Themes: Terror in the Water, Sexual Awakening, Unrequited Love
Release Year: 1977
Country: MX/UK
Run Time: 91 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Essentially a gory knock-off of Jaws, this watery horror outing follows the exploits of two adventuresome shark hunters vying for the love of several bathing beauties. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Review
Who would've thought that this simple Jaws ripoff would have more on its mind than just terrible acting and a whole lot of stock shark footage? The Italian filmmakers behind Tintorera obviously understood that the "sheriff in a beach town terrorized by sharks" angle had been worked one too many times, so they decided to base their flick on something Spielberg has yet to tackle -- group sex! Yes, a love-triangle lies at the heart of this film and what happens when one man breaks the rules and falls for a fellow "swinger". It's a surprising touch and even funnier when they throw in the dreaded "Tintorera" (aka: Tiger Shark!). Speaking of, the attacks themselves come off as quite real, leaving the viewer questioning how the shots were actually pulled off! Were they crazy enough to use live sharks? It's hard to say, but with this kind of sexy plot and bloody action, Tintorera shines in the otherwise all too familiar shark attack genre and manages to be something of a one-of-a-kind. Warning: since the main characters are shark hunters, this film has many shots of actual sharks getting killed, so if you're an animal-lover or have a squeamish stomach, turn back now. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
