Review: Eagle vs Shark

You can see this film in one of two ways; either it's a shameless rip-off of Napoleon Dynamite, or the most originial New Zealand comedy ever made (granted, it's probably the only New Zealand comedy ever made). Personally, I think it would be harsh to accuse this film of overt plagarism - after all, it was most likely conceived of before nerd-god Dynamite was released onto the public conscience. So, leaving that issue aside, what you're left with is a charming, slow-burn off-beat rom-com with stacks of great moments strung together with a weak, if functional plotline.

As the lovers-to-be, Loren Horsley as Lily and Jemaine Clement (of Flight of the Conchords fame) as Jarrod both do a great job. Their physicality is excellent, meaning that often it's the moments of silent comedy which pack a greater punch than the scripted gags. The chemistry between the two may be slightly questionable, but by the end you've been convinced that, however bizarre Lily's obsession with Jarrod may be, at least it appears, by her own cookie standards, genuine. Rom-coms usually always take advantage of the rule whereby from the moment the lovers first set eyes on each other, the audience must just blindly assume that they are meant to be, however implausible it may seem to the rational mind. Eagle vs Shark certainly takes this to the extreme, as from the very first scene Lily appears to have an almost pyschotic obsession with the largely awkward and unlikeable Jarrod.

But still, in a film where almost every character appears to be autistic (and I don't say this with any spurious intent), this kind of structural analysis is perhaps futile.