Watch Tidal Wave: No Escape For Free

Sadly Over-hyped

An Exercise In Nonsense

Blistering performances.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

While I was idly flicking through TV channels one afternoon I stumbled upon TIDAL WAVE: NO ESCAPE, a 1997 TV movie starring Corbin Bernsen, I decided to give it a whirl. My interest in the film was mainly generated by my suspicion that the title was a misnomer and I was soon proved correct: it's not spoiling things too much to say that the lead characters DO escape from tidal waves in this film, multiple times too.As cheesy B-movie go, this one isn't too bad and at least there's plenty of incident to keep you watching. Bernsen (THE DENTIST), playing probably the world's most unlikely Nobel Prize winner, has to figure out the science (it's dodgy) behind some inexplicable tsunami disasters and yet still has time to romance a pretty colleague.What follows is a mix between low-budget disaster antics and wronged man thriller; the latter is developed because of the lack of budget to focus too much on the disaster side of things, so the writers throw in a human villain and have Bernsen going on the run for much of the time. Saying there, there are some pretty silly CGI-enhanced moments, like when Bernsen attempts to out-drive an incoming tsunami and decides to take a road running parallel to the shore rather than inland.This is hardly art, but it is a damn sight better than KILLER FLOOD: THE DAY THE DAM BROKE, I have to say. And no, that isn't a down-on-his-luck George Miller of MAD MAX fame directing, just a namesake.

I didn't realize that this ultra low budget laugher was made in 1997 when Corben Bernsen did his best to hold in that burgeoning midriff. He looked truly miserable in the wetsuit surfing scenes riding some scary 2 foot swells. Obviously those were not the tidal waves. I can understand as the cast was saddled with one of the worst screenplays ever, silly junk science gibberish and cheesy effects. The only actors to phone in credible performances were Harve Presnell as the hilariously over-the-top Snidely Whiplash-ish Stanley Schiff who was making the tidal waves happen and Colby the dog, who sadly gets snuffed out by a tidal wave.

This movie was definitely the funniest movie I have ever seen. I laughed until I cried. Now, this movie wasn't meant to be funny, but the special effects were so awful, and the acting so atrocious, you can't help but think this movie is hilarious.Not to mention how cliché this movie becomes. You can see everything coming. There were some great one-liners as well, such as "Is your beer getting warm?" Pure genius.The premise of the movie is extremely funny as well, and if you're looking for a good laugh at a bad movie, this is the ultimate movie for it.10/10.

What a load of rubbish! Oh no..someones causing huge tidal waves...oh the horror.I saw a trailer for this on TV and i thought "ok this looks interesting". How wrong i was. After the first half hour i was screaming til blue in the face "WHY WONT YOU DIE!!!!" For a TV movie, the special effects were ok, but could have been better- i just didnt believe the Waves crashing ashore. The acting was very wooden. But then Corbin Bernsen was the lead- i saw him in "The Dentist"- that was also rubbish. Warning: SPOILER- i thought the idea of the Old man Scientist causing the waves highly unbelievable.I warn you....dont expect to like this. Its the sort of movie you waould watch if you cant get to sleep. If you crave disaster and death then you would probably enjoy this....i, however, Certainly did not.Dont waste your time or your money.