Title: Deep Blue Sea
Region: One
Genre: Sci-fi/Horror/Action-Thriller
Stars: Saffron Burrows, Thomas Jane, LL Cool J, Jacqueline McKenzie, Michael Rapaport, Stellan Skarsgard, and Samuel L. Jackson and Ronnie Cox
Writers: Duncan Kennedy, Donna Powers, and Wayne Powers
Director: Renny Harlin
Feature length: 105 minutes
Extras: Cast and Crew Filmographies, Theatrical Trailer, Deleted Scenes with Optional Audio Commentary By Renny Harlin, "When Sharks Attack! Behind The Scenes Documentary, The Sharks Of Deep Blue Sea Special-Effects Documentary Looking at the Models and Computer-Generated Imagery of the Film's Sharks, Still Gallery
DVD-ROM Extras: Access to a web site featuring Special Essays: Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid, a horror film retrospective, and The History of Things To Come, tracing the history of science-fiction movies, The Original Web Site on the DVD, Theatrical Trailer Sampler featuring other "science-gone-amok" adventures: Coma, Logan's Run, The Matrix, Sphere, and Westworld
Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English
Packaging: Snapper case
Chapter Stops: 33
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Year of Theatrical Release: 1999/DVD Release: 1999
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures
Home Video Distributor: Warner Brothers Home Video Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
DVD Rating: A+
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
Deep Blue Sea is a fun popcorn film given excellent DVD treatment from Warner Brothers. The film is no "Jaws," but it is probably one of the best Shark thrillers since and is definitely better than all of the Jaws sequels. The film works on three levels, one, it has fantastic special effects, two, Renny Harlin is an Action Director at the top of his game in this feature, and three, you will be surprised at who makes it and who does not.
The premise borrows partially from Frankenstein, partially from The Poseidon Adventure, and Jaws of course! A wealthy financier is given the tour of a shark research facility where scientists have been genetically altering the brains of the captive sharks in hopes of developing a potential cure to Alzheimer's disease. Of course things go wrong just when a storm and the "Bigger. Smarter. Faster. Meaner" sharks decide to take a bite out of their tormenters.
Warner Brothers has packed this DVD edition of Deep Blue Sea with many special features for the reasonable Suggested Retail Price of $24.99, which means you can definitely buy it for less on and off line. The image is presented in a widescreen 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer that is excellent. The colors are vibrant and the image is super-crisp. I think it looks better than "The Matrix." There is no color bleeding at all and no signs of compression artifacts and video noise. The English 5.1 Soundtrack is extremely atmospheric. You'll feel like the sharks are in your living room when you put this on your sound system. The DVD also has English captions for the hearing impaired.
There are a ton of extras on this Dual Layered DVD. The first and probably most interesting aspect of the supplemental features is a Feature Length Audio Commentary Track with Director Renny Harlin and Actor Samuel L. Jackson. While Jackson gives a pretty light hearted and enjoyable commentary about certain scenes in the film and how he came to be involved in the project, Renny Harlin goes into the deeper mechanics of how the film was produced without getting overly technical. Together, the tracks, which appear to have been taped separately, offer a very entertaining and informative commentary track that compliments the film.
The DVD features two documentaries. One, "When Sharks Attack" is your standard Behind-the-Scenes studio promo made for television and the other is "The Sharks of the Deep Blue Sea," which should not be seen before viewing the feature especially if you have never seen the feature before because of technical and story spoilers. Five deleted scenes transferred from videotape with an optional audio commentary track by Director Renny Harlin are also included. The scenes are all character development scenes and feature no effects though they add some delineation to the characters, but in the end after hearing Harlin's commentary track I can understand why they were cut and think that considering this is really a popcorn action picture, the film is better without the deleted scenes.
Animated interactive menus, the theatrical trailer, and a still gallery round up the DVD Video Extras. There are DVD-ROM features encoded on the DVD as well. The entire Feature Film Web Site with links to Warner Brother's Web Site is included as well as two critical essays on genre films and trailer samplers for Coma, The Matrix, Sphere and Westworld are also included.
I wish they included the Music Video to LL Cool J's song made for the feature because I remember the video being very entertaining and the song is kind of catchy for rap song made for a feature film. Harlin certainly got a lot of mileage out of LL in this feature. I wish they included it on the DVD.
Overall, Deep Blue Sea is fun film and a great DVD that is definitely worth a look.
Mark A. Rivera - A+