Home
Home

Frankenfish (2004)

DVD Cover (Sony Home Entertainment)
Add to Collection
Sign up to add this to your collection
Add to Favorites
Sign up to add this to your favorites
Overall Rating 48%
Overall Rating
Ranked #5,524
...out of 20,203 movies
Check In? Sign up to check in!
Genres / Traits: Action Horror Natural Horror Fish

Something is lurking in the murky waters of Louisiana's swamplands, killing the unsuspecting locals, and medical examiner, Sam Rivers, and biologist, Mary Callahan, embark on a mission to shed light on the mystery. But, before long, another devastating attack leaves the team of investigators trapped in the hostile environment, fighting to survive the relentless onslaught of the methodical adversary. Now, blood stains the marshes. What's terrorizing the bayou? --IMDb
User Image
Review by Chad
Added: February 13, 2007
Here we have a film that debuted on the Sci-Fi Channel a couple of years ago, and... wait, don't click that back button just yet. Yes, a solid ninety percent of the films that make their debut on that channel flat-out suck, and I'm as shocked as you are that one of them turned out to be halfway decent.

The cover plastered across the front of the DVD packaging pretty much tells you everything that you need to know about this movie, that being that there's a couple of huge fish swimming around in the Louisiana bayou that have a taste for human flesh. It all begins when a fisherman's mangled body turns up in the river, and although we at home know what happened to him, the authorities are a bit baffled as to what could dismember a man like this. They send medical examiner Sam Rivers (Tory Kittles) and biologist Mary Callahan (China Chow) to the crime scene to investigate, and... well, they find out that there's huge, man-eating fish in the river. What, were you expecting something else? The duo eventually encounter a small neighborhood of houseboats out in the middle of nowhere, houseboats which contain some rather "back-woods" people. One of them catches Sam's eye (and mine too, while we're at it), and so begins a small love angle between him and a lady who will eventually introduce herself as Eliza (K.D. Aubert). There's not a whole lot of time for love though, as these killer fish have set out to get themselves a meal, even going so far as to destroy all of the boats (the only means of transportation) and break holes into the bottom of the houseboats (causing them to slowly start sinking). It's up to Sam and Eliza to save the day, and... well, you should know how these movies go by now.

With a title like Frankenfish, it should be pretty obvious that this isn't going to be some sort of genre-defining film, and it should go without saying that you shouldn't expect a film that takes itself very seriously. To be honest, I wasn't even expecting to like the movie; the Sci-Fi Channel isn't exactly known for high-quality entertainment, and I had my fill of the "Giant, Man-Eating <insert animal here>" movies years ago. I did like it though, and although it's not a film that I'll urge you readers to run to the store and purchase, it's worth a viewing if you can find it for a cheap price. This is thanks in large part to a combination of likable characters (shallow and one-dimensional, but likable), a straightforward and intriguing story, and plenty of action and mayhem. It's the same combination that made Tremors the classic that it is, and even though this one isn't in the same league as Tremors, I couldn't help but notice some similarities.

The fish in this movie, it's eventually explained, are mutated Chinese snakehead fish. You may recall hearing about the Maryland outbreak of these buggers on the news a couple of years ago, so it was inevitable that someone would decide to make a movie about them. One would think that any sort of killer fish, short of sharks and piranha, would be pretty silly; however, they worked out pretty nicely in this movie. They looked good for the most part even though there were a few scenes where the CGI usage was horrible, and after we learn how they operate, they actually become pretty fearsome creatures. Much like their real-life counterparts, the fish in this movie can flop around on land and breathe air, a fact which makes them a whole lot more dangerous than the type of killer fish one normally expects to see. Unlike their real-life counterparts, they can also destroy houses and boats, making it that much easier for them to devour their prey. Granted, it's a bit silly, but the movie played out in a very tongue-in-cheek fashion and in turn, you really can't help but to enjoy it.

Yes, these fish managed to achieve a considerable body-count when everything was said and done, and there's actually some damned fine gore to be found. Heads and torsos are bitten off, bodies are torn apart, and we even get to see what an air boat can do to the human body. I'm fairly certain that most of the good stuff was and will continue to be chopped out of the Sci-Fi airings, but the DVD release had a surprising amount of the red stuff as things moved along.

Frankenfish is by no means a classic movie, nor is it a particularly great one. It is enjoyable, however, and you could do much worse than this when picking through the bargain bin at your retailer of choice. 6/10.
Crispy #1: Crispy - added February 13, 2007 at 3:49am
This movie has caught my eye at Blockbuster more than once. I might have to give it a shot.
Chad #2: Chad - added February 13, 2007 at 4:35am
It's worth it for the crazy Vietnam vet himself. Upon killing one of the fish, he calmly grabs a machete, cuts out the fish's heart, throws it on the grill for a few seconds, and then proceeds to eat it while screaming (something to the effect of) "I'm the king of the swamp now, motherfucker!" That scene had me cracking up, especially considering that it was played in such a serious way.
Crispy #3: Crispy - added October 30, 2009 at 4:18am
Almost three years later, I finally sat down with it and oh my God. The acting sucked, the effects sucked, but this was so much fucking fun. And funny you you compared it to Tremors, I thought the same once or twice throughout the running time.
Sign up to add your comment. Sign up to add your comment.
Recommended Movies
Anacondas: The Hunt For The Blood Orchid Anacondas: Trail Of Blood Anaconda 3: Offspring Dead Birds Bats: Human Harvest Snakes On A Train Piranha It Came From The Desert Mega Piranha Underworld Underworld: Evolution Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans Day Of The Animals The Swarm Red Water Piranha Part Two: The Spawning Against The Dark Attack Of The Meth Gator
Layout, reviews and code © 2000-2024 | Privacy Policy
Contact: Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Review Updates