Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Toxic Shark’

Written by Scott Edwards

Everyone needs to find a place where they can escape life for just a few minutes. Whether it be in the mountains, on the beach or even a place in the house. Taking a breath and thinking about what is most important to you is vital for moving on from difficult situations. Too many times we tend to worry about stupid things while we let ourselves get dragged into situations that we could have avoided. Take care of yourself and keep your mind clean of these things, it makes life much more enjoyable.
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With their boy in tow, Ryan and Zane have booked a great singles fitness retreat for Sam. Knowing that he needs to get his mind off of the bad breakup he is going through, being surrounded by plenty of beautiful women should help with that. But the boys are not the only ones on the island looking to get a clean slate as Audra and Gabriella have brought Eden to the same retreat. With plenty of hard bodies running around the island, Eden just wants to forget what happened with her ex-boyfriend, but that may be easier said than done.

Reese has been a trainer to the stars and is ready to make his next monetary venture even better. With plenty of single people looking to mingle with others, a singles fitness retreat can provide just that. But everything is not going as he expected as he is getting complaints about guests getting sick. Needing as much help as he can possibly get from his staff, they are quickly turning on him. Yet his situation gets worse when there is something in the water that is not only getting his guests sick but creating a new threat that nobody could have seen coming.

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Bumping into each other on the beach, Eden and Sam pick up right where they left off. With both of them wanting to get away from their pasts, they believe that their friends were behind this chance meeting at the resort. But their hatred for each other is forced to take a back seat when Gabriella is taken to the infirmary with a scratch on her leg that starts to get infected. Knowing that there is something strange about the wound, Eden wants to get a closer look, but is quickly distracted by a massive shark that is heading towards the resort. With the ability to shoot out some sort of toxin towards its prey, the shark is hungry and has a special gift for anyone that it comes in contact with.
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Knowing that they need to get off of the island, the staff members Erin, Hayden and Jesse assume the leadership roles, but they will need more help when they see what the toxins can do to the victims.  Becoming a mindless biter, Gabriella not only becomes the shark’s next victim, but patient zero to an outbreak that can take over the entire island. As the infection starts to take over the island, Eden and Sam are able to find a way to coexist for the time being to try and find a way off of the island, along with a way to stop the shark from eating everyone else. Finding out what has caused the shark to mutate is just the first step in defeating it, as it is not the only threat that the exes have to face off against to survive.

Just a fun look at not only what a mutated shark can do, but how to handle difficult situations with people you may no longer have feelings for. The unwanted reunion between Eden and Sam was great, you really get the feeling that they do not like each other, but their early fights show that they still have unfinished business. The groups of friends were just great and while they are short lived in the movie (pun intended), they will do anything for their friends, Eden and Sam. I instantly fell in love with the resort as a place I would like to go and if I had a trainer like Reese to keep me in line, I am sure I would not only drink myself into a coma, but lose plenty of weight in doing so, he is just that kind of guy. The staffers Jesse and Erin captured my heart as the discussions behind closed doors are reminiscent of what employees really discuss, especially when they have a crappy boss. With a mutated shark, dirty water, a fitness retreat, a love scorned couple, plenty of hard bodies, a crazy infection and a flare gun, it just goes to show you that anything is possible. The waters around Puerto Rico seem to be the ultimate feeding grounds for sharks this year, I might wait a couple years for a hurricane to clean them out… or maybe a Sharknado. Stay Scared.

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