Renny Harlin’s 1999 box office hit Deep Blue Sea has been released in Special Edition 4K UHD and Blu-Ray sets. The limited edition sets include the usual physical extras, including a double-sided poster, art cards, and a collector’s book containing critical essays, plus previously unseen production art.
Aquatica, an at-sea research centre, is on the brink of discovering a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, experimenting with genetically altering the brains of their captive mako sharks, it is an essential part of the procedure to show it’s main sponsor, Russell Franklin (Samuel L. Jackson) that he should keep funding the project, even though one of the sharks has recently escaped captivity and attacked a boat. Its passengers, making front page news, and causing embarrassment for all involved.
Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for the viewer, a freak storm arrives and traps the skeleton crew and Franklin in the facility, and to make things worse, the sharks are now smarter and want payback.
It’s all quite similar in story to Jurassic Park, and as cheesy as it sounds, it’s all a lot of fun. Implausible, but if you’re happy to switch your brain off and go along for the ride, then you’ll have a great time with it. The practical effects still hold up, even if the CGI shark shots haven’t aged particularly well. The trashiness of the likes of Sharknado and such has probably given the hint that this belongs in the same band. It certainly doesn’t. There are very effective scenes of tension, thrills and suspense, unlike those others which are intentionally corny.
Compared to the previous Blu-Ray from Warner Brothers released in 2010, this new release is a big improvement on something which looked great to the naked eye back then. Remastered in 4K from the original negative, it looks sharper and fresher than before, though a few scenes with CGI occasionally look less convincing due to the enhanced image.
The Dolby 5.1 mix is generally outstanding, with great ambience in the quieter scenes in the base, and some really hefty sub-woofer action in more dramatic moments. As with the previous disc from Warner, there are a few scenes where dialogue gets buried in the music and sound effects, but that’s just nitpicking. A Dolby Atmos track is also included.
Arrow do not disappoint, yet again, with this presentation. If you love this film, then it is genuinely worth the upgrade, in either format that Arrow have released. It is like watching the film with new eyes, and comes with a hefty amount of Special Features.
First up is a track recorded by critic and filmmaker Rebekah McKendry. She starts off with great enthusiasm, talking about the effect of seeing Jaws as a youngster, and how it fuelled her passion for shark films to this day. After a short while, however, she tends to be distracted by watching the film, mentioning the bits she loves and pretty much saying what is happening on-screen, along with long pauses.
Next up is screenwriter Duncan Kennedy, who talks about the process of coming up with the idea for the film, selling the idea to Warner Brothers, through to the feeling of seeing his ideas up on a big screen, along with some great anecdotes about the production, including details of excised ideas and changes made along the way. It’s a great script to screen journey to listen to.
The third commentary is carried over from the previous release by Renny Harling. Although it’s listed on the menu as a Director’s Commentary, we have the bonus of him being joined by Samuel L. Jackson, at least up to a certain point, before he bids farewell and leaves Harlin holding the reins, which he manages very successfully for the whole duration of the film.
Other new features are documentaries dissecting the production design, and an analysis about why the film is more than a ‘cheesy B-movie’. Carried over from the previous release are a terrific short about the mechanical sharks used in the film, which still impress all these years later, deleted scenes, original trailer and still gallery.
Deep Blue Sea is a great way to kill a few hours, and Arrow should be commended for putting so much effort into this release. Even if you don’t care for the physical extras included in this limited edition, it’s well worth hunting down.
FILM – 7 PICTURE – 9 AUDIO – 9 EXTRAS – 9
REVIEW BY STEVE WELLS
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