WARNER BROS. PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH VILLAGE ROADSHOW PICTURES * GROUCHO II FILM PARTNERSHIP AN ALAN RICHE * TONY LUDWIG/AKIVA GOLDSMAN PRODUCTION A RENNY HARLIN FILM "DEEP BLUE SEA" SAFFRON BURROWS THOMAS JANE LL COOL J JACQUELINE McKENZIE MICHAEL RAPAPORT STELLAN SKARSGARD AND SAMUEL L. JACKSON MUSIC BY TREVOR RABIN CO-PRODUCER REBECCA SPIKINGS EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS DUNCAN HENDERSON AND BRUCE BERMAN WRITTEN BY DUNCAN KENEDY AND DONNA POWERS & WAYNE POWERS PRODUCED BY AKIVA GOLDSMAN TONY LUDWIG ALAN RICHE DIRECTED BY RENNY HARLIN
What to do? What to do? You're trapped on an oceanic research facility being chased by super intelligent sharks that you have created. Well, in the movies the one thing you cannot do, is stay out of the water. Renny Harlin's latest action thriller, "DEEP BLUE SEA" is an enjoyable popcorn muncher. There's not weight to the film, but there are enough solid jolts and action to keep this summer's audiences satiated until the lines shorten for 'The Blair Witch Project'.
The story opens with two couples enjoying a nice catamaran ride off the coast of Baja California. As the young people romance and cuddle, a very large and toothy Mako shark rams their boat. As the kids are plunged into the water, all seems lost until the shark is harpooned and captured by Carter Blake (Thomas Jane). We are then transported to the boardroom of Russell Franklin (Samuel L. Jackson), multi-millionaire and head of a major corporation. Mr. Franklin is ready to pull the plug on a secret research facility off the coast of Baja, as a result of the shark escape. Brilliant biologist Susan McAlester (Saffron Burrows) pleads with the powerful investor, claming that her research will end with a cure for Alzheimer's disease.
Returning to the facility, McAlester shows Franklin the work being done. Franklin takes an interest in Blake, knowing the young man's history and problems with the law. Again, he is unconvinced that the project is viable, until he is brought to the lab.
In the lab, one of three altered sharks is caught and set up for microsurgery. A small amount of fluid from the shark's brain case is extracted and then mixed with inactive human brain cells. In a few seconds, the cells start to come to life, proving Dr. McAlester's theory. Unfortunately, the shark awakens and bites off the arm of one of the other doctors. All this transpires as a tropical storm approaches. As a rescue helicopter flies in to transport the injured Scientist to the mainland, accidents happen causing the helicopter to crash into the main radio tower of the facility. Amid much fire and explosion, the science lab starts to flood, and the sharks see their chance at some fresh food.
"Deep Blue Sea" is an enjoyable programmer. No classic by any means, but a good solid piece of entertainment. As with most films of this type, logic gives way to action and thrills. And 'Deep Blue Sea' delivers some solid if silly thrills. You know within the first half-hour, which of the cast members are going to become shark fodder. The film most closely resembles a 'Friday, the 13th' slasher film, in that people are always walking into the wrong room at the wrong time, and the only way out is the most perilous one. But the film succeeds in giving the audience what it came to see, big sharks, great to moderate visual effects, and a few good "jump out of your seat" scares.
The performances are uniformly good, with LL Cool J, making the most of his characterization. His 'Dudley', the cook of the facility has a nice screen presence and his comical relationship between his pet parrot, the sharks and the emergency at hand play very well. Thomas Jane as Shark wrangler Carter Blake fills the requited hero role adequately enough as he's not called upon to do much more with his character. Saffron Burrows as Dr. McAlester fills the necessary Sigorney Weaver part well enough (in one scene even disrobing a la 'Alien's Ripley). But to be honest, no one in the film has much of an arc. The pace of the film doesn't call for in depth character study.
Renny Harlin has crafter a fine and enjoyable summer movie here. His set ups and executions are as good as anything he's done before. There are (surprisingly) little references to other films, at least glaringly so. Most of the situations are lifted from other films, but are executed with a nice wit and steady directorial hand. One enjoyable sequence is wherein 'Dudley' is trapped in his own oven as the kitchen floods. The super intelligent shark continually rams the door of the oven and the controls finally succeeding in turning the oven on to 500 degrees. This is a wonderfully creative and humorous scene.
The script by DUNCAN KENEDY, DONNA POWERS and WAYNE POWERS is a fast paced thrill ride. The lapses in logic and the curious lack of science in the later half of the film doesn't derail the film as drastically as it could. This is a chase film pure and simple.
The biggest problem with the film are it's special effects. While some scenes are riveting in their visceral quality, others are just clearly laughable in their execution. One scene in particular, wherein one character is attacked by one of the sharks, it's massive bulk and weight have no effect on the surrounding environment. This may not be a big complaint, unless one notices that the shark actually seems to cut right through a submersible vehicle as it attacks. But that goes along well enough with the rest of the film.
"Deep Blue Sea" is won't win any grand accolades or awards. But for a quick thrill ride on a Saturday night. You could find worse choices.
On a scale of 1 to 5, "Deep Blue Sea" rates a land lovin' 3. An enjoyable escapist thriller from one our most maligned talents. This film may give Renny Harlin the chance to do a really good film. Here's hoping!
Copyright =A9 1999 R. L. Strong Nothing in this article may be quoted or re-printed without the expressed written permission of the author.
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