Classic Movie Review: Deep Blue Sea (1999)

When you think of a classic shark movie, Jaws is the one that jumps to most people's minds. But in the late 90s along came this updated horror flick that took the idea of shark horror to a whole new level. It's one thing to have a 25-foot Great White terrorise some townspeople, but the threat of three genetically engineered supersharks getting out and terrorising the whole world is a lot more terrifying. And while these sharks may not benefit from the dodgy 90s CGI or budget Waterworld setting, they certainly didn't hurt the reputation of shark movies (no, that was something that Sharknado did expertly).

Set off the coast of California on the aquatic base Aquatica (clever), this horror movie follows a skeleton crew of scientists and others led by Dr. Susan McAlestar (Saffron Burrows) and Jim Whitlock (Stellan Skårsgard) who are experimenting with the brain tissue of sharks. They have genetically engineered three Mako sharks who have grown to massive size in an attempt to extract some of restorative brain tissue to help with human brain diseases such as Alzheimer's. But the company funding the experiment are skeptical and send along Russell Franklin (Samuel L. Jackson) to check on the science and safety of the experiments. But it suddenly goes horribly wrong when the sharks are discovered to have a high intelligence and fight back. Luckily shark wrangler Carter Blake (Thomas Jane) is more than capable of leading the crew to safety.

First and foremost, Deep Blue Sea is chock full of references to Jaws, but not in a jokey way. Rather it is extremely reverential to that movie and is almost admitted to never reach the heights of that film. This definitely takes the pressure off of it to try and achieve that greatness. Some of these references include a tiger shark that is identical to the one that is mistakenly caught at the beginning of Jaws and has the same licence plate caught in its mouth. Also the three sharks are killed in identical ways to the first three Jaws movies, but in reverse order (they didn't count Jaws: The Revenge because that would be just silly). These are incineration, electrocution and of course blowing up, which everyone should at least know.

Not pictured: you know, a shark

But it's not just sharks that get killed in creative ways. Admittedly there aren't too many variations for a shark to kill a person, but this movie endeavours at least to try. Stellan Skårsgard is the first to go and has it the roughest, first having his arm bitten off, then pulled under the water and then smashed against an underwater plate glass window. That's a bit of a lousy explanation, but here's him getting his arm bitten off (that comes with a huge NSFW warning). Others include Samuel L. Jackson getting cut off during his rousing survival speech and a fantastic moment of un-Hollywoodness when the female lead gets eviscerated. Okay perhaps I'm making this film out to be way more gory than it is. By today's standards it's incredibly tame, with plenty of that late 90s/early 2000's action that seems so satisfying. Like diving and sliding along hard surfaces. It's never made sense to me, but my god nearly every character does it in this movie.

Deep Blue Sea is an essential viewing for anyone really, just as much as Jaws is. It's a serious and well handled horror flick, that while it may not have aged as well as the aforementioned classic (it has plenty of laugh out loud moments), it's a huge step above whatever shark movies they're making today. After rewatching it, there is definitely room for an unrelated prequel about Sam Jackson's character and his survival of an avalanche.

Bad Neighbours 2

A logical sequel to the original, Bad Neighbours 2 looks to spice up its comedy classification with touches of feminist commentary and character development (for those returning from Bad Neighbours). Despite not fully achieving this attempted depth, the film feels comfortable enough as a comedy and as a sequel, while still bringing something new to the table.

Bad Neighbours 2 sees Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) attempting to sell their family home a few years after the events of the first movie, when a sorority led by the likeable Shelby (Chloë Grace Moretz) moves into the old frat house next door. Teddy (Zac Efron), who seems to be stuck in the past while his old frat brothers pass him by, floats between both sides amidst a "quarter-life crisis" to create a more dynamic plot, while the Kappa Nu sorority attempts to work outside the normal parameters of frat and sorority life and empower their members.

It's apparent from the start that the film is attempting to mirror the successes of the original while still differing enough to not be seen as a carbon copy, and although the writers weave in moments of uniqueness and difference, the overall plot remains much of the same. Despite the linear feeling to the plot for anyone who has seen the first film in the franchise, the back-and-forth between the sorority and the "old people" (as the sorority coined them) feels fresh enough, with new hijinks and disruption strategies spanning further than just the confines of their two houses. The comedy is as unpredictable and quirky as the first film's, with snazzy one-liners effectively catching the audience off guard multiple times and hilarious action sequences playing on the success of the physical comedy in the original. The film also effectively calls back prominent aspects from its predecessor without feeling forced, including Mac and Kelly's awful attempts at being intimate and the frat's notorious 'airbags' prank, as well as appearances from characters such as Lisa Kudrow's unorthodox Dean Carol and Dave Franco's 'grown-up' Pete Regazolli.

Despite being an overall pleasant comedy experience, the film does have a few discouraging qualities which perhaps take it out of the realm of 'quality filmmaking'. The film has some rather dull portions, with some dialogue feeling forced and cringe-worthy at times, as well as some unnecessary and over-the-top plot inclusions, leading to an unconvincing green screen and an unneeded (and repeated) minions cameo. The film's attempts at portraying more serious issues such as the empowering of women, the struggles of parenting and Teddy's post-college depression ultimately fall short, briefly touching on the issues and making them feel natural to the plot but failing to develop them to an effective extent.

Although sections of dialogue felt slightly forced and unnatural, acting was generally solid across the board, with each of the main cast impressing with their comedic quips and portrayal of character growth. The general production of the film seems sound as well, with director Nicholas Stoller returning with a similar style to the original to make the sequel feel recognizable and comfortable for viewers. The constant use of dynamic shots creates a live feeling to the viewing experience, with fitting uses of hyphy music adding to the party vibe of the film. 

Sequels to comedies are always difficult, and despite following a similar plot to the original, Bad Neighbours 2 still manages to surprise and entertain as it attempts to incorporate some freshness and depth into its hilarious story. Fans of the original will not be disappointed.