Milligan) is persuaded to spend a weekend partying with a group of friends -- including the pretty, mysteriously distant Sara (Sara Paxton) -- at Sara's lake house. It's not long before one of the partygoers, Malik (Sinqua Walls), loses an arm to a shark attack. In their efforts to get him to a doctor, some of the other young people likewise start turning into shark food. It turns out that the sharks' presence in the lake is no accident and can be traced back to one of Sara's former boyfriends. Can the students solve the puzzle and get out of the water before it's too late?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8 ):
Kids say (28 ):

Simply put, this shark has no bite. Director -- and former stuntman -- David R. Ellis has previously helmed two of the Final Destination movies, as well as the infamous Snakes on a Plane, so he has a good grasp of the entertainment of destruction, though perhaps not a very thoughtful one. Many movies about killer aquatic creatures on the loose have succeeded due to a lightweight, carefree mood or an ironic tone; SHARK NIGHT has none of this.

The chemistry between the characters begins awkwardly and remains that way throughout the movie. Very often their behavior doesn't justify or "deserve" a shark attack, and there's a kind of sour tone, especially given the third-act plot twists. The visual effects are perhaps more designed for 3D thrills than they are for realism. The sharks look blatantly digital, and the attacks aren't particularly imaginative; the filmmakers clearly held back for a PG-13 rating (unlike 2010's truly outrageous Piranha 3D).

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's violence. What makes audiences scream -- and laugh -- at the shark attacks? Is it supposed to be scary, or something else?

  • The bad guys argue that people want to see real-life shark attacks. Do they have a point? Where have they crossed the line?

  • How do 3D effects help or hinder this movie? What's the appeal of 3D?

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