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Year:   1999
Studio: Warner Brothers
Movie:  3/5
DVD:    3/5

Teaser

Aquatica. Former submarine base, now a research center where Dr Susan McCallister (Saffron Burrows) is trying to find a cure for Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, bad publicity due to one of their sharks escaping and almost munching on some teenagers means that they have to show results in 48 hours or Russell Franklin (Samuel L Jackson) will shut down the project. Things go from bad to worse when, during the midst of a storm, the smart sharks decide to make their bid for freedom -- whilst eating as many of researchers as they can.

Movie

"Deep Blue Sea" is Jaws 3-D with bigger, smarter and faster sharks. There are three sharks that have been genetically enhanced to have larger brains (better for harvesting brain fluid or whatever) but it makes the sharks brilliant among their kind. Once Aquatica -- much of which is underwater -- starts flooding, you have lots of rooms half filled with water where man and shark can meet. This is a good movie to try to guess who's going to live to the end.

Actors

For a horror/thriller the acting is ok. Burrows plays the dedicated (aka mad) head scientist. Thomas Jane is the rugged shark wranger Carter Blake. LL Cool J brings a nice performance as Sherman the cook. Michael Rapaport plays the computer techie Tom Scoggins. How much acting can you do being terrified and fleeing a shark?

DVD

There is a commentary track with Director Renny Harlin and Samuel L Jackson, though I think they were recorded separately. There is a 15-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, another 8 minute featurette on the sharks, an 8-minute deleted scenes section with commentary and a photo gallery.

Recommendations

Not a remarkable movie. It is a different environment than usual for a horror movie and the mechanical sharks are very convincing. But I guess I wouldn't buy it unless it was in a bargain bin.
Copyright (c) 2003 Kevin C. Wong
Page Created: December 1, 2003 Page Last Updated: December 1, 2003