DEEP BLUE SEA (1999)
At the end of the ‘90s, movies were at a turning point. Blockbusters were evolving and new filmmakers were emerging. You had THE MATRIX and STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE dominating the conversation of movie goers (for better or worse) that year. Summer ’99 had genre game changers like THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and THE SIXTH SENSE. But one blockbuster often gets overlooked, which is DEEP BLUE SEA—or as many reference it, “that shark movie with Samuel L. Jackson.”
After the Jaws franchise went dormant in the ‘80s thanks to the major flop of JAWS: THE REVENGE (1987), the genre of “killer sharks” was practically gone. Shark Week on the Discovery Channel and the syndicated cartoon Street Sharks were probably the only form of entertainment to include sharks until DEEP BLUE SEA arrived in the summer of 1999. It was a fresh R-rated take on the genre filled with suspense, humor, great performances, and great shark kills. What else can you ask for in a summer blockbuster?
The premise is different than most of the JAWS sequels or knockoffs. Humans capture the sharks for experimentation, and the sharks are now smart. As the tagline of the poster suggests, “Bigger. Smarter. Faster. Meaner.” The plot sounds complicated, but it is simple: At a research ocean facility, scientists have been conducting experiments on Mako sharks to help cure Alzheimer’s. What can go wrong? Everything, of course. The sharks attack and slowly destroy the facility and hunt down our cast.
What makes this film work is that there really is no protagonist. Anyone can be shark food at any moment. One could argue that the main character of this thriller is the lead scientist, Dr. Susan McLassister (Saffron Burrows). She unethically makes the sharks smarter without telling the rest of the crew and putting their lives in danger in a desperate attempt to find the cure for Alzheimer's. If you had the chance to cure a disease (one to which you lost a family member), how far would you go? A great character dilemma for your “killer shark” movie, and it adds more depth to the drama amongst the characters. Notable cast members include an up-and-coming Thomas Jane as “shark wrangler” Carter Blake. Michael Rapaport as an engineer (yes, engineer) “Scoggs,” and LL Cool J as the facility’s chef “Preacher,” with both serving as comedy relief. Mr. “Ladies Love Cool James” steals the show. But probably the most recognizable name in the cast is Samuel L. Jackson as Russell Franklin, a well-known investor who comes to visit the facility, skeptical of the research.
A thriller with this type of premise nowadays would be on a streamer, probably at a lower budget, or dumped on the SYFY Channel. Loaded down with lame special effects, C-list actors, too campy and dumb dialogue...but DEEP BLUE SEA has none of that. Not to say the dialogue is Oscar-worthy with lines like “Well, I’m not waiting around to find out!” and it’s no JAWS either, but nothing is, and that’s okay. Director Renny Harlin, known earlier at the time for pretty good action blockbusters like DIE HARD 2 (1990) and CLIFFHANGER (1993), brings a slick filmmaking style, and one thing you cannot take away from Harlin even in his lesser films is that he can direct strong suspense and action sequences. The shark attacks and all the dangerous water scenes have you glued to the screen. The action just keeps going until the climax. Not to say the film is a little dated with an LL Cool J rap song as the credits roll, but for the nostalgic at heart, you can't help but put a smile on your face.
No spoilers—but the movie is probably most famous for a sequence with Samuel L. Jackson. Do not Google it if you have never seen the film. The film has its surprises, which is one of the reasons it’s so great. If you are a JAWS fan, there are a lot of references and easter eggs. Harlin pays tribute to the original killer shark classic and without being obvious and lazy. DEEP BLUE SEA is not JAWS, and maybe not even JAWS 2, but better than all the recent shark movies of the last couple of decades. (Sorry, THE SHALLOWS (2016) and THE MEG (2018).) Furthermore, in every shark or monster movie, you must ask yourself as you are watching, “Does it look fake?” The sharks in DEEP BLUE SEA still look pretty good even 26 years later. It is a testament to that movie period, where the best effects are animatronic and CGI. One victim’s death now looks a little cringy, but still effective. It is hard to blend action, horror, sci-fi, and even some comedy successfully into any movie and DEEP BLUE SEA does all of that, and Samuel L. “motherfucking” Jackson makes it even better.
DEEP BLUE SEA can be found on most streaming video on demand options, such as Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
