
Jim’s arm is ripped off by a shark that doesn’t know it’s supposed to be sedated. My favorite: “Was that a goddamn shark broke through that door? … Am I the only asshole down here who thinks that a tad bit odd?”)īut I’m partial to the sequence that launches the whole disaster. (Before that, Jackson gets the one-liners we love to hear from him. Even people who dislike the film tend to single out that moment as a classic. “DBS” is famous for the shocking way facility owner Russell bites it. Straightforward friendships, like the one between Scoggins and chef Preacher (LL Cool J), make this a likable bunch whom we want to see survive. When Jim becomes the first victim, cuts to Jan’s horrified expression communicate horror to the viewer – even if the ride is so thrilling we don’t have time to be scared. Simple exchanges establish the romantic bond between scientists Jan and Jim (Stellan Skarsgaard). We understand Susan’s misguided choices, so when she is attacked while retrieving a disk of data (this was before the age of The Cloud), she’s a noble answer to Nedry smuggling dino DNA samples off Isla Nublar. The character-building, as always in tight thrillers, doesn’t have time to be extremely deep. In a standout sequence, Carter pries open the door to the flooded Level 2 so it will sweep away the shark, thus allowing the group to continue their climb to Level 1.

Most of “DBS” finds our protagonists getting through the wrecked structure en route to the surface level, and the viewer understands every step. But it doesn’t make sense, as we later learn there was an easier path they could’ve taken.Īll 9 ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ movies, ranked “Alien Resurrection” (1997) - a film I generally like – includes a sequence where our heroes must navigate a flooded portion of a ship. With its focus on the process of escaping the rapidly flooding ocean-based facility, “DBS” makes the heroes earn their escape. It only gets wilder, and better, from there. The cold-open of young partiers being attacked by an escaped super-shark is standard stuff, but when Carter (Thomas Jane) harpoons the beast, we spin into intriguing sci-fi. The film moves briskly, but we can keep up. DNA type of sequence in “DBS.” Rather, scientist Jan (Jacqueline McKenzie) and technician Scoggins (Michael Rapaport) pepper in what we need to know as they explain the set-up to visiting head honcho Russell (Samuel L. The screenplay by three writers peppers in logistics more efficiently than “Jurassic.” There’s no drawn-out Mr. Scientific hubris is “DBS’s” thematic parallel to “Jurassic Park.” Both films are elite examples of the nature-run-amok structure: ominous build-up followed by unrelenting intensity.
#MOVIE DEEP BLUE SHARK MOVIE#
It’s too much, but because this movie is so intense and fun in its very DNA, it’s OK that it’s too much. Rabin delivers a grand emotional streak that calls to mind his “Armageddon” score. On Tuesdays this summer, Reviews from My Couch is highlighting classic (and not so classic) shark horror films through the years.ĭirector Renny Harlin’s film stands on the shoulders of a Steven Spielberg classic, but it’s actually “Jurassic Park” more so than “Jaws.”īut first, to embrace the “Jaws” parallels, we have Trevor Rabin’s score, which takes John Williams’ work and juices it up with steroids. Stars: Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, Samuel L. Writers: Duncan Kennedy, Donna Powers, Wayne Powers If you make their brains bigger, it makes sense that they’d quickly become a global danger. Sharks are arguably the most successful large animal in the history of Earth. I’m guessing the haters can’t get past the premise: A scientist (Saffron Burrows’ Susan) accidentally creates three super-smart sharks as part of her work to cure Alzheimer’s.īut the concept is plausible enough for the realm of B-horror movies. Can both views be right? After this rewatch, I judge my younger self – and those lists - to be correct.

It’s Schrodinger’s Shark Movie – both laughably bad and an elite example of the genre. On the other hand, “Deep Blue Sea” often ranks toward the top of shark movie lists, sometimes trailing only “Jaws.” Schrodinger’s Shark Movie When I listened to a “How Did This Get Made?” podcast episode ripping into “Deep Blue Sea” (1999) as viciously as one of the film’s smart-sharks rips into flesh, I figured I must’ve overrated it when I picked it for my 1999 top 10. Sometimes I look at my old reviews and cringe.
