Deep Blue Sea 2

With the relatively recent release of The Meg, featuring a hulking prehistoric megalodon which wreaks havoc in the oceanic waters, I thought I'd check out another shark movie served up nicely to our shores. Deep Blue Sea was a "guilty pleasure" of mine when it came out back in 1999. Though some suspension of disbelief was necessary, the exciting action set-pieces combined with our vicious on-screen predators, was enough to satisfy the inner child in me and have a rip-roaring good old time with it. So, when I got word of the second movie soon to be debuting, one part of me was exploding with joyful anticipation whilst the other was more tacitly reserved and nervous at the possible outcome. Still, after all this time, I finally had a chance to check it out last night and can now give you my thoughts as to if it offered up any justice to my personal much beloved previous entry in the franchise.

A young shark conservationist, Dr. Misty Calhoun (played by Danielle Savre) embarks on a visit to a research centre located in the middle of the sea, headed by up Dr. Carl Durant (played by Michael Beach). Being a billionaire, he is able to fund the project, which involves extracting anti-bodies from bull sharks with a view to discovering cures for a wide range of human ailments. However, shortly after her arrival, his real and rather sinister ulterior motives are revealed. Namely, to use test serums on the sharks to increase intelligence and transform them into even more of a lethal underwater killing machine. And to make matters worse, the main shark in question is carrying a litter of 20 angry and deadly shark pups inside her. In the same vein as the first movie, things quickly go very wrong for our team as a significant part of the research facility collapses for reasons unknown, trapping our protagonists in the depths with a dangerous, impregnated shark and leading to the fight of their lives to escape back to the surface once more.

Now, where do I start. Firstly, the budget. It will take most people all of a few minutes to realise that this production was made on a shoestring. The special effect of the sharks, are anything but "special". They look more akin to something you'd find in a PS2 console game. A machine that was released almost two decades ago. So, I knew I was in for trouble from the get go. Next, the acting. As wooden and emotionless as you can get. I honestly don't know what was more horrifying. The shark CGI or the quality of the cast. In fact, that was where the movie's true terror lay. Over the top, exaggerated dialogue from one scene to the next. It was an unholy travesty and one that sunk to lows I could not have expected. I can't recall a time in recent memory where I was so close to switching a movie off midway. But power through it, I did. The plot is basically a rehash of the old movie, albeit done worse in every conceivable way possible. Having watched the original, you will recognise at an instant, what the production crew are trying to do. And how bad they are failing at it. Another element of this movie is one that truly made my stomach churn. The predatory infant sharks. This movie is based almost solely around these little critters, cited as being the main threat. They out-think our dumb protagonists at every turn and their presence is made known on-screen by simply a few bubbles spouting out from the water beneath. Ridiculous, mind-numbing and cringe-worthy, were just some of my thoughts whilst being subjected to this monstrosity.

Well, you gotta take the good with the bad. Not every film review is going to hit home and this title is as close to the bottom of the barrel as you can get. One of the worst movies I've ever seen, and I don't make such sweeping statements on a whim. Is there any good to be taken away after viewing Deep Blue Sea 2? In a word, "no". The absolute epitome of dreadful, avoid this thing like the plague. Only for my love of the first movie, did I take a gamble on this one. Now, I wonder if a re-watch of the original, will remove the after-taste of this abhorrent sludge. I damn well hope so...

Hope you enjoyed this post, please look out for more on the way... (author: @ezzy)