Deep Blue Sea
Warner Brothers Pictures
CAST: Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, Samuel L. Jackson, Jacqueline McKenzie,
Michael Rapaport, Stellan Skarsgard, LL Cool J, Aida Turturro and Dan Thiel
DIRECTOR: Renny Harlin
RATING: R for graphic shark attacks, and for language
RUNNING TIME:
1999
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Many directors treat the action movie with pure disdain. Since most genre vehicles are thinly disguised money machines for the studios, directors oftentimes feel their role on such pictures to be nothing more than an overworked (and under appreciated) circus ringleader. Fortunately, Renny Harlin doesn't share that opinion. While other directors are spouting excuses for there involvement on a particular “high concept” project, Harlin is out there making films that continually raise the bar for the entire industry. When it comes to the realm of action films, Renny Harlin is the standard.
The plot of Deep Blue Sea is pure Saturday matinee. In an underwater research facility somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, dimwitted scientists have secretly cloned hyper-intelligent tiger sharks. By enlarging the shark's brain, the scientists hope they can harvest enough protein complex to affectively cure Alzheimer's. But in the midst of the experiment, an unexpected tropical storm strikes, trapping the hapless scientists in the underwater lab… where they soon discover the genetically enhanced sharks have a plan of their own.
Unlike similar disaster films, the characters that populate Deep Blue Sea are genuinely interesting. Leading the pack is Thomas Jane, a soft-spoken actor who does an aces job portraying shark wrangler Carter Blake. This character is an ex-con, but Jane plays him decidedly against type. Blake isn't the macho protagonist of action film's past, but a wounded individual trying to make up for his mistakes. Thomas Jane has an effective low-key delivery that ultimately rings true for the audience. We truly believe in the character of Carter Blake, so we root for him to survive.
Saffron Burrow's plays Susan McAlester, an ice cube with legs who is revealed to be the shark's Dr. Frankenstein. She is a purposefully single-minded character, but Burrow's invests her role with a lot of compassion. McAlester's eventual demise in the jaws of her own creation is unsettling not because of its poetic fairness, but because of the depth of Burrow's performance.
As eccentric billionaire Russell Franklin, Samuel L. Jackson is strong in a brief, but pivotal role in the film's first act. In a clever wink and nod by the screenwriters, Russell Franklin is presented as the heroic protagonist of Deep Blue Sea. This is the man who has survived similar disasters and has the courage to lead everyone to safety. His absolutely shocking death is a galvanizing jolt of pure terror. The film then takes one giant step ahead of the audience, subsequently ratcheting the suspense onto a whole new level.
When asked why he originally became interested in making Deep Blue Sea, Renny Harlin replied: “We've all seen sharks in the ocean. But we've never seen sharks in our living room.” If this film is any proof whatsoever, then shark attacks can also occur in the hallway, the bedroom and, in the film's most outrageous sequence, even the kitchen.
Alas, no Renny Harlin film would be complete without a mind-blowing action climax. Whether it's Bruce Willis fighting terrorists on the wing of a jumbo jet in Die Hard 2, or Sylvester Stallone being slammed against a rock face by a falling helicopter in Cliffhanger, the ending moments of Harlin's movies are unforgettable. The final act in Deep Blue Sea could very well be his crowning achievement. It is truly a compliment to say that only in a Renny Harlin movie could the protagonist be harpooned to the dorsal fin of a shark. It's an incredible sequence.
A worldwide financial success, Deep Blue Sea is merely the creative dorsal fin to Renny Harlin's killer instincts. As for the blood you see in the water, it comes from other action directors too slow to get out of his way.
--Yim Kip
The Official Deep Blue Sea Web Site
Deep Blue Sea Storyboard Art
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