fbpx

SHARKWATER

"Save the Sharks, Save the World"

What You Need To Know:

SHARKWATER, a documentary by marine photographer Rob Stewart, examines the impact of the shark hunting industry on the ocean as well as our world at large. Rob has dedicated his life to changing people’s perceptions about sharks and the man-eating myths surrounding them. In the documentary, Rob lists facts such as sharks kill only five people each year. He believes that sharks are not human predators, but that humans are the worst of shark predators. Exposing the gruesome practice of shark hunting and the international finning industry, Rob joins with a Greenpeace group of pirates to fight against not only small-town sharking fishers but also against the Taiwanese mafia responsible for the largest destruction, over 90% of the shark population.

SHARKWATER is beautifully shot with great marine photography. It is filled, however, with strong and bloody imagery of sharks, as well as other marine life from whales to seals to sea turtles, being killed, sliced, hooked, and abused. The movie also comes at the argument from a very humanist, evolutionary and politically correct environmentalist worldview. When the moviemakers stoop to piracy and civil disobedience, the movie falls apart and feels more like propaganda.

Content:

(HH, EvEvEv, EEE, PC, L, VV, N, D, MM) Strong humanist worldview with major emphasis on evolution, strong environmentalism with some international and globalist worldview elements including an international conspiracy of shark finning industry and some politically correct statements about man’s negative impact on the world; one obscenity and 3 profanities; violence includes images of marine animals being hunted and killed, including shark finning, whale hunting, seal clubbing, crushing the skull of a sea turtle, etc.; no sexuality; naturalistic upper male nudity in swimsuits; no alcohol; some smoking depicted; and, strong miscellaneous immorality includes high seas piracy depicted, evading of government officials, coast guard, etc., protests, mention of the Taiwanese mafia, etc.

More Detail:

SHARKWATER, a documentary by marine photographer Rob Stewart, examines the impact of the shark hunting industry on the ocean as well as our world at large.

Since childhood, Rob Stewart had a love for sharks. Now, Rob has dedicated his life to changing people’s perceptions about sharks and the man-eating myths surrounding them. In the documentary, Rob lists facts such as sharks kill only five people each year. In contrast, elephants and tigers kill 100 people each year, executions kill 2,400 people each year, illegal drugs kill over 22,000 annually, road accidents claim the lives of 1.2 million each year, and starvation kills nearly 8 million people annually. He believes that sharks are not human predators, but rather humans are the worst of shark predators.

Exposing the gruesome practice of shark hunting and the international finning industry, Rob joins with a Greenpeace group of pirates to fight against not only small-town sharking fishers but also against the Taiwanese mafia who is responsible for the largest annihilation, over 90% of the shark population.

The movie is beautifully shot with great marine photography. Also, though, the movie is filled with strong and bloody imagery of sharks, as well as other marine life from whales to seals to sea turtles, being killed, sliced, hooked and abused. In this aspect, SHARKWATER presents a gripping, no-hold barred look at the darker side of international fishing.

However, even with some very moving and convincing footage, the movie also comes at the argument from a very humanist, evolutionary and politically-correct environmental worldview. One of the major characters involved even goes so far as to say that humans are nothing more than “conceited, naked apes” responsible for World War III. This third world war, he argues, is between “a bunch of out-of-control primates” against the environment. This weakens the documentary. Also, when the moviemakers themselves stoop to piracy and government evasion in order to prove their point, the movie falls apart and feels more like propaganda than convincing documentary.

With some strong imagery and some major worldview problems, SHARKWATER deserves an extreme caution rating from MOVIEGUIDE®. That said, some media-wise viewers may enjoy this movie for what it is, especially viewers who enjoy marine documentaries.

The movie also comes at the argument from a very humanist, evolutionary and politically correct environmentalist worldview. When the moviemakers stoop to piracy and civil disobedience, the movie falls apart and feels more like propaganda.