BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF A CASE FOR MURDER PAPERBACK SERIES

BRYN CURT JAMES HAMMOND

FILM,

TELEVISION

& MUSIC

REVIEWS

"Scott resorts to sending his cast, led this time around by blonde bombshell Danielle Savre (X Files), down the very same waterlogged corridors, only this time lit by neon lighting, with sound effects providing a sudden, percussive “WALLOP”, in sequences that have been done many times before but with better execution and style."

Deep Blue Sea (1999) was no Oscar-worthy canon. What the late nineties DNA-altered shark fodder did offer though was an entertaining 105 minute frolic in the sea with a climax that gave B-movie creature feature fare (of that decade) a run for its money.

Renny Harlin’s (Die Hard 2) previous experience in action certainly gave him the cutthroat edge. The original Deep Blue Sea needed to rise above its titanic-lightweight plot that predictably pitched sharks against scientists, and for that reason alone the film in my book earned its merits and still stands up to repeat viewing due to its movie excess.

Deep Blue Sea 2, however, is the epitome of a TV meal: cheap and cheerful with very little nutritional value. Predictably chronicling the timely message of man vs beast vs science, this direct-to-DVD sequel plays out like an insult to both its viewer and its predecessor. The film once again follows another billionaire, this time called Carl Durant, who is experimenting on bull sharks, which soon rebel and wreak havoc for another group of scientists, whose fight for survival includes wading through baby bull shark-infested water, very little understanding of science and the sharks at their science facility and motorboats as their only means of escape.

Directed by Darin Scott (Something Wicked), much like Harlin’s rollercoaster, Scott resorts to sending his cast, led this time around by blonde bombshell Danielle Savre (X Files), down the very same waterlogged corridors, only this time lit by neon lighting, with sound effects providing a sudden, percussive “WALLOP”, in sequences that have been done many times before but with better execution and style. I won’t even address the Terminator sub-plot and car alarm key fob used to control the film’s sea monsters.

Gasping for air, the assembled cast and their Beverly Hills smiles struggle with the material given to them. Considering Deep Blue Sea 2 had three writers that included Erik Patterson (Holy Ghost People), Hans Rodionoff (Lost Boys: The Thirst) and Jessica Scott (Cleopatra 2525) credited for the utterly bonkers genetically engineered killer shark offering I expected something a little less stagnant. But what I got was a franchise torpedo with one pissed off mother shark and her litter.

So what’s good about it? Well, this untamed, cockeyed stupidity does have a few memorable scenes and the stakes have been raised in the gore department. Sure, 90% of it is CGI but it’s above average CGI at that. The homage paid to Samuel L. Jackson’s monologue demise does raise a smile – more of a smirk – and it’s always nice to see a bad guy get it. We are offered two in the first few minutes with extremely gory consequences of their actions. Sadly, it’s pretty much downhill in the originality stakes thereon in.

Overall Deep Blue Sea 2 is okay for a Friday night alongside beers and a takeout. We are given aerobatic bull sharks, limp one-liners and a poor man’s Chris Pratt, so what more can we ask for? Originality, maybe?!

Deep Blue Sea 2 is available on Blu-ray / DVD 23 July.

Deep Blue Sea 2 has tight swimwear, five bull sharks, a host of dumb death sequences and a school of baby sharks that are really, really pissed off!