‘Sharknado 3’ ratings slip 28%, but movie dominates Twitter talk

The critics may have said no way, but viewers -- and social-media users -- were ready to take a bite out of “Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!” anyway.

The third installment of Syfy’s goofy shark-disaster franchise drew 2.8 million total viewers for its Wednesday premiere, according to Nielsen.

That was down 28% from the second “Sharknado” installment last summer. But the numbers were still better than the 1.4 million who turned up for the first “Sharknado” movie back in 2013, when the over-the-top premise became an unlikely summer hit.

The latest installment -- featuring cameos from such odd bedfellows as billionaire Mark Cuban and conservative gadfly Ann Coulter -- was an ever bigger smash on social media. “Sharknado 3” dominated Twitter on Wednesday, leading all TV mentions with 360,000 tweets for a total of more than 45 million impressionsm, according to Nielsen.

The critics were less impressed with “Sharknado 3.”

“[T]he new entry feels tired and cold,” Robert Lloyd wrote in his Los Angeles Times review. “Not even the destruction of Washington, D.C., the set piece that fills the James Bond-ish, pre-credits opening, is much fun.”

Such sentiments may not matter, however: Syfy earlier this month gave the greenlight to another edition of “Sharknado.” It’s a summer staple! Oh hell no, indeed.

What did you think of “Sharknado 3?”

Twitter: @scottcollinsLAT

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