Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Yet another horrible sequel in tired, violent sci-fi series.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Sharknado 5: Global Swarming
What's the Story?
Nova (Cassandra Scerbo), on a fact-finding mission near Stonehenge to stop the Sharknado attacks at what she believes to be the source, unwittingly unleashes a global sharknado attack in SHARKNADO 5: GLOBAL SWARMING. Fin (Ian Ziering), his robot wife April (Tara Reid), and their son Gil also happen to be in England, meeting with the UK Prime Minister (Chris Kattan) en route to a NATO meeting. But instead, they must now battle the sharknadoes everywhere they turn up, especially since Gil has gone missing inside one of the sharknadoes. The battle takes them all over the world -- Switzerland, Australia, Italy, Egypt, etc. -- but even with the encouragement of Queen Charo, Pope Fabio, and a horrendous attempt at rock and roll from Bret Michaels, the global sharknado attacks appear on the verge of destroying the planet.
Is It Any Good?
Are there any good "Part 5" sequels? No. "But the Sharknado movies are so bad, they're good!" you might say. While this might have been true when the first Sharknado wreaked havoc on Southern California in 2013, the same stale gags and cheesy CGI-infused battle scenes and terrible dialogue and D-list celebrity cameos in Sharknado 5: Global Swarming are so beyond played out, you just wish the franchise would stop already. Please.
Unfortunately, it's strongly implied that, of course, there's going to be a Sharknado 6. It's also strongly implied that this sixth movie might be the one that ends it once and for all. But maybe that's just wishful thinking.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sequels like Sharknado 5: Global Swarming. Why do sequels get made, and why are they often worse than the original movie?
The Sharknado franchise has a definitive style of over-the-top action violence, bad dialogue, even worse jokes. Think of other movie franchises with several sequels. What are some of the hallmarks of those movies?
Why do you think movies that are "so bad they're good" have appeal for many?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : March 1, 2022
- Cast : Ian Ziering , Tara Reid , Cassie Scerbo
- Director : Anthony C. Ferrante
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Asylum Home Entertainment
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Animals ( Ocean Creatures )
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate