DEEP RISING (1998) Reviewed by Chuck Dowling Copyright 1998 - The Jacksonville Film Journal URL:http://users.southeast.net/~chuckd21/
Cast: Treat Williams, Famke Janssen, Wes Studi, Kevin J. O'Connor, Djimon Hounsou Written and Directed by: Stephan Sommers Running Time: 98 minutes My Rating: * out of *****
Say, who thought combining "Speed 2:Cruise Control" and "Deep Star Six" was a good idea? Why it's none other than writer-director Stephan Sommers, that's who. He's the one to blame. He's the one to hurl your stones at. Let's do that now shall we?
Treat Williams stars as a complete and total rip-off of Han Solo, a sea pirate of sorts taking on missions for lots of cash (at one point he actually says "I've got a bad feeling about this..." straight from the mouth of Solo). Anyway, as the film opens we learn that he's been hired by the most racially balanced group of terrorists you'll ever meet. I believe every nationality aside from maybe the eskimos and people from Atlantis are represented by this group. Their plan (from what I can understand, since it's never discussed in any real detail) is to hijack a super-expensive cruise ship on it's maiden voyage and sink it, so it's owner can collect the insurance money. When they arrive onboard though, they have a surprise waiting for them: slimy sea monsters!
First of all, I know previews are misleading sometimes, but this is the first time I can ever remember a trailer just downright LYING to the audience. In the trailers, when we see footage of the terrorists walking around the ship, the omnious voice over tells us that "They answered a distress call". THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY WE'RE DOING AT ALL!!! They actually had to lie to the audience, because they must have realized that NO ONE WILL CARE about seeing terrorists eaten one by one by sea monsters.
I can give the film credit in two areas. One being the stunts and visual effects. Granted yes, the effects are computer graphics, but these are pretty good ones. Most of the time they seem fairly realistic, for monsters anyway. The other would be the film's ending. Now normally I loathe it when films (especially horror films) end the way "Deep Rising" does, but in this case I don't mind at all. These people deserve this ending.
"Deep Rising" is one of those movies that's so bad, it's almost a fun experience. For example: At the heart of the plot we have the fact that the ship's owner, who worked all his life to build the ship, wants the boat destroyed because he just realized that the cost to keep the boat up and running far exceeds the money he'll make. WHAT??? You devote your life to something and yet don't bother working out such an important detail like that? It's that level of stupidity that sinks "Deep Rising". That, and the fact that you've seen this done, oh, a million times before, and a million times better. [R]
-- Chuck Dowling --
Over 1,600 movies rated and/or reviewed at The Jacksonville Film Journal. Web address: http://users.southeast.net/~chuckd21/
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