Gliding monsters and talking birds: ‘Deep Blue Sea’ continues to please audiences 25 years later

Those of us who are horror-loving about sharks generally accept Jaws as the unrivaled king.

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 classic not only perfects the art of underwater suspense, it deftly blends deep-sea adventure, family drama, and genuine terror. But Spielberg’s masterpiece fails to answer one obvious question: What if sharks were super-intelligent? That’s the basic premise of Renny Harlin 1999 film Deep blue seaa crowd-pleasing shark exploitation film that succeeds by fully committing to its outrageous side. The story follows the crew of Aquatica, a doomed ocean research facility, torn apart by three massive – and extremely intelligent – mako sharks. With all the trappings of ’90s slasher fun, the film fuses Jaws and Spielberg’s other classic about man versus nature Jurassic Park for an aquatic horror blockbuster that ages like a fine blood-red wine spilling into the ocean.

Harlin’s story begins with a near-death experience. Two attractive couples are making out on a catamaran when a large object knocks them off the deck. Moments before giant jaws tear them to shreds, a savior appears with a harpoon gun. Carter Blake (Thomas Jane) is a shark hunter from the nearby Aquatica facility who is tasked with retrieving one of the escaped test subjects. The facility’s mastermind, Dr. Susan McAlester (The burrows of saffron), has dedicated his life to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and genetically modified three mako sharks. Along with the brilliant but cavalier Jim Whitlock (Stellan Skarsgard), she increased the size of their brains in order to extract a chemical that could trigger cellular regeneration in human patients. Unfortunately, this controversial program has an unpleasant side effect: the sharks are now extremely intelligent and have begun conspiring to escape. When a high-stakes event goes awry, the makos begin systematically taking down Aquatica in hopes of killing their captors and escaping into the (wink) deep blue sea.

If you think this premise sounds ridiculous, you’re not alone. But Harlin backs up this pseudoscience with three killer beasts. Brought to life through a mix of CGI, animatronics, and real shark footage, these “gliding monsters” prowl the flooded corridors with stealthy silence and a ferocious bite. Harlin leans into the villainy fully by giving these fish the ability to hunt in packs as well as a cannibalistic taste for the flesh of other sharks. Like Spielberg’s iconic raptors, they set their sights on overconfident humans and herd them into the rapidly flooding corridors. This predatory trio uses their 8,000-pound bodies to slam metal doors and soar out of the water to kill unsuspecting victims. While admittedly absurd, the suspension of belief is completely normal. How does a 43-foot mako swim through a crowded kitchen? Who cares! We’re totally on board for the shark-exploiting fun.

Harlin introduces his killers through their brutality and size. An early scene shows Carter swimming with a deadly tiger shark that later becomes an on-screen meal. Like Jason decimating a biker gang, these cannibalistic killers quickly demolish a species that rivals the great white shark for the ocean’s greatest threat. To harvest the serum, Susan created two 26-foot Generation 1 sharks that themselves spawned the 43-foot Generation 2. These creatures stalk Carter through a series of reinforced underwater tunnels and nearly manage to breach the walls. With a bit of death-defying trickery, the skilled swimmer tranquilizes a Generation 1 shark and guides it to an observation deck. Standing next to the gigantic fish, he watches and soothes as Susan inserts a three-foot needle into its brain. Far from Spielberg’s dysfunctional Bruce, this animatronic creature feels terrifyingly real.

In addition to these surprisingly realistic cartilaginous villains, Deep blue sea The film benefits from an exceptional cast. Jane is charming in her role as a revelation and accompanies us throughout the second half of the film. Burrows is convincing as a Frankenstein-esque anti-heroine who brings death to her friends in a misconceived attempt to play God. However, compared to Skarsgård’s delightfully reckless and nihilistic Jim, she seems almost heroic in her noble quest to cure a degenerative brain disease. Michael Rapaport And Aida Turturro add some spark to the whole thing, but it’s LL Cool J who provides the fire. As an alcoholic former reverend turned chef nicknamed “Preacher,” he warms the film with astute observations, altered scripts and a joke-making parrot simply called Bird. It’s hard to talk about Deep blue sea in a crowd without someone reciting “You Ate My Bird” or launching into a rendition of his beloved single “Deepest Bluest” and then claiming that, yes, his hat does indeed look like a shark fin.

Samuel L Jackson The film centers on billionaire do-gooder Russell Franklin. Initially dismissed as a clueless “suit,” he quickly emerges as the voice of reason, using knowledge gained from a previous disaster to rally the frightened survivors. His reassuring presence and commanding charisma lead to a shocking exchange of blows and one of the best cinematic deaths in horror history. After delivering a fiery pep talk laced with Donner Party lore, Franklin stands next to the wreckage of the facility’s submersible. As he orders them to close the open pool, a shark leaps out of the water and bites him in half. The watery opening immediately fills with blood, and we watch as the two Gen 1s devour his limbs. This brutal attack hits like lightning and sets a horrifying tone for the second half of the film. Not only can any of these characters die, but sharks can still pull you out of the water.

An earlier sequence shows the thunderous nature of their devious plan and sets off the death spiral of this “floating Alcatraz.” While celebrating a successful demonstration, Jim gets too close and falls into the jaws of the seemingly sleeping shark. Without an arm, the hemorrhaging scientist soon finds himself strapped to a stretcher suspended from an unstable medevac helicopter in the middle of a raging storm. Although the frantic pilots try to hoist him aboard, he quickly crashes into the mako enclosure. In a clever nod to Jawswe see the cord being pulled from the depths, dragging the helicopter towards Aquatica’s tower in a massive explosion that will burn all night. Back in the lab, the shocked team watches in horror as a ghostly object approaches the observation window. Gen 2 throws Jim and Gurney into the reinforced glass that slowly begins to shatter and crack. They rush out of the room as a wall of water pours through the shattered portal. Filmed with the same tanks used for TitanicThe stakes of this scene seem incredibly high. As the icy water pours in, we fear that the frightened members of this motley crew are minutes away from being swept out to sea.

With Aquatica in ruins, there’s little separating the humans from the sharks. The submerged corridors provide a landing strip for these apex predators, and the fractured team must race to the surface before the facility sinks to the bottom of the ocean. Multiple makos provide plenty of opportunities for shark showdowns, each more thrilling than the last. Humans are torn apart, sharks are burned, and blood fills the water until only three humans remain to face the massive Gen 2. In an explosive finale, Susan sacrifices herself to stop the demonic beast from breaking through the outer gates. (The conflicted doctor was originally supposed to survive and end the film by sharing a bizarre kiss with the heroic Carter, but test audiences would have demanded accountability for his destructive arrogance.) With the help of a harpoon from a wounded preacher, the heroic shark trainer manages to outswim the manic fish, who escapes moments before being blown to bits. Our final two boys crack exhausted jokes as they collapse on floating rubble as ’90s rap music swells and a rescue boat approaches.

With fast-paced action, a frantic pace and a likable cast, Harlin manages to pull off this ridiculous plot. We forget the flimsy science and illogical plan and are treated to a series of increasingly bloody underwater murders. Rather than a tired film Jaws to scam, Deep blue sea It feels like a culmination of the era’s best horror films. With three times the shark hazards (four if you count that tasty tiger) and a facility to destroy, it’s a delicious blend of ’90s meta-slasher gore, sci-fi isolation, aquatic adventure, and creature fun. IMDb currently ranks it as the best shark movie of all time, and it’s possible that in 25 years, this glorious shark science extravaganza will overtake Spielberg’s juggernaut to become the master of the cinematic seas.