DEEP BLUE SEA (1999)
Oh man... in this one a family member of Dr. Susan McAlester ends up getting Alzheimer’s so she makes it her life’s mission to find a cure. I am pretty sure it's her dad, but that isn't important right now. Something, something, sharks are the solution and bam, now we have to breed them to make them bigger. We have to suck part of their brains out and use that to sure Alzheimer’s. Yep, that’s the freakin plot here. One of the financier's Russell Franklin (played by Samuel L Jackson) is taking a tour of Aquatica where the research is taking place. Aquatica is basically an old Navy base and it’s mostly under water in the middle of the ocean. SO nothing is going to go wrong here. Like this plan is totally fool proof, we’ve got the fences 8 feet off the water to prove it.
Let me just say this movie contains one of the more “un-expected” moments in cinematic history. If you have not seen this movie (and you like shark flicks), don’t even watch the previews…just play this thing and be amazed. It also contains some extremely unlikely and over the top moments, so if you are expecting a real shark tale here, stream something else. The dialog is simply amazing in this one and as a result the movie contains some of my favorite movie lines ever. In fact, LL Cool J’s role of “Preach” (some listings have him as “Preacher” but he’s never called that in the script) is probably my second favorite character in movie history next to Jack Burton (BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA). Thomas Jane is pretty decent in this, but his best role is probably still as Frank Castle in THE PUNISHER. I do wish the characters were just a tad deeper, but they do give you enough to “want” them to survive., which is critical for me unless it’s a goofy horror flick.
Cinematically this movie hits on all cylinders, it’s actually directed by the dude that did DIE HARD 2 and DIE HARD WITH A VENGENCE (Renny Harlin). Where the movie does come up looking a little dated is in the effects department, something MOST shark flicks have in common. The practical effects are well done and you can tell this thing has a budget, but the CGI is so strange looking in parts, that when the movie is to be taken seriously, the CGI almost provides laughs. For its time however it definitely wasn’t terrible.
One side note. The movie mentions that sharks can’t get cancer which is actually false in real life. As far as I know, they are also not useful in getting rid of Alzheimer’s. However, that doesn’t make the movie itself any less intriguing or awesome. Super anal viewers might notice some continuity errors, but don’t forget…you are at a movie or watching one. It’s okay to have fun. This movie does contain one fairly gory scene and might be considered horror by some, but for me it falls more in to the action adventure, sci fi area.
I give DEEP BLUE SEA a 7 out of 7. I sincerely think this thing beats JAWS as the best shark film ever made. I do wish if they were going to make sequels that they wouldn’t have waited 19 years.
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