Dodging the Sharktopus

You’re probably asking how a mere human in a diving suit could possibly dodge the monstrosity above. Seriously, it’s got six arms to propel itself through the water AND shark teeth to eat you with. You’ll probably say,

“Man, even if I knock those teeth out, shark teeth just grow right back. I mean, sharks replace teeth in 24 hours! There’s literally no way I can make it out of this mess alive. How do you expect me to dodge this perfect killing machine!?! ” 

First of all, you know way too much about sharks. Seriously, way to nerd-out there, shark-xpert.  Secondly, this is less a tutorial on escaping made up monsters, and more an exploration of how television series and movies that previously Jumped the Shark have (very recently) shown the ability to reboot themselves into something meaningful and watchable after years of decline. 

I  call it “Dodging the Sharktopus,” in loving reference to the string of terrible made-for-television movies on the SyFy Channel, which have culminated in the (rumored) shooting of a movie called Sharktopus. What started out as a self-deprecating attempt at mocking a genre that had Jumped the Shark has now Jumped the Shark. That’s actually a fairly impressive accomplishment, SyFy, well done. Anyway, the following list stands as proof that even the most hopeless franchise can Dodge the Sharktopus and bring itself back to relevancy.

Series and Movies that have Dodged the Sharktopus:

Star Trek

Admit it – you thought this movie was going to bomb, didn’t you? No one would have blame you for thinking that after watching television actors stumble their way through movie scripts, or after spending an entire movie learning how William Shatner was going save a bunch of whales. While not perfect, this movie brilliantly rebooted the Star Trek franchise while nimbly avoiding temporal paradox – a necessity when 80% of your fanbase understands temporal paradox better than the opposite sex.

 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Before you say anything, yes, I know this got cancelled. Doesn’t change the fact that this helped the Terminator series Dodge the Sharktopus, and for that, it gets included on the list. The most amazing part of this show (to me) is the fact that my blatantly anti-Sci-Fi fiancé totally got into it, and never missed an episode. Why? Because the show had great writing, a tight story-line and a stellar cast. Despite its early cancellation, this series helped re-launch the Terminator brand, which culminated in the latest silver screen installment, “Terminator Salvation.”

The Hangover

While science fiction has undoubtedly been the largest benefactor from the recent spree of re-launched material, that doesn’t mean that it’s the only genre that’s Dodged the Sharktopus. The struggling “buddy comedy” genre got a massive bump from the success of “The Hangover,” and America learned that tigers love pepper, but hate cinnamon.  And that Tyson’s still got “it”. And that tasing people whose last name is impossible to spell can be hilarious (Galifnakourskljdsfsaf…?).

 Honorable Mentions:

• Batman
• Lord of the Rings
• James Bond Series

While it can be disheartening to see a franchise waste away into irrelevancy, try to remember that Dodging the Sharktopus isn’t nearly as rare as it used to be. This list is by no means exhaustive, so let us know what your favorite re-booted show or series is in the comments section.

Comments

[Kristin]

YES! IAGWT entire post. And not just because you threw Star Trek up there.