User Reviews

"Eagle Vs Shark" is the story of two people considered 'losers' by society and how they might...just might...be right for one another. On one hand you have Jerrod, a twelve-year old boy trapped in a man's body who enjoys making candles, plotting revenge on the school bully that ruined his life and playing the video game 'Fight Man'. On the other hand, you have the fragile Lilly who sings songs about tangerines, lets people walk all over her and dreams about how Jerrod (a regular customer at the fast food restaurant where she works) may one day love her.

Creating a quirky, whimsical movie featuring two geeks who are awkward and barely able to function in society is difficult to pull off but New Zealand film maker Taika Watiti manages it. What makes this movie different to many others which focus on similar characters is that "Eagle Vs Shark" never stoops to mocking its characters despite the opportunity to do so. The audience is invited to share in their hopes and defeats, rather than stand back and laugh at their offbeat behaviour. It is a romantic comedy about two characters who are ill-suited to the genre (Lilly wears her shark costume while lying in bed with Jerrod for example).

Whilst both leads are magnificent, Loren Horsley is the real find here. With her wide innocent eyes, crooked smile and shy demeanour, she creates a character which you can truly connect with. Jerrod may be a complete jerk and oblivious to everyone around him but you never doubt that Lilly truly loves him. She's the type of girl who fades into the background of any room and Horsley manages to convey her joy and heartbreak in a way that you really want her to have a happy ending. Jermaine Clement as Jerrod is a lot harder to warm to because of his actions (and inactions) throughout the movie but ultimately you come to share Lilly's faith that the two are right for one another.

It's hard to avoid the comparisons to "Napoleon Dynamite" when reviewing "Eagle VS Shark". The deadpan deliveries of the characters in both movies is similar and the tone is almost identical. It's safe to assume that if you hated "Napoleon Dynamite" then you're absolutely going to loathe "Eagle VS Shark". Everyone else should give this movie a chance. Like the characters it features, it's not perfect but, like love, it's an uplifting experience.

Awkward. Quirky. Wonderful.

Recommended.

Cute, quirky film. I thoroughly enjoyed this twisted and very unique "Romantic Comedy" . Occasionally I was reminded of Napoleon Dynamite, but that is not to say that the content and story was unoriginal. The opening scene was absolutely fantastic, and immediately you are thrilled to find out who this strange girl is, as well as who her crush is. I love that the writer/director made some very non-cliché choices for the characters, it made for some refreshingly shocking fun moments. His actor girlfriend is very talented, and in reality a beautiful girl. This unique film may not be the one you watch dozens of times over, or memorize every single line, but it is certainly one I will see again when it is released.

Greetings again from the darkness. While comparisons to "Napoleon Dynamite" are inevitable, writer/director Taika Cohen/Waititi actually delivers much more depth than the cult classic from Idaho. The multiple story lines involve family relationships, one on ones, self-esteem and self-discovery. Of course it may also be one of the quirkiest films of all time.

Of the two leads, Jemaine Clement as Jarrod and Loren Horsley as Lily, Clement's role is much flashier, but Ms. Horsley steals every scene. She is such a delight and a curiosity on screen. Her crooked smile and expressive eyes are exquisitely charming and as a viewer, we immediately embrace her desire to be loved.

Most of Mr. Clement's role is gearing up for his big revenge fight against the high school bully. As with most things in his life, he doesn't handle the moment very well, but it does become his moment of awakening.

The family relationship issues are complex and handled very realistically as very little is actually said amongst the individuals. Body language speaks much louder than words. Don't miss the director in the flashbacks as Jerrod's "perfect" brother Gordon.

Eagle vs. Shark is not another "inspired-by" high school athletic epic but rather a romantic comedy as strange as you will find this year. Actually I had to go back to 1971 with John Cassavetes' Minnie and Moskowitz and Hal Ashby's Harold and Maude to find equivalently eccentric couples meeting the challenges of decidedly unromantic love. Lily (Loren Horsley) is the naïve victim of society's meanness (she loses a job at Meaty Burger, where most of us wouldn't even eat, much less work; Jerrod (Jemaine Clement) is a slacker clerk out of Napoleon Dynamite's class.

This New-Zealand funky romance is partly funded by a fellowship from Sundance, not a guarantee of quality but a sign there might be something more that the initial impression that director Taika Waititi is being condescending to these less than brilliant lovers. After a while, I lost my own condescension and warmed to the simplicity of Lily's love for the obtuse and dorky Jerrod, as well as Jerrod's struggle with his feelings for this lovable flake. I also found comfort as I placed the protagonists in the same lineup with eccentric characters out of the imaginations of Bill Forsythe and David Lynch.

For example, the socially-clumsy Jarrod asks the introverted Lily if she'd like to have sex; she immediately replies, "Yep." The fleeting act, in which it takes longer to affix the condom than to perform, is charmingly innocent and inept.

Most of the family members are either socially unprepared or physically handicapped, a metaphor for the difficulties of social integration for unsophisticated but good-hearted underachievers. The oddball spirit of the film is embodied in the animal-costume party, for which Jarrod hosts as an eagle and Lily arrives as a shark. Thus the title, the endearing characters, and the difficulty deciding if this is an understated farce about the fringes of society or an exaltation of diversity and simplicity. You decide.

"Eagle vs Shark" is an awkward romantic comedy. In fact it's probably 80 percent awkward, 10 percent romantic and 10 percent comedy. New Zealand creator Taika Waititi shows us the deadpan humor side of love, a style reminiscent of HBO New Zealander comedy series "Flight of the Conchords," (which stars Jemaine Clement, the lead male in "Eagle") only this is less funny. It's cute and good for a few chuckles, but not funny enough to truly endear us to its main characters, Jarrod and Lily.

The film begins on the boy-meets-girl premise, with Lily (Loren Horsley) scoping out a particularly unattractive Jarrod at her place of work, a fast food restaurant. After she's fired for seemingly no good reason, she goes to Jarrod's "dress as your favorite animal" party where she lets him beat her in a video game tournament. The two hook up despite Jarrod's awkward advances and their romance quickly takes them to the town where Jarrod grew up, where he has plans to fight his childhood bully -- and ultimately some inner demons.

The shift from focusing on Lily to being about Jarrod coming to terms with some family and self-confidence issues is slightly unexpected. The title gives the impression the two will be at odds and that this will be the main source of conflict, but it ends up being about how Lily, seeking desperately to be swept away by love, hits an obstacle because the apple of her eye is an immature Napoleon Dynamite rip-off. Ultimately, love is never simple or easy, but it works out if it's meant to.

Clement, had Napoleon Dynamite never existed, would have come off as quite hilarious in this movie. However, the nunchuks thing has indeed been done, so Jarrod's social inadequacy seems more stale than funny or worthy of sympathy. We do feel bad the way his father ignores him, but he doesn't do anything to really capture our hearts. Neither does Lily, but she comes close. Horsley's pretty green eyes aren't quite enough to hide her underdeveloped loneliness. She's more pitiable than Jarrod, but the deadpan style of the film undercuts our understanding of their emotions.

Deadpan works for comedy, but Waititi carries it over into the drama too much, sucking the potential for conflict right out of it. When that happens, the director shoulders more responsibility to convey emotions through images. Waititi's script has a few really nice moments, but much of the symbolism meant to do the job of making us feel is too abstract and forced. The eagle symbolism is over-pushed and the animated apple scenes even more so. It captures the independent spirit of the film, but it's not cleverly worked into the script to make us feel as if it belongs.

"Eagle vs Shark" is nice, but it's a bit too bland to really get a reaction from its audience. Even though the blandness is meant for humor, a film that clearly has a big heart shouldn't let that style cheat it out of becoming meaningful.

I just saw Eagle vs. Shark twice. I went to see it once, and thought it was so awesome that I bought a ticket and went to the very next show. I already know this is going to be one of my favorite movies.

Plain and simple, this is a very awkward love story. It doesn't have a complicated plot, it doesn't have any complicated special effects, but what it does have in abundance is comedy. If you're a fan of Monty Python, The Young Ones, Kids in the Hall, The State, Andy Kaufman, Top Secret, Will Ferrel, 1970's SNL-- this is for you. It's that kind of humor. If you're a fan of films Epic Movie, Eurotrip, Dukes of Hazzard or more mainstream types of humor-- this is not for you.

The second time watching it, I laughed almost harder than the first time, because I kept finding even more details in the background to laugh at. I can already see myself quoting this film with my friends: "I'm too complex!" "She went to a lesbian party." And details like the crazy burger (where the bun is on the inside and the hamburger patties are on the outside) are just so priceless. I want to have an Eagle vs. Shark party and make crazy burgers with everyone, play fightman, and chuck shoes at my friend with a helmet.

But the main surprise of this film is also how emotional it is too. I was laughing out of my seat for the first half hour, then I was completely floored by how much I actually cared about these characters. In this love story-- you see these people who are absolutely perfect for each other (or perhaps absolutely wrong for each other), as they drift apart there's a true feeling of sadness for them. Most comedies of this wackier sort don't actually make me care about what was happening, and both times through I really felt for them.

But the best part is the ending. You might think this film is going to wuss out-- and it's actually unbelievable what happens. I won't ruin it for you, but if you were like me, and an hour into the film had predicted what was going to happen-- you are mistaken! This film ends with a bang and is just incredibly fulfilling. I'm smiling just thinking about it.

I cannot wait to see what their next film is, because it's the ultimate movie for my tastes. At the very least, I look forward to seeing this film over and over again at midnight screenings and on DVD.

no drama, no make up, no casino, no drug.. only a big fries stirred up the whole story.

it would really be a refreshment after those movies that are all about showing off the luxurious life style, or the craziness in people's mind. it's pretty advanced.

meanwhile, the reflection of the ideas or the subliminal thoughts in those ordinary people would make you giggle and say: human being's original instinct is like this.

my conclusion, the society identifies the word "loser", sometimes it accidentally includes the group of people that are nice and understanding with a beautiful mind.(just cause they're easy to bully & take control of with worldly standard....pathetic on the society)

key words: cool, the dangerous person, lily, horse, wow,

I saw this movie last night for the AFI Dallas Film Festival. I bought the ticket for this one on a whim and boy am I glad I did. I was expecting something quirky silly as the only New Zealand/Australian films I'm really familiar with are Muriel's Wedding and Strictly Ballroom. What I saw was a very cute film about two geeky people trying to find happiness and meaning in their life through love.

It's very easy to be sympathetic towards Lilly, not only is she funny as an awkward person, but she's actually very sweet and quite beautiful when she stands mesmerized by her love interest, Jarrod. And I swear I think I knew Jarrod in High School! I mean, seriously. He looks and acts very similar to someone I went to school with. So much so, that nearly every time he opened his mouth I had to giggle.

The movie had similarities to Napoleon Dynamite in that it starred the same type of awkward social outcasts. But I enjoyed this movie more than ND simply because it focused more on the hope and happiness of Lilly than on angst and anger of Jarrod (who is very similar to the attitude of ND).

Overly quirky, uber-dorky love story revolves around two nerdy souls and their eventual courtship through a series of underdeveloped though often heartfelt scenes. Writer-director Taika Cohen shows a certain talent for creating enduring eccentricities on screen but fails to tie everything together into a cohesive whole. Many of Eagle vs Shark's brief scenes display a knack for the underlying subtlety present in such overtly bizarre characters, Cohen is simply too obsessed with the light-hearted weirdness of it all to make many of the scenarios stick with viewers.

Most resonance subsides afterwords simply because these two principal characters feel far too old to be acting as mentally immature as they do, in effect rendering much of this oddball character study indulgent and unrealistic. There are enough sincere bits and eccentric surprises thrown around to warrant a viewing by the indie-leaning younger crowd raised on Napolean Dynamite, but in the end Eagle vs Shark remained a glorified and overextended short, hardly transcending it's student film roots.

Sundance Film Festival Grand Prize nominated film Eagle Vs Shark is a romantic comedy with a twist from New Zealand director Taika Cohen. The film tells the story of two socially awkward misfits; Jarrod(Jemaine Clement), a depressed video game store clerk and Lily(Loren Horsley), a quiet fast food waitress as they fall in love and go to Jarrod's home town where he is planning to get revenge on a high school bully. It is hard not to compare Eagle Vs Shark to US indie hit Napoleon Dynamite as both films' main characters have some similar mannerisms and much of the humour is created from that, however this film has a lot more going for it than the indie success story from Idaho. The character of Jarrod is very well acted and generates a lot of big laughs, but it is the excellent performance from Loren Horsley as Lily that truly makes the film. The audience really cares for her and she is what takes a good comedy film and makes it a great film regardless of genre. Eagle Vs Shark is a very funny, well acted and excellently written film and I would urge anybody to see it if they have the chance.

This was an alright movie. Some moments I found very dull however. I did not like Jermaine Clement's character at all - and he was like half the movie. But I absolutely loved Loren Horsley in this. She was so sweet! I love her curly hair! I've never seen her in anything before. I also loved her brother, and the family, and pretty much all of the other cast. I laughed really loudly in one scene (I won't tell which... but I'm sure if you'd watch it you'd know) 6/10

Taika Cohen's lo-fi love/hate story resembles Napoleon Dynamite not just in terms of its bad 80s sportswear, unmanageable hair, and blank-faced brand of humour, but also in its recognition of the fact that the central nerd is not a well-meaning loser, but actually bit of a git. Borderline sociopath and self-proclaimed depressive in Jarrod's (Jemaine Clement) case. While this provides the seed for a more soulful film than Jared Hess's minor classic, it also lacks that film's joke quotient. For a quirky sub-90-minuter with minute pretensions, played alongside an animated love story played out by half-eaten fruit, Jarrod is simply too bleak a character. Meanwhile, Lily (Loren Horsley) is too sketchy to win our sympathy; too empty to provide the narrative with anything but a bucket for Jarrod's often wittily written bile. By the time the repetition starts kicking in at about the hour mark, you'll be wishing she'd just walk home.

Taika Waititi's directorial debut is a warm, fizzy & eccentric delight concerning two socially-awkward misfits and covers their wickedly amusing yet strangely alluring journey to finding love. Expertly blending elements of comedy, drama, tragedy & romance into an oddball yet heartfelt mix, Eagle vs Shark finds the then-new filmmaker trying to carve his own narrative voice and is a sincere effort by all means.

Also written by Waititi, the premise is simple, the stakes are small, the characters are quirky, and although the story comes pierced with themes of loss, longing, neglect & alienation, the witty approach & lighthearted treatment still makes it a fun & fascinating sit without diluting the emotions brewing beneath the surface. Waititi walks a fine line here and deftly balances the emotional beats with excellent comedic touches.

The idiosyncratic characters are sketched with heart & presented with compassion, plus the inadequacy in their persona only adds to their humanity. Jemaine Clement plays a bum geek with panache and is able to find tenderness in his selfish & petulant character. Loren Horsley is in as the shy, wistful girl with a crush on our dweeb loser and chips in with a sweet, silent & endearing performance that stands out with surprising ease.

Overall, Eagle vs Shark is somewhat rough around the edges & required more polishing but it nonetheless makes for a simple, funny & whimsical rom-com, thanks to Waititi's apt direction and brilliant inputs from its leading duo Finding humour in tragedy, making sure that dramatic & comedic bits remain in sync at all times, and commencing the debutant filmmaker's journey on a promising note, this small, light & satisfying indie is definitely worth a shot.

This movie is super quirky. If you're comparing it to Napoleon dynamite then napoleon wins by far, but I did laugh out loud a few times in this movie. I also shed a tear. It was cute and awkward and sometimes feel good but sometimes feel bad...Enjoyable but not amazing. Probably 6.5/10.

I saw this at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan.

Not that bad of a film but I wish it had a better script. Lily is a sweet woman that works at a fast food place. She has a crush on Jarrod, a geek that works at the computer store across from her. She manages to get an invitation to his "Dress as your favorite animal" party and the two hook up. Jarrod convinces Lily to travel with him to his hometown so he can get revenge on the bully that picked on him in school.

The movie's funny at times, but I wish there was more of a storyline to it. There were a few nice little gags throughout the film, like all of the funny t-shirts everyone wore or the stop motion animation that appeared a couple of times. Though the set up was nice, it started to turn into the usual story of someone breaking off a relationship and then feeling bad about it and wanting to get back together. I wish more was focused on the history of Jarrod and the bully he wanted to beat up. I also would have liked it if Lily's brother appeared more in the film, he had some of the great comedic qualities that started to disappear from the film after he left.

It's an okay movie, but to be honest, I'm writing this review just days after I saw the film, and already I've forgotten some of it. Had it been written better it probably would have been a more memorable film.

Eagle Vs. Shark is a quirky comedy from New Zealand, with "Flight Of The Conchords" Jermaine Clement, and a cast of unknowns.

It's a very funny film, with some good directing and a decent score. My only quip is it feels like it's been done before...(read more)e. The wall paper and tapestries remind instantly of that legendary Garden State scene, there's animation of the Michel Gondry arts and crafts vein, a little blonde girl who very much resembles a certain Little Miss Sunshine, a leading man doing his best Napolean Dynamite, and a leading lady playing a dotting, kind hearted, quite woman ala Miranda July in "Me and You etc". Yes there all here including a soundtrack of obligatory indie pop, I heard a Devandra Banheart cover of "Body Breaks".

That being said, the movie works. It's funny, painfully awkward, mean, and consistently goofy. Loren Horsley gives a terrific performance as "Lily" the films hero, who is at the beginning of the film for reasons never clearly expressed absolutely in love with clueless uber-loser Jarred. The two get together at an Animal Dress up party, and all's well until Lily discovers Jarred is planning to get revenge on a man who bullied him in high school (which seems to be his only really coherent thought). So its off to Jarred's home town, and uncertain revenge and love.

Jarred is ridiculously unlikable, and Lily has the loving patience of a saint, it's the sheer awkwardness of the performances which make any of this believable, the little ticks like the compulsive lying, the monotone speech, awkward stance, clothes, droll humor. The performers really drive home the story well which in the hands of others could have been God awful.

Though writer/director Taika Cohen has borrowed a lot of elements from other films working in similar fields, he does so naturally, with a poise, grace, and nerdiness, left out of a lot of the quirky, funny, hip, indie rom-coms. Nothing brilliant, but a solid comedy, that plays better to absurd than it does thoughtful, but I laughed all the way through, and would recommend to others, if it sounds like the thing for you. It's pluses easily beat out it's minuses.

I'm not really into actors, or following "the stars', but Loren Horsley's performance here was really kind of enchanting, and I would definitely be interested in seeing her again. "I am...Dangerous Person..."

I loved this movie in spite of itself. Great script, great gags, good characters, but it was like it was directed by a wet sock. I love the Loser Genre and they really nailed that it is a character-based and pain-based genre but it had all the directorial panache of a youtube video web log. It was as though the camera was just set up and the director walked away leaving the actors w/o guidance. It walks a thin line of funny and sad but some things, especially the sound mixing, hew way too far towards sad. Partially giving away the game. Anyway, loved it because I love the writing, characters, story, actors, and genre, but penalty of 3 stars for the dismal directing. Edgar Wright could've made this material into Citizen Kane, as it is it is still much better than Napoleon Dynamite.

I really liked this film, I went into thinking it was going to be an off beat comedy with no real substance. Surprisingly it was not only a comedy it actually had a plot and significant character ark. I think that is what really separates it from Napoleon Dynamite which also explores outsiders. In this film the characters grow and recognize things about themselves. The humor is still very much there and the actors do a great job with their characters. There is also some really cool cinematography and animation in the film that was an unexpected bonus. The scenery was really amazing it made me want to go to New Zealand! I would highly recommend this film. It was really entertaining for me and I really liked the accents!

Lily (Loren Horsley) is a loser cashier at the fast food Meaty Boy restaurant. She has a crush on weird Jarrod (Jemaine Clement) who works at the electronic store. She is a sad sack living with her brother and their cats while writing her songs. He usually avoids her but invites her to an animal costume party mostly to get another girl. She goes as a shark. It's a downbeat party with him as an eagle. They play a video game tournament where she beats everybody and face off against Jarrod. She lets him win and they have a fling. He reveals his need to kill his former bully.

I love Lily. I'm good with most of this except I hate Jarrod. I would love this far more if she dumps him at the climax and keeps him dumped. It's not like he improves that much by the end. I want better for Lily. She should gain her confidence and go off into the sunset for a life of performing. Taika Waititi's visual style is inventively quirky. It's not big laughs but there are plenty of weird. The obvious comparison is Napoleon Dynamite and I simply find Lily more appealing.

The movie is physically difficult to watch, so awkward the characters are. That, of course, is supposed to be the point - a depiction of two complete basket cases finding happiness in each other's company, but i think the makers of the movie went a bit too far. For my liking, at least. While Lily, the female protagonist, is genuinely sweet, the Jarrod guy is a complete asshole (which came as a bit of a surprise, since i quite enjoyed Jemaine Clement's work with The Flight of Conchords, and expected to see more or less the same persona in the movie), and why we should like the idea of these two getting together is beyond my comprehension. The fact that Jarrod gets the girl, rather than gets his ass mightily kicked, is a gross injustice, so i refused to accept the ending as anything approaching sweet and romantic.

That said, there are some redeeming features - good supporting performances (in particular Jarrod's father - sorry, i don't know any of the actors by name), some visually striking scenes, such as video game tournament, and nice soundtrack. But the main storyline is crap. It's not a romance between two weirdos (which the reviews led me to believe), it's a romance between a weirdo and a jackass. In which the jackass gets all the perks.

Eagle vs Shark is the tale of two socially awkward misfits and the strange ways they try to find love; through revenge on high-school bullies, burgers, and video games.

The critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes was that while there were "frequent moments of wit and mordant humor, Eagle vs Shark needs more to distinguish itself from other precious, Napoleon Dynamite-ish comedies' moments." That is probably about right. I loved the awkwardness of both characters, I loved the idea of an animal party. I've given this a good rating mostly for its quirkiness, but I do have to concede that Taika Waititi had still not quite found his groove. If not for that "Conchord" star power, this might have gone completely unnoticed.

Just because a movie is quirky (if that is the word) does not earn it the right to be compared to Napoleon Dynamite. The latter is wonderfully bent but Eagle vs. Shark is horribly a mess. Sorry. I'm not saying the filmmakers tried to make a movie like Napoleon Dynamite and failed, they failed to make a good movie and others try to rescue it by comparing it to the the genius of ND.

I tried and tried to "get into" the movie but again and again, it made me just turn my head and gag. What a waste of some excellent talent in the actors. None of them are bad but the story and directing of E vs. S was dismal. This was not a good story gone bad it started out as a bad story that could never go good.

Save yourself some time and stay away.