# Deep Blue Sea (1999)

### reviewed by
Ross Anthony

    Jaws Too
    Deep Blue Sea

    by Ross Anthony

About ten minutes into the picture, our primary characters chopper to an off-shore facility faintly reminiscent of a well-kept "Water World" set presented in such a way that you just know you'll be spending the rest of the film there.

"Deep Blue Sea" has all the classic elements: The shark swimming hero (who actually delivers a pretty good performance), the money guy, the preacher (LL Cool J), the architectural guy, the innocent and lovely assistant, the mad scientist (in this case, sexy and mad), and of course the beasts ... smart sharks. Seems sharks have some protein in their brains that when extracted can reverse the effects of Alzheimer's disease. I'm not sure why, but instead of harvesting from lots of sharks, our mad scientist decides to grow three sharks and enlarge their brains. "You've just taken nature's best killing machine and given it will and desire." This fair piece of dialogue aside, plenty of hokey lines abound (of which, Samuel L. Jackson, more oft than not the lucky deliverer) setting our screening audience laughing in a sort of cliché-induced hysteria.

For reasons less than obvious, all of the experimentation takes place submerged under the ocean surface.

If you can bite that off, you might just have a good time ooowing and aaahing at all the action (I did). Though the actual shark visuals aren't remarkable, other action (I don't want give anything away) is rather explosive. Nicely directed and seldom a dull moment, "Deep Blue Sea" swims from beginning to end with well placed and carefully timed bumps, sputters and twists.

It's no "Jaws," it's not really that scary, but it is fun.

Starring Saffron Burrows, Thomas Jane, LL Cool J and Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by Renny Harlen. Screenplay by Duncan Kennedy and Donna Powers & Wayne Powers. Produced by Akiva Goldsman, Tony Ludwig and Alan Riche at Warner Brothers.

Grade ......................................... B+

(C) 1999 Ross Anthony, currently based in Los Angeles, has scripted and shot documentaries, music videos, and shorts in 35 countries across North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. For more reviews visit: http://RossAnthony.com

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