Colin Egglesfield, Mark Dexter, John Rhys-Davies

12 DAYS OF TERROR is based on a real incident that occurred in New Jersey at the beginning of the 20th century. A spate of shark attacks bloodied the usually placid New Jersey shore, terrifying reside...( read more  read more... )nts and creating a panic that inspired author Peter Benchley to write JAWS. This dramatization stars John Rhys-Davis and Colin Eggsfield in lead roles.

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48% liked it

1,194 ratings

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Directed by: Jack Sholder

Release Date: January 1, 2004

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DVD Release Date: April 25, 2006

Stats: 67 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (67)


  • August 6, 2009
    I 'love' shark movies that are based on real events - not. They are always so unbelievable that I just don't care to watch them. Just because it is based on an animal that actually exists doesn't mean there is anything legit about it.
  • August 14, 2008
    Tell me if this plot synopsis sounds familiar:

    An ocean community is shocked when a series of shark attacks plague their waters right around the 4th of July holiday, threatening to impact their summer business. Although the initial victim clearly died due to a shark attack, the...( read more) coroner poo-poos this idea, claiming any number of things could've caused this swimmer's death. Much discussion ensues about whether the beaches should be closed, but a stubborn mayor refuses to give the order. The consequences are disastrous, because the shark's next victim is a young boy. A reward is soon offered for the shark's death. A marine biologist arrives from out of town to help make sense of the monster's actions, and puts forth the theory that the shark is both a Great White and rogue. Meanwhile, a gruff, cantankerous captain does everything in his power to get rid of the predator, chewing up nearly as much scenery as the shark itself. The final act of the movie is an extended shark hunting sequence, with three men alone on the ocean, in the crazy captain's dilapidated boat.

    Nope... doesn't ring a bell.

    It's no secret that Jaws was based (loosely) on the real-life 1916 New Jersey shark attacks, and this made-for-TV film dramatizes the events perfectly. But the movie feels like an "also ran", directed with far less artistry than Spielberg's film, and boasting a much less inspired cast. (Even John Rhys Davies, who plays the Quint-like character here, barely seems to be going through the motions.)

    It doesn't help that the plot feels old and tired, while Jaws felt new and fresh upon its release. Even some of the dialogue here is virtually recycled from Spielberg's classic... compare 12 Days of Terror's "This boat looks kind of small," to Jaws' "We're gonna need a bigger boat". And the screenplay, co-written by Halloween III's Tommy Lee Wallace, never quite captures the feeling of a community in terror. A few individual people, yes, but not an entire town.

    Although I greatly enjoyed the 1916 setting, and the warm, slightly sepia tones employed by the cinematographer, I can't really recommend 12 Days of Terror. It's an interesting companion piece to Spielberg's film, but not terribly significant beyond that.

    (Although the shark looks pretty good.)
  • February 11, 2008
    I usually like movies that are based on true facts but this one was too boring and it looked cheap, it was too "hallmark". I rented this movie but I believe it was made for tv because of the way it's edited. Bad everything, bad acting, bad "special effects", baqd dialogue, with t...( read more)his tory they could have done so much more
  • January 16, 2008
    The sharks apparently didn't like New Jersey back in the early 1900s. Go figure.
  • November 24, 2007
    BLOOOOODDDYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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