DEEP BLUE SEA ** (out of five stars) A review by Jamey Hughton
Starring-Samuel L. Jackson, Saffron Burrows, Thomas Jane, LL Cool J, Michael Rapaport, Stellan Skarsgard and Jacqueline McKenzie Director-Renny Harlin Rated 18A Released July 1999 Warner Bros.
Director Renny Harlin hit somewhat of a rough patch in 1995, when his pirate adventure Cutthroat Island become one of the biggest bombs of all time. Then in 1996 came The Long Kiss Goodnight, which also under-performed at the box office. And so, scarred by past failures and hoping to revive his ailing career, Harlin has returned to his action roots to deliver the underwater creature feature Deep Blue Sea.
Sharks are known for being efficient killing machines, but are never praised for their intelligence. Deep Blue Sea gives us an excuse to increase their IQ, introducing a group of scientists who have enlarged the brain tissue of three mako sharks five-fold with a hope to find a cure for Alzheimers. The experiment has commenced on Aquatica, a oceanic research lab resembling that of a `floating Alcatraz'. Dr. Susan McAlester (Saffron Burrows) is heading the project, along with her assistant (Jacqueline McKenzie) and a brilliant scientist (Stellan Skarsgard). Together, they are on the verge of a medical breakthrough.
But not everything goes to plan. There have been problems, including an escaped mako causing havoc for a group of teenagers out on at a nightly cruise (depicted in the distinctly Spielbergian opening scene). And experienced shark wrangler Carter Blake (Thomas Jane) has been noticing some surprising intellectual advances in the sharks. Namely: they can recognize a weapon, they can swim backwards, etc. Basically, whereas a regular mako would be thinking `Food! Food! Food!', these fishies are deeply contemplating things like `Oh, that fellow looks somewhat chubby for my taste... I'll have to choose another entree.'
The financial backer of the Alzheimers project, a tight-wad businessman named Russell Franklin (Samuel L. Jackson), arrives on Aquatica to survey the goings-on. And what timing! It is during a regular test that everything goes awry. An arm gets gnawed off, a helicopter crashes into the lab, all (of course) with a deadly storm brewing above. The small group of survivors, also including the religiously fanatical chef (LL Cool J) and the nervous engineer (Michael Rapaport), are stranded inside with a deadly trio of toothy villains. What follows is a lot of screaming, dismembered bodies and frantic swimming from very large dorsal fins scanning the many hallways.
Deep Blue Sea has shadows of fun. Once we get past the familiar set-up and the main players are introduced, we're treated to an exciting disaster sequence involving a lot of flames and slow-motion running. The eerie atmosphere, captured nicely throughout, sets in with a chill. But when the reality of poor writing and cheesy special effects sets in, this promising film becomes a perpetual disappointment. The characters flee like extras from The Poseidon Adventure, and the script becomes so ridiculous it often borders on self-parody.
There are a couple of moments that will make you jump - one, in particular - but still Deep Blue Sea fails miserably as a claustrophobic horror movie. The shark attacks are a resoundingly fake and almost cartoonish use of computer generated imagery. The actors become rag dolls viciously torn apart by these creatures, and the finished product is seriously lacking in shock value. Why? Because we know, all too well, that they are merely special effects. I only wish the excellent animatronic sharks were relied upon more often, and these laughable visuals could be extracted to avoid unintentional amusement.
The film's greatest asset is LL Cool J. The rapper has already tried his hand at acting (he appeared in Halloween H2O), but his performance here is funny and bright. Of the remaining actors, Jackson fares the best, with his veteran authority and dignified presence adding a thankful extra dimension. Little-known independent actor Jane could emerge a star, while Burrows - well, her work here is superior to that of Wing Commander. One refreshing thing about Deep Blue Sea is the fact that the supporting cast is made up of familiar faces, and there is never a certainty as to who is going to become dinner.
The silly script relies too much on special effects and not enough on plot. The intelligence of the sharks is discarded in favor of the scares, and we get little description of their super-smart antics. The dialogue is obvious, the foundation is always creaky, and the Trevor Rabin musical soundtrack is simply appalling. I could have concocted a better score with kitchen utensils and tin pans. You may have fun at Deep Blue Sea - the action is well-staged, and the pace never slows. But you could be easily distracted by the cornball script and special effects, which is why I advise you not to tread in these waters.
(C) 1999, Jamey Hughton
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