Sharks Invade Mall: A Tense Underwater Thriller

A freak tsunami inundates a Gold Coast supermarket, creating a deadly underwater trap for shoppers and two aggressive great white sharks. The Australian-Singaporean co-production, "Bait," attempts to blend disaster movie suspense with creature feature thrills, but reportedly falls short due to a serious approach to its outlandish premise.

The film follows a group of characters, including a former lifeguard and a shop clerk, as they navigate the rising waters and the predatory sharks. While the special effects and animatronic sharks are noted as solid, the movie's pedestrian screenplay and leaden dialogue limit its effectiveness, failing to develop memorable characters or engaging plotlines.

Despite its potential for B-picture fun, "Bait" is characterized as a mistakenly earnest effort. Critics suggest that a more lighthearted treatment, akin to its growling end-credits song, could have elevated the cinematic experience. The use of 3D for underwater carnage is also viewed as becoming somewhat tired.

Originally conceived with a premise dubbed "Sharks in a Mall," the film was released approximately one year after a significant shark attack event that caused personal grief and relationship breakdown for the protagonist. The setup introduces various characters before the disastrous tsunami hits.