gavin6942 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.

emma bowles I don't actually remember the last time I gave a movie 10 out of 10. I certainly wasn't expecting to feel this way after the usual pre-judgement I give on films after seeing their IMDb rating which I have to get out of. A friend had told me to see this for ages, a friend who is a huge fan of Taika Waititi. I had seen Boy which I liked, but I have to say I enjoyed Eagle vs. Shark a LOT more. Perhaps it's because I really related to the story and found it hilarious, sweet and heartbreaking all at the same time. The characters are misfits and nerds, but accentuated for the purpose of the film - however not making it contrived. You start to really care for the characters and empathise with them greatly. Loren Horsley (Lily) is wonderful at playing a shy, awkward and innocent girl who has a crush on the magnificently stylish *cough* Jemaine Clement (Jarrod). This is possibly my favourite on-screen romance in a film, along with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Lost in Translation. The way Taika Waititi plays on human quirks, tenderness and embarrassing elements to people's personalities is utter genius. His style of filmmaking is what I would call the opposite of pretentious, and has the ability to bring both joy and tears to the viewer. This is what happened to me when I watched this film. Do not pass it by.

Tim Kerr-Thomson As has been stated before this is in effect the story of the relationship between a man and a woman in country New Zealand. It would be kind to describe them as social misfits. However, in reality, they appear to be people, who whilst ostensibly kind, who have very low I.Q's. Their ignorance of life then presents situations and issues. These situations are sometimes dramatic, never comedic, but always pitiful. This is not just the situation with the main characters, but all the supporting roles have the same faults. The creators of this movie are New Zealanders. I do not know if the underlying theme of this movie is a asocial commentary on rural New Zealand. In making that comment it is in no way meant to be offensive to New Zealanders. It is just that any intended statement in the film in that regard is lost on outsiders. I also gain the impression that the film lost its way and did not know what it wanted to be; drama, comedy etc...Unfortunately the film is to depressing and pitiful to watch or enjoy.

rooee 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.