Aquarium of the Dead (2021)

This film starts with something going wrong right away at the Shining Sea Aquarium. Things escalate as we are introduced to the characters and creatures. It did not seem like any practical effects were used for any animals. The CGI used in the film are some of the better renders I have seen in bad movies. It's not great, but it's better than some of the effects in Ghostbusters or Jaws III.

The movie wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, but it is not on my list of recommendations for anyone looking to watch something serious. While the VFX and the acting could have been better, I had the biggest issue with the screenplay. Most of the actors' performances and dialogue were due to an unpolished script. Surprisingly enough, it didn't drag for not a lot going on.

This was rushed due to Army of the Dead coming out around the same time, and the production was looking to exploit and piggyback off that film's release. Finding out it was shot during the COVID-19 pandemic probably made it easy to shoot at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, but it came out very quick, almost too quick. A more polished script or even a tighter edit could've helped a lot more. The outcome wasn't good enough for what most audiences expect these days. But if you are not new to The Asylum movies, this will be precisely what you'd expect from them.

I would recommend this film to comedy-horror lovers who enjoy poorly written screenplays, equally-bad performances, and cheesy CGI effects.