Eagle vs. Shark

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Eagle vs. Shark

R,

2007,

1h 34m,

Comedy/

Romance

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Watchlist

Watchlist

57%

108 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

25,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

57%

Tomatometer

108 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Lily (Loren Horsley), a socially awkward fast-food waitress, meets Jarrod (Jemaine Clement), an equally oddball video-game clerk, at a costume party. She flips over him, even though he is not exactly the nicest guy around, and the pair begin a strange relationship. Gearing up for his ultimate revenge against a high-school bully, Jarrod dumps Lily, but she digs her heels in and refuses to give up the fight.

Critics Consensus

Though there are frequent moments of wit and mordant humor, Eagle vs Shark needs more to distinguish itself from other precious, Napoleon Dynamite-ish comedies.

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

Aug 17, 2007

2/5

If you're going to make fun of awkward chavs, even with the best will in the world, you have to avoid simply laughing at them.

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Neil Smith

Independent (UK)

Aug 17, 2007

3/5

From the seemingly helpless geriatric who gets up to push his own wheelchair to the genial brother who constantly mimics movie stars, however, Taika Cohen's film seems nothing so much as Little Britain Down Under.

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Anthony Quinn

Independent (UK)

Aug 17, 2007

2/5

The film wants to be your cuddly, quirky friend, and makes you feel bad for not returning the affection.

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Graeme Tuckett

The Post NZ

Aug 18, 2023

This is a sweet, offbeat, and oddly credible look at youngish love.

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Bianca Garner

In Their Own League

Feb 16, 2022

4/5

A charming little indie film which isn’t going to be exactly everyone’s cup of tea but I think it’s worth seeking out if you like your comedies a little different...

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Nov 24, 2020

7/10

A bitingly funny portrait of inadequacy and triumph, fueled by a poignancy all its own.

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Poe W

Oct 22, 2018

Eagle vs. Shark appears to be vying for the Napoleon Dynamite audience. However, while there are superficial similarities, this production, from New Zealand writer/director Taika Waititi, is unlikely to achieve the same kind of embrace by geekdom that was lavished upon Jared Hess' feature. There are two primary reasons. In the first place, the semi-comedic tone of Eagle vs. Shark is more uneven than that of Napoleon Dynamite. The film offers some laughs but there are times when the dead zones between them are uncomfortable to endure. The bigger issue relates to the characters. Like the protagonist in Napoleon Dynamite, the main characters in Eagle vs. Shark are quirky and socially inept. Unfortunately, they are also morons, and it becomes increasingly difficult to care one way or another about characters who act like they have undergone frontal lobotomies. (barely average indie).

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Poe W

Jun 9, 2018

A favorite of mine. The surrealistic style and absurd humor of the movie are well done, and the soft indie soundtrack matching perfectly. The exaggerated personalities and traits of the characters help to bring forth the most human core of this heart-warming but awkward love-story. What distinguishes it from other "Napoleon Dynamite-ish" comedies might be that this story is told with Lily at its heart, the quiet and lonely girl who loves the loud and pathetic geek not the other way around. Her emotions throughout the film are so well captured and accurate despite the absurd setting, she is what keeps it all together.

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Hagrid S

Nov 28, 2017

The quirkiness of Juno meets the humor of Napoleon Dynamite.

Luke W

Nov 27, 2017

A self-conscious veneer of quirk gilds the lily of this otherwise by-the-book romance. No character development occurs and it's disappointing in this female-led film that the man-child gets rewarded for his shitty behaviour. Little sign of the talent that Watiti and Clement would go on to show, but hey, there's hope for all of us.

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Harry G

Nov 19, 2017

A beautiful film about an unconventional love between two very unconventional people.

Finn G

Nov 8, 2017

The only thing amateurish about this movie are the critic reviews.

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Taika Waititi

Director

Loren Taylor

Lily

Jemaine Clement

Jarrod

Brian Sergent

Jonah

Rachel House

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Craig Hall

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Synopsis

Lily (Loren Horsley), a socially awkward fast-food waitress, meets Jarrod (Jemaine Clement), an equally oddball video-game clerk, at a costume party. She flips over him, even though he is not exactly the nicest guy around, and the pair begin a strange relationship. Gearing up for his ultimate revenge against a high-school bully, Jarrod dumps Lily, but she digs her heels in and refuses to give up the fight.

Director: Taika Waititi
Producer: Ainsley Gardiner, Cliff Curtis
Screenwriter: Taika Waititi
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: New Zealand Film Commission
Rating: R (Language|Brief Animated Violence|Some Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 15, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 14, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $221.8K
Runtime: 1h 34m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, DTS

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