Deep Blue Sea (1999)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Renny Harlin

Writers (WGA):

Duncan Kennedy (written by) and
Donna Powers (written by) ...

Release Date:

28 July 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Bigger. Smarter. Faster. Meaner.

Plot:

Searching for a cure to Alzheimer's disease a group of scientists on an isolated research facility become the bait as a trio of intelligent sharks fight back.

Plot Keywords:

Shark | Research | Alzheimer's Disease | Storm | Shark Attack

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Thomas Jane	...	Carter Blake
Saffron Burrows	...	Dr. Susan McCallister
LL Cool J	...	Sherman 'Preacher' Dudley
Michael Rapaport	...	Tom "Scoggs" Scoggins
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Jim Whitlock
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Russell Franklin
Jacqueline McKenzie	...	Janice Higgins
Aida Turturro	...	Brenda Kerns
Cristos	...	Boat Captain
Daniel Rey	...	Helicopter Pilot (as Daniel Bahimo Rey)
Valente Rodriguez	...	Helicopter Co-Pilot
Brent Roam	...	Helicopter Winch Operator
Eyal Podell	...	Boy #1
Erinn Bartlett	...	Girl #1
Dan Thiel	...	Boy #2 - Kevin Crawford

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic shark attacks, and for language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #36877) | Netherlands:12 | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Malaysia:18SG | Netherlands:16 (VHS/DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KNT | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Fox Baja Studios, Rosarito, Baja California Norte, Mexico

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Preacher's description of Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity (Tom Scoggins: "I spent four years at CalTech, and that's the best physics explanation I've ever heard.") is adapted from a quote by Einstein himself: "Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT'S relativity."

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Numerous scenes reveal sharks as computer animations due to motions that simply are not possible under water.

Quotes:

Russell Franklin: Hey, an AGA mask! Did some wreck diving in one of these off the coast of Spain. Tourist thing, you know. You like wreck diving?
Carter Blake: It's okay.
Russell Franklin: Come on, I bet you're really good at it!
Carter Blake: We're on the water. Whole cat-and-mouse thing don't float. You're the man, right?
Russell Franklin: Yeah. Yeah, I'm the man.
Carter Blake: Well, the man's always got a file. What's it say?
Russell Franklin: Two years, Leavenworth, smuggling.
Carter Blake: How'd you make your money? You're the first rich guy in history who's squeaky-clean?
Russell Franklin: You do understand my concern, right?
Carter Blake: Look, I got a workable deal here. I don't make waves, I meet the terms of my parole. I'm not out to change the world like the doc, and I'm not out to wreck it either.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Psych: Tuesday the 17th (#3.15)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

I Can See Clearly Now

Good laughs make up for its lack of terror.

Deep Blue Sea is really more of a satire than anything else, despite the frightening image on the DVD cover. As you view this film, you will notice the tendency of the better actors to become shark food before the lesser ones. This actually leads to some pretty good surprises along the way.

The plot centers around a group of scientists trying to genetically engineer the brains of sharks to help find a cure for Alzheimer's Disease. All they end up doing is making a trio of hungry sharks smart enough to hunt in packs and wipe out most of the humans in the underwater facility. The film has plenty of stomach-churning gore, but the humor of the film makes it easier to take. The film was directed by Renny Harlin who usually knows how to pace his films, and his skill is on display here with this one.

The acting is not very memorable since basically all those who can act are gone before the end of the first hour. Thomas Jane (Boogie Nights) and LL Cool J are pretty much the heroes, and they do as well as they can within the limitations of the script. The film could have used a better title, in my humble opinion. "Deep Blue Sea" sounds almost like some romance film you might find on Lifetime or some women's network.

BIG SPOILER: As far as the biggest highlight of the film is concerned..... well, let's just say I have nothing at all against Samuel L. Jackson. I could, however, count on one hand the number of times I've laughed harder at something in a movie than I did after his death scene. That was unexpected, and hilarious. Anyone who claims they saw that coming is full of it.

Deep Blue Sea is a fun movie. It's well-paced, has some thrills, and may keep you guessing. It's certainly no classic, and you won't remember much the next day after seeing it, but you could do much worse for a night of movie-watching.

6 of 10 stars.

The Hound.