Sharknado 2 has killer laughs

NEW YORK — The original Sharknado depicted a weather aberration on the Southern California coast that caused bloodthirsty sharks to rain on hapless Angelenos. But hunky beach-bar owner Fin Shepard saved the day with a makeshift shark explosion.

Now he’s back. Again played by Beverly Hills, 90210 alum Ian Ziering, Fin, in the aftermath of his sharknado trauma, is heading to New York City for a quiet visit along with his beloved ex, April (Tara Reid). It won’t surprise you to learn that an even bigger, badder sharknado siege awaits him.

That’s the bad news. The good news: Sharknado 2: The Second One is a must-see treat.

The original film erupted as a social-media and pop-culture phenomenon, mostly celebrated for its unwitting awfulness. Against all odds, Sharknado 2 has wised up. Though it and its performers teem with conviction, the film is unabashedly awash with fun. Take veteran comedian Robert Klein’s (playing the Mayor of New York in one of the film’s numerous celebrity cameos) rousing call-to-arms: “When something bites us, we bite back!”

Adding to the merriment are the many New York locations. Director Anthony C Ferrante proves himself as a guerrilla film-maker, capturing the city up-close-and-personal, yet with a remarkably sleek touch. It’s a fine-looking film, despite the low budget and a shooting schedule of only 18 days.

“I had only been to New York a few times,” Ferrante said. “Getting to come here and shoot at all these landmarks, I was like a kid in a candy store. When they told me, ‘You only get Times Square for two hours and with only a crew of eight’; I said, ‘Okay, let’s do it!’ We shot the whole ferry scene in 15 minutes on the ride back from Liberty Island.

“We needed to do the subway scene, and they didn’t know what a sharknado is, but we made our case. They said, ‘We’re gonna give you the platform at Citi Field and a functioning (subway) car for three hours.’ And the Mets gave us a 12-hour day at Citi Field. They did me a solid!”

The subway and Citi Field sequences are riotous, but the film will sink its teeth into you from its first moments as you join Fin and April on their terrifying airline flight. Fasten your seatbelt for a wicked homage. This Sharknado is the very definition of scared silly. AP

Watch Sharknado 2: The Second One on July 31, 10pm on Syfy (StarHub Ch 526).