The Perfect Shark (Michael Bright, 2006): USA

Reviewed by Laura Wyatt. Viewed at Santa Barbara International Film Festival, 2013.

I went to this movie because I know Mike deGruy’s wife and wanted to support her. Mike deGruy died last year during the film festival while off scouting locations for James Cameron’s next film in Australia. It was a devastating loss for the community of Santa Barbara. I didn’t know Mike but after seeing this film, I wish I had. Even thought this is a documentary about sharks, Mike was the star of the show. His enthusiasm for underwater life and his amazing talents as a diver, cameraman, technician and teacher are inspiring.

The goal of the documentary is to look at all sharks that have existed, both alive now and extinct and try to figure out which one is considered the perfect shark.In order to do this, the filmmakers had to come up with some clever ways to show the viewer fish that don’t exist and have never been filmed or even seen by man. The fix to this problem was the creation of a “virtuarium” which was a digitally created room where digital sharks could be recreated and brought to life through animation. The sharks were able to swim around the room with Mike and interact with him as if they were inches away. It felt a little hokey, but with Mike’s enthusiasm for these sometimes misunderstood fish, it worked.

When it came to the dealing with the sharks of today, all they had to do was throw Mike and a camera into the water. The up-close footage of these massive creatures is breathtaking. We see them in many different situations from leisurely swimming about and exploring their environment to taking part in a feeding frenzy.

Whether we are being introduced to these creatures of the deep virtually or in real life Mike points out their attributes and why they are so important. So after an hour of being educated on these magnificent creatures, Mike has to choose which shark is the perfect one.

Is it the HelicoprionShark that can crush mollusks with its can-opener type jaw, or the fifty-foot long Megalodon with a 6-foot mouth who swallows plankton by the ton? We are also introduced to the Basking Shark that stores energy in its body by heating its internal organs which keeps it alert. Could it be the Mako Shark who can swim up to 60 mph making it the fastest and some consider the smarest shark around?

The answer is, none of the above. Ultimately it is the Bull Shark in Mike’s opinion that is perfect for the single fact that it can adapt itself to fresh water (where it lays it eggs away from other cannibalistic sharks) and return to salt water. Mike feels that any shark that can adapt to such extreme opposites will be able to adapt to whatever lies ahead.

This is a wonderful educational film and probably more suited to children than adults. Mike makes you feel like a friend who’s telling about his favorite hobby and pulls you into his world. It’s packed with action, and enough facts to fill your head but you are not overwhelmed and the visuals keep you interested.