Search - Eagle vs. Shark on DVD

Brilliant Script

SORE EYES | 01/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lilly (Loren Horsley) works in a fast food restaurant and garners the respect of no one. But she takes it on the chin and remains curiously sweet. She's got a crush on Jarrod, a narcissist geek with a horrible mullet played by Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords fame. Jarrod and Lilly hook up at a party one night. (Do you want to have sex? OK.) Jarrod has a mission-to crush a samoan lad who tortured him in school. He returns home to fight his nemesis. I won't give it away, but the ending to this movie had me laughing hysterically. This is a completely original script absent banal comedy and full of emotional depth. You won't see films like this coming out of Hollywood these days. Thank you Taika and the NZ Film Commission.

Many people have compared Eagle to Napoleon Dynamite, but I find the comparison lacking. Yes, Lily and Jarrod are geeks, but the similarities with Napoleon end there. This isn't a geek revenge movie though the plot may seem like that on the face of it. The movie is titled Eagle vs. Shark but it could be titled man vs. woman. Neither Lily or Jarrod run to each other as solace from the outside world. Lily has a warm home life with her brother and Jarrod is pretty solidly convinced of his stature and his ability with women until the end of the movie. It's interesting to see how Lily turns Jarod around. This film is about the balance of power between Lily and Jarod, not geeks vs the world.

There are a lot of good minor characters in this film including Jarrod's sister and her husband and Lily's brother. Jarrod's daughter is played brilliantly by an eccentric little girl whose name I can't find on the DVD. She's cute to watch. I liked Lorena's performance. She brings strength to her role as Lily but doesn't come off aggressive. It must have been a difficult role to play right.

Good extras on the film including some nice deleted scenes. The commentary with Taika was a little off putting. He seems a bit over it. His girlfriend, Lorena Horsely who plays Lily calls from NZ and they talk a bit about the film, but neither one of them seem very into it. It seems like the commentary was added a long long time after the film was made and maybe thrown in because of the success of Conchords. The most interesting commentary comes from the guy that plays Jarrod's brother in law. Taika says things like "that scene comes from the Sundance film workshop" but doesn't explain what that is or why he was there. Flight of the Conchords fans don't buy Eagle to hear any interviews or commentary with Jemaine. He is curiously absent from all the extras here as he was with Conchords. Jemaine seems more over it all these days than anyone. I doubt HBO will get a season 3 out of him unless they throw him mad mad money.

There are a lot of great views of NZ in this film. Loved the camera shot on the playground with Lily running in the mouse wheel with the bay out the back. Gorgeous. Good music from the Phoenix Foundation Horsepower, Pegasus that works well with the film. The soundtrack wasn't chosen for marketing purposes, it actually works with what's going on in the film.

When I see a good film like this, completed for under a million dollars, you wonder what is going on in Hollywood these days that more films like this aren't made. Hollywood is good at throwing money into a lot of dumb scripts with hot actors, but it takes someone like Taika to come along and demonstrate how a good movie is really about a good script, not special effects and pretty people."

Stop Calling Samoa and Watch this Film!

Gloria Cavanaugh | San Francisco, CA | 01/09/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Being a torturously huge fan of Flight of the Conchords, and Jemaine Clement, I looked forward to this film with a jubilant anticipation I haven't felt since high school. Since my love is full-on, I didn't give much thought to the actual content of Eagle vs. Shark before sitting down to view it. I was deeply surprised at the emotional depth of the story and the pronounced portrayal of the characters. Lily's yearning angst and Jarrod's tenderly obnoxious pain was palatable. I still feel the lump of wax in my chest (perhaps Jarrod, using his noble skills, could create a candle with it!). The hilarity here is fulfilling, as well. Taika Waititi doesn't take you on the predictable path of the lonely losers attempting to find solace in their absurd-yet-natural, brutal world. These twists and unexpected subtleties bring out some eye-bugging, ankle-hugging laughter. This film can hold it's own in any venue, with men and women, chicks and dudes, whether or not you've any knowledge of Clement's other pursuits. If you've ever been wronged, if you've ever felt like an outsider, if you've ever cried out, silently, for attention, you'll be able to identify with this story. If not, and you've lived a glorious life, check it out anyway. You'll love it, if only for the stop-action animation and the be-atching soundtrack. Are you keen, fool?"

Justice Is Waiting!

WildSlutAngel22 | Chatroom | 01/05/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a sweet little movie starring JEMAINE CLEMENT (of Flight of the Conchords fame) and LOREN HORSLEY (of...being Taika Waititi's girlfriend fame?). Not sure why Amazon doesn't have them listed anywhere as the stars...

The film follows Jarrod (Clement) and Lily's (Horsley) budding romance, from her crush on him as she works at a fast food restaurant he frequents, to their hook-up at a dress-as-your-favorite animal party, to visiting his hometown as he takes revenge on someone who bullied him in school. They are unlikely soul mates, bonded by similar facial moles.

The film includes beautiful shots of the New Zealand coast, a little stop-action animation, and Clement sporting a really choice mullet! Like a lot of stuff that has been coming out of New Zealand lately, it is heavy on the quirk but also has some funny and heartfelt moments. And fans of Clement will enjoy a scene in which he is wearing a Speedo.

You WILL call all of your enemies "foolish, foolish sucka" after seeing this movie!"

A SAD AND FUNNY QUIRKY FILM!

! MR. KNOW IT ALL ;-b | TRI STATE AREA | 05/17/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Just one look at the cover art of the DVD case is enough to let you know this isn't just another movie! The likable cast keeps this sweet little romantic comedy fresh. It's got a Napoleon Dynamite vibe with it's cast of off the wall characters. The main character of Lily is played with honesty and you can't help but feel sorry for her all the while laughing through this quirky little film. It's nice to see a romantic comedy that I didn't know the ending to ten minutes after it started."