Redundant and unnecessary.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Most romantic comedies follow a predictable formula: two people meet, fall in love, have some comedic misunderstandings, then reunite (usually with a mad airport dash) to declare undying love in time for the credits. Rinse and repeat."Eagle vs Shark" follows the basic formula, but is actually enjoyable, with bizarre, awkwardly deadpan Kiwi humour.Directed by Taika Waititi ("Thor: Ragnarok"), Lily (Loren Taylor) is a shy fast food employee with a crush on video game store worker Jarrod ('Flight of the Conchord's" Jemaine Clement). After meeting at a party (where Lily impresses Jarrod with her video game skills), she joins Jarrod in a trip to his home town to fight an old high school bully.Lily is like an awkward New Zealand version of Zooey Deschanel; she has that girl-next-door congeniality and comes across as quite sweet as she bonds with Jarrod's strange family. Jarrod comes off as a rude, self-obsessed jerk, but Lily sees the good in him, even when his own family doesn't. Lily and Jarrod's relationship is illustrated with an ongoing animated sequence with two discarded apples."Eagle v Shark" is an entertaining, quirky romantic comedy and refreshingly different from the usual Hollywood rom com production line.

"Eagle vs Shark," is a quirky romantic comedy that finds most of its humor in dialogue and absurd situations. The film is easily compared to "Napoleon Dynamite," in that the characters are socially awkward and the story revels in the common everyday happenings of less than extraordinary people. The comparison breaks down in regards to the subject matter and themes explored. EvS is a story of how romantic and familial relationships develop. The film strives to create a humorous story that is actually quite reflective of how many people lead their lives. The effect is a touching and funny film that is extremely easy to relate to.Some qualification is necessary for the above. Many audience members will not have the exact experiences as those in the film. That said, the plights, thought patterns, and actions of the main characters remain hauntingly familiar. For example, the love interest of the two mid-twenty-somethings springs from the retail work place. As these two currently aimless drifters knock into each other, the results are far from surprising. We soon learn that nerdy-ness has not created some reclusive pop culture obsessives. Rather, these are people who have developed coping mechanisms that are odd but highly effective. Both characters, as one would expect, are not shy about sex, giving opinions, their own societal position and the social status that they desire. Essentially, these are very realistic "dorks" going about their wonderfully idiosyncratic lives. Furthermore, these are adult dorks dealing with the issues that matter most to the target audience, namely, adult relationships and interaction. The loving development of realistic characters working within an entertaining story allows this romantic comedy to be fresh, unpretentious, and very easy to empathize with.While the above clearly demonstrates my personal attitudes, I do believe the film is open to some criticism. The humor is comprised of mostly dialogue driven quips and absurdities. The viewer is treated to humor that is highly contextualized and therefore not generally funny. The film, basically, provides very little repeatable humor. To be more clear, the film is akin to watching an inside joke. Just as close friends jibe and tease with words and phrases that hold significance due to the relationship, EvS is filled with personality and relationship based humor. This can be a turn off. The film rarely makes one laugh out loud. Rather, EvS is more of a constant chuckle and snort fest.As to the technical aspects of the film, they are all well done and professional. The editing leads to a well paced film that does not really feel like 90 minutes. The scenery and shot composition highlight the beauties of New Zealand as well as the slipshod attempts of space personalization by the lower middle class (i.e. Jarrod's mounting of Ninja weapons on the wall). The acting and scripting, as mentioned above, are realistic and nuanced. Overall, this is very well done comedy that manages a great deal of heartfelt and awkward realism.On a personal note, I will be recommending this film to anyone who will listen. Unlike many indies, EvS is highly accessible, romantic and funny to boot. In essence, the film is and deserves to be seen because it is refreshing and optimistic. 8.4 of 10 stars.

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.

First, great story - brilliant strip of characters to raw emotions, simplicity and beauty.Second, surprisingly acting from Loren Horsley, virtually unknown to me. She manages to transmit such powerful emotions with just her bright and peacefull eyes.And third, great directing, and great musical arrangements. This movie reveals gradually characters and raw human emotions at a brilliant pace, and you will find loving not only each of the characters but the whole frame in the end.Worht mentioning the animated sequences, used with caution and revealing delightful metaphors.