Revisiting DEEP BLUE SEA in 4K

DEEP BLUE SEA Limited Edition (4K UHD) 

1999 / 105 min

From Arrow Video

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

My daughter, Lucy, loves sharks, which I like to think stems all the way back to when I introduced her to Jaws years ago. Like her old man, she can’t resist a good shark movie…or a bad one, for that matter, which we all know there’s an abundance of. 

Since she hadn’t yet seen 1999’s Deep Blue Sea, Lucy was more than happy to join me for this 4K review. The big difference now is she’s in college and has considerable knowledge of real sharks, having extensively studied and read a lot about them over the years (Like I said, she really does love them). So at one point, when the species of the sharks doing all the sharking are identified as Makos, Lucy asked me to pause the film to say real Makos don’t grow to be twenty feet. As sharks go, they are comparatively small. 

Did that factual faux pas dampen her enjoyment of the film? Not really. Since there’s never been 25-foot Great White either, it ain’t like Jaws was ever mistaken for a documentary, yet in my humble opinion, it’s the greatest movie of all time. But Lucy’s observation is indicative of Deep Blue Sea’s willingness to forego science and plausibility for the sake of entertainment. Besides, the average moviegoer couldn’t identify a Mako shark if it swam up and bit them in the ass.

Deep Blue Sea does have a bit of historical significance. First off, it was the first big budget Hollywood shark movie since Universal put their own franchise to rest (two movies later than they should have). Fans of fearsome fish also tend to claim it was the first good shark movie since Jaws, an argument I can't really refute, though “good” is a relative term. In terms of production values, cast (Samuel L. Jackson! Yay!) and overall sense of fun, it’s a very good movie indeed.

A Farewell to Arm.

And while the shadow of Jaws continues to loom large over the entire subgenre, I’ll suggest Deep Blue Sea has been pretty impactful in its own right, albeit more dubiously. The film’s premise is inherently ridiculous, that of researchers - led by Dr. Susan McCallister (Saffron Burrows) - seeking an Alzheimer's cure by genetically enlarging the brains of three sharks and extracting the cells. But they discover the hard way that this has rendered the sharks super intelligent (with the foresight to knock-out surveillance cameras) and more dangerous. As a storm rages on the surface, the sharks manage to flood the underwater facility, enabling them to stalk the cast through labs, corridors, elevators. 

Throwing caution to the wind on a grand scale - including the most memorable shark kill since Chrissie Watkins went skinnydipping - is ultimately what has endeared Deep Blue Sea to fans over the years. But it also opened the floodgates for a slew of subsequent (cheaper) shark flicks where, almost literally, anything goes. We’ve since been inundated by the likes of Sharknado, Bait, 2-Headed Shark Attack, Ghost Shark, Under Paris, Sky Sharks, Santa Jaws, Jurassic Shark, etc…you get the idea. In terms of wild premises, most of them owe a tip-of-the-fin to Deep Blue Sea’s audacious spirit.

And if you think that’s a stretch, wait’ll you get a load of the visual essay included on this 4K release, where film critic Trace Newman identifies numerous sexual Freudian metaphors in various scenes and plot elements. Like the movie itself, it’s outlandish, but certainly entertaining. In addition to a smattering of additional new and archival bonus features, this limited edition set from Arrow serves up another great restoration, with excellent video quality and two audio options, DTS HD-MA 5.1 and Dolby Atmos.

The film itself is certainly showing its age, particularly the clunky CGI. Additionally, I personally don't think it remains the best shark movie since Jaws (The Shallows or The Meg hold that distinction). But Deep Blue Sea is still a lot of silly fun and fans will probably get a kick out of this edition.

EXTRA KIBBLES

NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with a promo disc for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.

FEATURETTES - From the Frying Pan Into the Studio Tanks is an interview with production designer William Sandell; When Sharks Attack is your basic making-of featurette; The Sharks of Deep Blue Sea focuses on the animatronic creatures themselves.

BENEATH THE SURFACE - Trace Newman offers a shockingly Freudian analysis of the film. I don’t know whether or not he’s actually serious, but it’s a real hoot.

3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By podcaster Rebekah McKendry; 2) By co-screenwriter Duncan Kennedy; 3) By director Renny Harlin and Samuel L. Jackson.

DELETED SCENES - With optional commentary by director Renny Harlin.

2 STILL GALLERIES

TRAILER