I see this one has a very low score on IMDB, but I have to say it was not all that bad. Considering the budget was only 750,000 I thought they did a rather good job. If they had cut the run time by taking out some of the pointless plot points they interjected it would have helped, but overall it had its moments. Not to say it was all that good, but it was not super horrible either. As far as Jaws ripoffs though, it takes a back seat to Piranha which I thought had the superior kills and story even. This one kind of never really explains why a giant killer octopus just appears and starts killing.

The story has a giant octopus terrorizing the ocean. We also have shady business mean running a special thing to dig or something that seems completely irrelevant to the plot as does the strange reporter who is the brother to the Shelly Winters character. Seriously, this whole plot point leads nowhere in particular and is obvious padding. Meanwhile, the octopus kills and soon a man who trains killer whales decides to unleash his two buddies to take care of the octopus who is a pus when those whales get a hold of him!

The budget could have used an extra 250,000 so that we could have had more octopus terror rather than evil business executive getting berated by the older businessman. At times one forgets they are watching a film about a giant octopus. There are a couple of nice attacks in this one, but just needed more tentacles and less, "I need you to tell me everything about the operation that is vague!" The boat race though is very much like the one scene in Jaws II which would come out a year later and even involved a kid in danger just like that film.

So, it was not terrible and certainly entertaining in its own little way. Take out some of the padding and add another attack or two and the film would have been a lot better. It also could have benefited from an R rating so that the deaths could be a bit more gruesome which is another reason I feel Piranha shines brighter than this film. You are not going to outdo Jaws in terms of story or character, but you can make your film super gory making it more appealing to the horror set that loved cheesy movies like that!

This was a total let down. I was expecting something either truly over the top or something so bad that it was good, but director Ovidio Assonitis just sails right down the middle with a Jaws rip-off that is mostly dull, with the odd stupid scene to almost keep you awake.

Our aquatic nemesis this time around comes in the form of a mutated octopus, somehow changed into a man-eating monster by some sort of industrial, experimental tunnel (didn't quite catch that). It starts off by eating a baby and a sailor and the local police, plus nosy reporter John Huston, are baffled by the state of the bodies. You know the drill. Giant sea monster. Shady company covering up its errors (run by Henry Fonda of all people). Marine expert brought in to sort things out. Local authorities trying to stop public learning of monster in order to go ahead with big event (these days they would have been clapping their hands together with glee at all the money they'd save for cancelling).

There. That saved a few paragraphs, now let's look at some other details of the film. For some reason, John Huston lives with his sister Shelly Winters, and Shelly is divorced with a young son and his mate who are both taking part in the forthcoming Regatta. That whole scenario there smacked more of a US disaster film than an Italian rip-off film. Henry Fonda doesn't do much at all and unless I fell asleep, and may very well have done, the whole plot about the company creating the mutated octopus just kind of wafted away like a fart.

There are some laughs to be had, however, and not from that crappy comedian they have entertaining the crowd before the regatta (what was that all about?). First off, there's the big fat guy from Strip Nude For Your Killer going swimming while a guy false scares him twice (complete with dramatic music), only for the octopus to grab hold of him and stick his feet out of the water upside down like it was playing pee-a-boo with Sherry Buchanan. Before eating her too. I also burst out laughing when the authorities finally decide to stop the regatta after its already started by flying around in a helicopter with a tiny sign that says 'danger: go back'. The film cheated at this point by making me think the octopus had eaten every single person in the regatta, which would have been a much better result than the single person it actually at.

Best of all however was Bo Hopkins as the Orca whisperer. Here he gives a dramatic pep-talk to his two pet killer whales before they go into battle against the octopus in a sequence that seemed to last about a week. The speech was pretty funny though. Not enough to save the film.

So, boring then. Strange freeze frames here and there two which made me think the version I was watching was glitching.

Inferior exploitation indirectly based on the characters created by Peter Benchley but turns out to be an absurd sea-monster film with average creation of tension, thrills, horror, emotions and chills . Bone-chilling movie with scary scenes , lousy direction and contains similar argument screen-written to first entry directed by Steven Spielberg (Jaws) and second directed by Jeannot Swarc (Jaws 2). The film is developed in a shore community where each year 10,000 tourists visit Ocean Beach. Several people have disappeared , when appear the bodies , these are gnawed to the skeleton, the investigators have no idea which monster could do such things. This summer Ocean Beach has attracted SOMETHING ELSE! the townsfolk were terrorized by a giant octopus that threatens and attacks to pacific tourists at the local seaside and it's turning the beach into a Buffet . Two mean construction owners (Henry Fonda, Cesare Danova) made a tunnel in the underwater and disturbed its shelter . The local journalist (John Huston) tries to convince to local authorities( the sheriff played by Claude Akins) who reluctant listen him to empty the resort place , and they think he's nutty. But the large squid attacks and the victims are eaten and making a real carnage and those serving for lunch .Some adolescents are sailing on their sporting boats during celebration a regatta when the giant octopus threaten and destroy them . Then , a biologist (Bo Hopkins) helped by two killer Orcas determine to track down and kill it. He along with his pal are forced to fight for their lives in a mortal confrontation.

It's an absurd rip-off with some moments that get certain creation of tension, thrills,terror , emotions and brief gore. The rotten monster octopus attacks images deliver the exciting , devouring some notorious players and united to thrilling score by Stelvio Cipriani who heightens the suspense. Mediocre performance from known Hollywood stars as Henry Fonda , Shelley Winters , John Huston and Bo Hopkins . It packs sunny and colorful cinematography by Piazzoli filmed in location in Marineland of the Pacific , Palos Verdes Drive South, Rancho Palos Verdes,Oceanside,Pismo Beach, California . The original picture ¨Jaws¨ considered a real classic obtained three Oscars well deserved, this exploitation is very inferior and results to be embarrassingly directed by Ovidio Assonitis (Piraña 2 , Beyond the door). Rating : Below than average.

Other films about large squids are the followings : ¨Devil Fish¨ by Lamberto Bava , a recent version titled ¨Kraken tentacles of the deep (2006)¨ by Tibor Takacs with Charlie O'Connell and Victoria Pratt and of course the classic version ¨ 20.000 leagues under the sea¨ by Richard Flescher where appears the unforgettable giant octopus.