Snakes on a Plane director David R. Ellis goes from slimy serpents to deadly sharks in his new Louisiana Gulf creature feature Shark Night 3D . The story is familiar enough, but how does it compare to other recent aquatic outings like Piranha 3D? The stack-up is a little skewed.

The story follows a group of seven college students (read: 28-year-olds) who decide the pressures of class are just too much to bear for one more second. Sara, played by Sara Paxton , decides to take her friends up to her lake house outside of the town where she grew up. On the way there, they run into some shady characters from Sara's past, characters that she prefers not to talk about (as is the case with most bikini-clad ingenues).

Babe of the Day: Katharine McPhee

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Of course, once everyone gets to the lake house, they completely forget about the creepy bigots they all just met. We get to know the characters a little better here, and its easy to get a feel for the present stereotypes: the jock, the slut, the douche, the nerd, and a nerd-ish protagonist who wears glasses but is actually jacked. The stage has all the makings for a messy good time.It's when some of the group decides to go wakeboarding that the whole trip goes to a watery hell. Sharks attack, and lots of them. Without giving too much away, the bloodbath that ensues is definitely in the wheelhouse of what you're used to, but you might be disappointed by the reasoning that allows dozens of species of sharks to find their way into a saltwater lake. As you might expect, the aforementioned shady locals probably know a thing or two about it.This is all threaded by a thinly-veiled backstory from Sara, which feels more like an obstacle than it does an added dimension to her character. The story is rehashed to a near-breaking point by the end of the film.But obviously, you don't go see a film like this and expect a cohesive narrative for the ages, and some might even find the premise intriguing. To be honest, the sharks are more of a backdrop for something more personal and, dare I say, stupid. The characters are what really drive the story here, although that's not saying much. Katharine McPhee and Joel David Moore are the standouts in this otherwise run-of-the-mill cast. McPhee in particular had some really great scenes towards the middle of the second act.

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But the main reason any of us check out a movie called Shark Night would be to get some gruesome, ridiculous shark attacks, right? As long as the movie delivers in blood and guts, it's reasonable to assume that you got your money's worth.Well, the film delivers here, but maybe not enough. Unfortunately, the handful of shark encounters we get tend to teeter on a fine line between laughing-with and laughing-at. There are some good jump moments for sure, but they're just a little too few and far between. And the PG-13 rating doesn't exactly help matters when it comes to the gore factor.The entirely CG sharks look alright here, decent enough to suspend your disbelief for a quick and merciful 90 minutes, and the 3D actually helps to integrate them more realistically into their underwater environment. The image is a little dark, as is the case with most 3D movies these days, but that's somewhat appropriate here since, yes, the majority of the movie takes place at night. So if you're seeing the movie anyway, you might as well don the shades for the full experience.

Babe of the Day: Sara Paxton

If you've already seen a trailer for Shark Night 3D, then you know what you're getting into. It's sharks, promiscuous college kids, and WaveRunners all thrown into one movie. The ingredients are there, but it never quite attains that jokey satire that it desperately needs. Shark Night's crime isn't that it's too cheesy, it's that it never really cuts loose and has the fun that it's meant to have. That's not to say the film isn't entertaining, but ultimately, while its a nice end of the summer distraction, Piranha 3D this is not.Also, if you end up seeing the movie,wait for the tag at the very end of the film. You will never be more rewarded for sticking around after the credits.