If you're looking for Jaws, look elsewhere; if you're looking for a half-way decent Syfy production, this is it. I was surprised by how good and entertaining this movie turned out to be. And while I may have a different grading scale than most, I did find this movie an excellent watch.
Grade: 9.6/10 Final Grade: A (Excellent)
Plot: 9/10 (Excellent) On a beach in San Diego (or San Di-ahgo as Ron Burgundy calls it) a group of (hot) lifeguards protect the people from drowning and from shark attacks until a new alpha predator arrives on the scene--this one nuclear.
Character Development: 10/10 (Perfect) Each lifeguard is given his or her own time to shine in the sun, but the main two, Gina and Fletcher, the heroes, shine the brightest. We get to know enough about them to not hate them and actually like them: Gina is a lifeguard who is also an environmental researcher, doing her part to keep the planet safe--never thinking she'd have to deal with a nuclear-powered animal. She also has a few daddy issues that add to the drama but don't take away from it. Fletcher is a basic lifeguard who does the job because of the ladies until he realizes far more is at stake. Everyone else is basic shark-food and does their part well until they're eaten.
Direction: 10/10 (Perfect) The director tells a good story, showing the possible work life of a team of lifeguards dealing with the threat of a nuclear shark.
Casting: 9/10 (Excellent) The cast is good and easy to look at for the most part. I take a point off for Jessica Kemejuk, who was so unbelievably gorgeous until I saw the gross tattoo on her back, which is an instant turn-off for me. Everyone else was fine, though, especially the star, Rachele Brooke Smith, who was probably the hottest lifeguard I've seen since Baywatch and wore the best swimsuit in the entire movie.
Acting; 9/10 (Excellent) The actors weren't bad, giving a much better performance than I was expecting. Of them all, Jeff Fahey stole the show, as he normally does.
Cinematography: 10/10 (Perfect) Beautifully shot, giving the viewers what they wanted to see more--beautiful babes, hot-looking men, and a blood galore from a shark. The special effects were great, and while the shark did look like a Jaws-reject, he still wasn't bad.
Music: 10/10 (Perfect) Great music fades into the background: It's there, but you don't really notice it. That was the case here.
Pacing: 10/10 (Perfect) Movie didn't let up from the start.
Sets and Costumes: 10/10 (Perfect) The person in charge of clothing should be given an award for giving the star the greatest lifeguard swimsuit ever. While Jessica Kemejuk had a more traditional swimsuit for a woman, Rachele Brooke Smith had the greatest two piece ever that was functional but still showed off her gorgeous body to best effect.
Re-watchability: 9/10 (Excellent) I'd definitely watch Atomic Shark again for the girls. Story was good, dialogue was decent, but you need to mostly watch this movie for the girls.
