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Deep Blue Sea
USA 1999
Reviewed by Jamie Graham
Synopsis
Our synopses give away the plot in full, including surprise twists.
An underwater research centre off the coast of Mexico. Searching for a cure for Alzheimer's disease, a team of scientists, led by Dr Susan McAlester, attempt to reactivate degenerate human brain cells by injecting them into sharks' brains. As a result of their experiments, three mako sharks grow to 40 feet and demonstrate intelligent behaviour.
Russell Franklin, president of a pharmaceuticals company, arrives with a view to funding the research. An anaesthetised shark - injected with human cells - awakens and bites off scientist Jim Whitlock's arm. The helicopter transporting Whitlock to surgery crashes into the side of the research laboratory causing its computer system safeguarding the workers from the sharks to crash. The shark breaks the complex's viewing window; the centre floods and the three makos enter. The remaining scientists, accompanied by shark handler Carter Blake, cook 'Preacher' Dudley and Franklin's attempt to fight their way to the surface. Dudley kills one of the makos by igniting a gas cooker, while McAlester electrocutes another. Franklin and scientist Tom Scoggins are killed. McAlester, Blake and Dudley reach the surface. McAlester jumps back into the water to act as bait before the last shark can escape the compound. She is killed, but Blake and Dudley destroy the mako.
Review
It is inevitable that any film featuring giant man-eating sharks will be compared to Jaws, but Renny Harlin's underwater thriller shares little with Spielberg's 1975 magnum opus. Jaws worked very much in the tradition of Val Lewton's masterly horror flicks of the 40s, wringing suspense from unseen terrors and, for the most part, keeping its monster off screen, barring the occasional dorsal fin. Deep Blue Sea, on the other hand, is a product of our CGI-dominated age and is eager to show off its digital wares. So we're treated to shot after shot of jerky, frequently risible sharks zipping across the frame or barrelling towards the camera. There's even one moment - designed, perhaps, to mimic the dual T-Rex attack in The Lost World: Jurassic Park - when two mako sharks converge on a hapless victim and tear him asunder as they exit from either end of the screen.
Deep Blue Sea has inherited more of its genes from the Jaws sequels than from the original. Set in and around an underwater research facility which is eventually breached by marauding sharks, its basic premise and set construction invite comparison to the Sea World aquarium of Jaws 3-D. And, just as the tag line to Jaws: the Revenge would have it, this time it's personal, with super-intelligent sharks breaking down steel doors and weeding out the nasty scientists who played God by experimenting on them.
However, Deep Blue Sea is ultimately more of a disaster movie teetering on 'B'-movie legs than a Jaws rip-off or bizarre slasher-film hybrid. To his credit, Harlin (Cliffhanger) recognises and embraces this. The characters spend much of the film ascending through the compound's submerged levels to surface safety, a single-minded quest that echoes that of the rag-tag ensemble who struggled through The Poseidon Adventure (1972). It is a strong concept which, when fleshed out by the shark element, should have made for gripping viewing. Instead, as the characters grapple with locked doors, their perilous undertakings often resembling an episode of the quiz show Crystal Maze, the result is a soggy effort. Thankfully, however, there are some surprises: the cast diminishes in a quite unexpected order, Stephen Windon's underwater photography is luminous and there's even the occasional inspired flourish, such as a spilt glass of red wine more disturbing than any of the graphic bloodletting.
Credits
- Producers
- Akiva Goldsman
- Tony Ludwig
- Alan Riche
- Screenplay
- Duncan Kennedy
- Donna Powers
- Wayne Powers
- Director of Photography
- Stephen Windon
- Editors
- Frank J. Urioste
- Derek G. Brechin
- Dallas S. Puett
- Production Designers
- William Sandell
- Joseph Bennett
- Music
- Trevor Rabin
- ©Warner Bros. (US, Canada, Bahamas & Bermuda)
- ©Village Roadshow Films (BVI) Limited (all other territories)
- Production Companies
- ©Village Roadshow Films (BVI) Limited (all other territories)
- Warner Bros. presents in association with Village Roadshow Pictures-Groucho III Film Partnership an Alan Riche-Tony Ludwig/Akiva Goldsman production
- Executive Producers
- Duncan Henderson
- Bruce Berman
- Co-producer
- Rebecca Spikings
- Associate Producer
- Tom Mack
- Production Supervisor
- Mexico:
- Anna Roth
- Production Office Supervisors
- Jason McGatlin
- 2nd Unit:
- Megan Saito
- Unit Production Managers
- Todd Arnow
- 2nd Unit:
- R.J. Mino
- Mexico Unit Manager
- Rafael Cuervo
- Location Manager
- Michael John Meehan
- Post-production
- Supervisor:
- Ilyse Reutlinger
- Associate:
- David Hall
- 2nd Unit Director
- David Ellis
- Assistant Directors
- Tom Mack
- David Kelley
- C.C. Barnes
- Mexico:
- René Villarreal
- 2nd Unit:
- Jamie Marshall
- Patton Howell Caldwell
- Sean McCarron
- Domonic Mandy
- Script Supervisors
- Portia Jacox
- 2nd Unit:
- Kelly Moon
- Casting
- Christine Sheaks
- Associate:
- Cassandra Culukundis
- 2nd Unit Director of Photography
- Gary Capo
- Camera Operators
- Marc Spicer
- Guillermo Rosas
- Greg Schmidt
- Mark E. Moore
- 2nd Unit:
- Leo Napolitano
- Steadicam Operator
- Mark E. Moore
- Wescam Operator
- Phil Pastuhov
- Visual Effects
- Supervisor:
- Jeffrey A. Okun
- Producer:
- Thomas M. Boland
- Co-ordinator:
- Jack Geist
- Editor:
- Mark Eggenweiler
- Visual Effects/Animation
- Cinesite
- Visual Effects Supervisor:
- Jerry Pooler
- Visual Effects Producer:
- Scott Dougherty
- Composite Supervisor:
- David Lingenfelser
- CG Supervisor:
- Serge Sretschinsky
- Paint Supervisor:
- Corinne Pooler
- Rotoscope Supervisor:
- Karen Klein
- Visual Effects Editor:
- Kevin Clark
- CG Animators:
- John Decker
- John Hewitt
- Dylan Robinson
- 2D Sequence Supervisors:
- Mark Lewis
- Kevin Lingenfelser
- Marcel Martinez
- Craig Mathieson
- Sean O'Connor
- Compositors:
- Ted Andre
- Tim Gibbons
- Jerry Sells
- VFX Associate Producer:
- Tracy Takahashi
- Visual Effects Co-ordinator:
- Tiffany Smith
- Storm Sequence Visual Effects
- Flash Film Works
- Visual Effects Co-supervisor:
- John P. Mesa
- Visual Effects Technical Supervisor:
- Dan Novy
- Compositing Supervisor:
- David Fogg
- Animation Supervisor:
- Ken Stranahan
- Lead Matte Painter:
- Tim Donahue
- 3D Model Supervisor:
- Donald Myers
- Digital Shark Animation
- Hammerhead Productions Inc
- Visual Effects Supervisors:
- Rebecca Mako Marie
- Jamie Greatwhite Dixon
- Technical Effects Supervisor:
- Thad Tiger Beier
- Digital Effects Supervisor:
- Theresa Sandbar Ellis
- Animators:
- Paolo Sharpnose Moscatelli
- Andy Cookiecutter Tamandl
- Constance Blacktip Bracewell
- Special Visual Effects/Animation
- Industrial Light & Magic
- Visual Effects Supervisor:
- John Knoll
- Animation Supervisor:
- Dan Taylor
- Visual Effects Producer:
- Heather Smith
- CG Supervisor:
- Doug MacMillan
- Compositing Supervisor:
- Tim Alexander
- Model Supervisor:
- James Doherty
- Visual Effects Editor:
- Scott Balcerek
- Visual Effects by
- Manex Visual Effects
- CG Supervisor:
- John Sasaki
- Digital Visual Effects Supervisor:
- Mary Loibl
- Visual Effects
- Vision Art Design & Animation
- Digital Effects Supervisor:
- Marc Kolbe
- Digital Effects
- The Film Factory at VTR
- Shark Action Supervisor
- Walt Conti
- Special Effects Supervisor
- John Richardson
- Special Effects Co-ordinator
- Rick Thompson
- Special Effects
- Doug Hubbard
- William Dawson
- Barry McQueary
- Wes Mattox
- Michael Clarke
- Mario Vanillo
- Mike Duenas
- James LaCroix
- Sergio Jara Sr
- Sergio Jara Jr
- Marcelino Pacheco
- Rosie Richardson
- Alfredo Gonzales
- Victor Ramirez
- Ruben Rodriguez
- Marco Castillo
- 2nd Unit:
- Manuel Cordero
- Mikko Kytöniemi
- Digby Milner
- Blair Foord
- Alejandro Duran
- Hector Coronado
- Animatronic Sharks
- Edge Innovations
- Project Managers:
- Ty Boyce
- Joss Geiduschek
- Krissy Luster
- Engineering Design:
- Tom Hsiu
- Dave Knight
- Tony Lawson
- Peter Fletter
- Robert Fuhrmann
- Larry Cheng
- Theo Gillmann
- Art Director:
- Jonathan Horton
- Model Shop Supervisor:
- Dave Caldwell
- Model Shop Departments:
- Gary Reyes
- Rey Aquino
- Manuel Contreras
- Robert Guerin
- Sid Scroggin
- Sam Scroggin
- Jesse Malone
- Hydraulic Design:
- John Titus
- Scott Riley
- Ed Roberts
- Chris Cappa
- Fabrication:
- Mark Terzich
- Gary Peterson
- Alex Contreras
- Ray Rodriguez
- Rudy Maldonado
- Ken Staal
- David Dinius
- Roger Patrick
- Miniatures/Miniature Photography Support
- Grant McCune Design Inc
- Model Supervisor:
- Montgomery Shook
- Model Makers:
- Jack Edjourian
- Alex Palumbo
- Tom Rush
- Mark Sheaffer
- Rick Won
- Video/Graphics Supervisor
- Dean Streipeke
- Additional Editing
- Eric Strand
- Kevin Stitt
- Supervising Art Directors
- Mark W. Mansbridge
- Bruce Crone
- Art Directors
- Andrew Rothschild
- Hector Romero
- Set Designers
- Bill Taliaferro
- Javier Nava
- Set Decorator
- Debra Echard
- Storyboard Artists
- Lee Wilson
- Gary Thomas
- Costume Designer
- Mark Bridges
- Costume Supervisor
- Jim Tyson
- Make-up
- Key:
- Jeff Dawn
- Artist:
- Jim Kail
- 2nd Unit, Artists:
- Raúl Sarmiento
- Steve Laporte
- Special Prosthetics Make-up
- Matthew W. Mungle
- Clinton Wayne
- Chad Atkinson
- Hair
- Key Stylist:
- Peter Tothpal
- Stylist:
- Reka Tilianyi
- 2nd Unit, Stylist:
- Sylvia Hernandez
- Titles/Opticals
- Pacific Title/Mirage
- Conductor
- Gordon Goodwin
- Orchestrations
- Gordon Goodwin
- Tom Calderaro
- Steve Holtman
- Music Supervisor
- LL Cool J
- Music Score Producers
- Trevor Rabin
- Paul Linford
- Music Editor
- Will Kaplan
- Music Score Recordist/Mixer
- Steve Kempster
- Music Consultants
- Sha-Kim Compere
- Ralph Roundtree
- Robert Meloni
- Soundtrack
- "Deepest Bluest (Shark's Fin)" by James Todd Smith, Timothy Hom, Ralph Roundtree, performed by LL Cool J; "Say What" by James Todd Smith, Vinnie Biggs, Dennis McCarthy, performed by LL Cool J, includes sample of "Bach Talk" by Dennis McCarthy, performed by Glen Campbell; "Good and Plenty" by Joleen Belle, Alan Molezion, performed by Divine; "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash, performed by (1) Johnny Nash, (2) Chantel Jones; "Get Tha Money (Dollar Bill)" by David Blake, Crawford Wilkerson, performed by Hi-C featuring DJ Quik; "El Paraiso Rico" by Madonna, Bruce Gaitsch, Patrick Leonard, performed by Deetah; "Just Because" by Troy Taylor, Charles Farrar, performed by F.A.T.E.; "Remote Control Soul" by Graham Finn, Alan O'Keefe, Chris O'Driscoll, performed by Bass Odyssey
- Sound Design Sequences
- John Paul Fasal
- Christopher Aud
- Production Sound Mixer
- Tim Cooney
- Re-recording Mixers
- John Reitz
- Dave Campbell
- Gregg Rudloff
- Additional:
- Gregory H. Watkins
- Kevin E. Carpenter
- Robert Schaper
- Supervising Sound Editors
- J. Paul Huntsman
- Robb Wilson
- Dialogue Editors
- John F. Reynolds
- Patrick J. Foley
- Sound Effects Editors
- Jayme Parker
- Adam Johnston
- Andrew M. Somers
- ADR
- Supervisor:
- Hugh Waddell
- Editors:
- Cindy Marty
- Karyn Foster
- Foley
- Supervisor:
- David L. Horton Jr
- Artists:
- Kevin Bartnof
- Catherine Harper
- Mixer:
- Eric Gotthelf
- Editor:
- Willy Allen
- Medical Adviser
- Donna Cline
- Aerial Co-ordinator
- David Paris
- Marine Co-ordinator
- Clarence Shelley Acuff
- Stunt Co-ordinators
- R.A. Rondell
- 2nd Unit:
- David McCoy Barrett
- Animal Handlers
- Rocio Ortega
- Adolfo Lara
- Cast
- Saffron Burrows
- Dr Susan McAlester
- Thomas Jane
- Carter Blake
- LL Cool J
- Sherman 'Preacher' Dudley
- Jacqueline McKenzie
- Janice Higgins
- Michael Rapaport
- Tom 'Scog' Scoggins
- Stellan Skarsgård
- Jim Whitlock
- Aida Turturro
- Brenda Kerns
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Russell Franklin
- Cristos
- boat captain
- Daniel Bahimo Rey
- helicopter pilot
- Valente Rodriguez
- helicopter co-pilot
- Brent Roam
- helicopter winch operator
- Eyal Podell
- boy 1
- Erinn Bartlett
- girl 1
- Dan Thiel
- boy 2
- Sabrina Geerinckx
- girl 2
- Tajsha Thomas
- Janice's friend
- Frank W. Welker
- parrot sounds
- [uncredited]
- Ronny Cox
- Franklin's boss
- Certificate
- 15
- Distributor
- Warner Bros Distributors (UK)
- 9,438 feet
- 104 minutes 52 seconds
- Dolby digital/Digital DTS sound/SDDS
- Prints/Colour by
- Technicolor
- Super 35 [2.35:1]