The Firelight Shocks DVD Review Section

Deep Blue Sea Distributor: Warner Bros. Region: 2 Ratio: : 2:35:1 (Enhanced for widescreen televisions) Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo

This is pure popcorn fodder, and a highly enjoyable viewing experience. I loved this film in the cinema and the transfer to DVD looks and sounds fantastic. However, on the 'smaller' screen the CGI looks noticeably more dodgy than it did at the local multiplex, although this barely subtracts from the jumps and suspense that this wonderful blockbuster manages to sustain throughout. The film begins with four teenagers partying on a large boat. The boat is broken and bashed by a large shark, although the massive fish is actually stopped from spilling any blood thanks to the sudden appearance of the impossibly rugged Thomas Jane (ha - at least he has a girlie name!). However, when word about this incident is leaked to the dailies - resulting in bad publicity, Saffron Burrows has to beg 'the richest man in the world' Samuel L. Jackson not to close down her marine research plant. At the plant, Burrows and her team are trying to obtain the cure for Alzheimer's disease by genetically enlarging the sharks and, thus, increasing the creature's brain mass. Apparently this leads to all sorts of groundbreaking information. Of course, Jackson goes to the plant for the weekend and what transpires is utter, Jurassic Park-type, disaster. Firstly, the sharks become too clever - swimming backwards for example, and then one of them feigns being unconscious and bites off one researcher's arm. From there it's simply follow the Hollywood action formula as one huge, expensive set piece follows another. Is it intelligent? Not even in the slightest bit. Is it one of the most rewatchable blockbusters of recent memory? Without doubt. Deep Blue Sea is lots of fun and, shock of shocks, the film is actually somewhat unpredictable. If you've not seen it then don't read on, but (what Phil likes to call) 'the ever so surprising death of Samuel L. Jackson' (I think my exact words were "bloody hell!" - Phil) is especially rewarding. It follows one of the most (intentionally) corny speeches in film history and begins: 'You think water's fast... you should see ice'. Immortal stuff! Deep Blue Sea also showcases some awesome mechanical shark effects, lots of spilt blood and Saffron Burrows in her underwear. Sharks get a hard enough deal of it as it is though (due largely to films, like this, which depict them as rampant man-eaters) so just remember... it's only a movie.

EXTRAS: Where to begin? You get the usual guff that passes for 'special features' these days - the original theatrical trailer, a stills gallery and some filmographies (I can't seem to access all of the biographies though). However, on top of all that lot you get some deleted scenes (sadly the picture quality is poor) which are all dialogue based and each scene can be watched with or without the director commentating over them. You also get a really interesting 'Making Of' documentary and a featurette on mako sharks (the filmmakers studied these animals and we even see Thomas Jane getting into a shark cage in order to observe them). Given that the film features no real sharks anyway, I have the strangest feeling that this may have just been an excuse for Renny Harlin and co. to get a nice, all expenses paid, holiday out of Warner! However, I'm actually sure Mr Harlin really needed to see the genuine article in order to make that terminally unrealistic CGI look as, ahem, lifelike as possible. The most intriguing feature may well be the audio commentary which features Renny Harlin and Samuel L Jackson. I'm not a big fan of Harlin: I enjoyed Cliffhanger and bits of Prison and his fourth Elm Street film, but the less said about Die Hard 2 and The Long Kiss Goodnight the better! Still, the man is easy to listen to, expressing a huge amount of enthusiasm towards the film and taking the audience through the digital effects, many of which you probably didn't even recognise as being computer generated (from the skyscrapers in the background at the beginning to various internal shots). Jackson disappears from the commentary track after his character dies and he and Renny do not share the same track (instead it cuts between them both). Jackson is really funny, he takes a few digs at the actor Michael Rapport's supposed lack of intelligence and when he is killed off he maintains: 'Well I'm dead - and I think they paid me more than they paid those other people who are in the movie'. Between them both Harlin and Jackson make for a very entertaining audio track and Harlin also mentions that it was not his decision to strip Saffron Burrows (and lets us know that she was not best pleased). The picture, enhanced for widescreen television sets, is amazing: particularly in the scene where the chopper crashes into the marine facility. That huge explosion really jumps out at you! The sound is equally faultless - all adding to a definite, Firelight Shocks 'must buy'. I know I've said that more than once on this review page, but if you must take my advice on any disc here... then this isn't a bad start as far as value for money goes.