{"id":30829,"date":"2025-03-12T15:11:39","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T22:11:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=30829"},"modified":"2025-03-12T15:11:39","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T22:11:39","slug":"blasts-from-the-past-4k-ultra-hd-review-deep-blue-sea-1999","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=30829","title":{"rendered":"Blasts from the Past! 4K Ultra HD Review: DEEP BLUE SEA (1999)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This Arrow Video 4K Ultra HD \u201cLimited Edition\u201d and Blu-ray\n\u201cLimited Edition\u201d will be available for purchase on March 18th<\/sup>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Of course, when anyone is asked about their favorite killer\nshark movies, the title that immediately jumps to everyone\u2019s mind is Jaws<\/em>.\nThe Steven Spielberg title is a classic and, for many, even considered one of\nthe best American films ever made. The feature has spawned all sorts of imitators\nover the past 50 years, very few of which managed to make a lasting impression.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the rare exceptions is Deep Blue Sea<\/em>. The\nmovie, produced by Warner Bros. on a healthy budget and directed by action film\nveteran Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, Cutthroat Island, The Long\nKiss Goodnight<\/em>), arrived on cinema screens at the end of the 1999 summer\nseason. I went see it at theaters and had a blast, especially as it included a few\nmemorable moments that garnered a massive reaction from the audience. Critical\nreception for the film was mixed, but as the years have passed, even more have\ncome aboard to admit that the final product delivers thrills, excitement and a\nunique twist on the killer shark feature. In fact, most now consider it the\nsecond-best shark movie after Jaws<\/em> (and maybe its first sequel). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrow Video is now releasing a 4K Ultra HD \u201cLimited Edition\u201d\ndisc (as well as a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray) containing a 4K picture\nrestoration from the original camera negative approved by director Harlin. I\nhave the Warner Bros. Blu-ray of this title and can confirm an uptick in quality\nwith this 4K presentation. While the original Blu-ray of the film was fine it its\nday, there is a sharpness to this new transfer that is immediately noticeable. In\nmany shots on the old Blu-ray, the actor\u2019s faces are softer and detail isn\u2019t nearly\nas clear. This new version is another great upgrade that will please anyone who\nenjoys the movie. Please note that the images in this review are press photos and\ndon\u2019t accurately represent how great the movie looks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For those who need a refresher, the story begins with obsessed\nscientist Dr. Susan McCallister (Saffron Burrows) conducting experiments on mako\nsharks to find a cure for Alzheimer\u2019s disease. She believes using a protein complex\nfrom the brain of the mammals will reverse the effects of the condition. Aiding\nher at a remote underwater facility is her scientific team (Stellan Skarsgard,\nJacqueline McKenzie) as well as shark wrangler Carter Blake (Thomas Jane),\nengineer Tom Scoggins (Michael Rappaport), tower operator Brenda Kerns (Aida\nTurturro) and cook Sherman \u201cPreacher\u201d Dudley (LL Cool J). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When wealthy investor Russell Franklin (Samuel L. Jackson) arrives\nready to shut the project down if results aren\u2019t shown, it becomes clear that McCallister\nhas been rushing and conducting illegal experiments to get proof of her thesis.\nThis includes the engineering of three genetically enhanced \u201csmart\u201d sharks.\nAfter a tragic accident floods the facility, the escaped ocean predators go on\nthe rampage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yes, it\u2019s all a bit silly as the brainy fishes turn the\ntables on the humans and pick them off one by one, but boy is it a lot of fun\nto watch. The excellent cast help sell the material, the effects (in\nparticularly, the animatronic sharks used in close contact with the characters)\nand action scenes are expertly shot and put-together. Sequences involving the leads\nbeing hunted and attacked through flooded passageways, kitchens and other\nenvironments are exciting and frequently climax in a memorable fashion. This is\nbecause the script often twists expectations. Most bits end with a big laugh or\nan unexpected shock. It\u2019s an exceptional action film that makes the most of its\nconcept. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This release comes with all of the great material from\nprevious releases, as well as some new, fantastic bonuses. As far as the older\nmaterial goes, there\u2019s a super commentary from Renny Harlin and Samuel L.\nJackson. They talk about what drew them to the screenplay. Harlin was excited\nto make the movie, but concerned about inevitable comparisons to Jaws<\/em>. After\nthinking about it, he realized that the scientifically enhanced sharks and recent\nfilmmaking advances allowed for different approaches and new ways to deliver\naction to viewers. Jackson notes that the script he received featured two kitchen\ncooks. He was more interested in the businessman and adventurer and Harlin\nagreed. Those who have seen the movie know of the character\u2019s memorable fate, which\nalso made the role memorable. Overall, it\u2019s an enjoyable track that goes into\nthe difficulties in shooting a story based in and around water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is also an archival making-of featurette on the\nproduction, deleted scenes with optional commentary from Harlin and tons of\npublicity materials. The scenes that were edited out offer more character-building\nmoments and extended conversations between character that the director felt\nwere unnecessary or could be trimmed down for pacing, and, while interesting,\nhe was right to do so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The new features are also enjoyable. There is a new film commentary from shark movie authority Rebekah McKendry who explains her love of the feature (and subgenre in general) and all of the fun new elements this title presented. It\u2019s an adoring track but a diverting one that presents solid arguments on how this picture tops other shark and similarly-themed movies of its era (like the Shark Attack<\/em> series, Open Water<\/em> and 1999 killer alligator film Lake Placid<\/em>). She also laments that this turn of animal attack movies quickly vanished and that shark pictures wouldn\u2019t make a major cinematic comeback until The Shallows<\/em> in 2016 and 2018\u2019s The Meg<\/em>. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, this release comes with an interview with production\ndesigner William Sandell, who talks about his career in Hollywood, doing the\nart direction for movies like Robocop<\/em> and Total Recall<\/em>, and how\nhe ended up working on Deep Blue Sea<\/em>. Apparently, there was an issue\nwith the original person hired for the job (who couldn\u2019t meet deadlines).\nSandell details arriving on set in Mexico, inspiring the crew, adding some\nideas and helping them to complete the job in time for shooting. He is another great\nstoryteller, who gives a great sense of all the elements required in creating new\nworld for various films. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There is also a visual essay on the movie that is actually a\nlittle more negative than one would expect. The speaker complains about a\nchange to the original ending in which the fate of the McCallister character is\ndifferent. They hint at a misogynist tone, noting the scientist\u2019s end, the cook\u2019s\nreligious beliefs, as well as making references to the facility\u2019s \u201cwomblike\u201d\nunderground. I had no idea a small section of viewers took issue with these\nelements and it comes across as a bit of a stretch, but the point-of-view is\nintriguing to hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The major highlight of new material is the commentary track by\nscreenwriter Duncan Kennedy. It\u2019s one of the better commentaries this reviewer\nhas heard in quite a while. The Australian goes into fantastic detail about writing\nin the film and in the process gives the practical reasons behind changes to\nthe script, which address most of the criticisms levied at the movie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He talks about his interest in sharks, which began at a young\nage after seeing the results of a shark attack at a beach and suffering\nnightmares for years afterward (some of which were incorporated into this tale).\nHe came to admire the animals and study as much as he could about them. As a\nyoung movie set dresser in his 20s, he decided to write a shark-related script,\nwhich became part of a bidding war and was sold quickly. He mentions that he\ndid seven rewrites before others were brought in to add their ideas. Kennedy\nsays that this was all fine, and the producer continued to send him drafts and\nask for input throughout. He was even invited and came to the set to witness\nsome of the shooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kennedy is pretty blunt and honest about his work, and\nprovides enlightening details. Essentially, he states his original draft was\ndense and simply had too much in it. Too many characters, too many subplots and,\nin the process of streamlining, characters were merged and elements were\ndropped. Many expensive outdoor scenes were also moved inside to help lower production\ncosts and create a sense of claustrophobia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As written, the villain of the piece was a one-note mad\nscientist who died early, and the writer was asked to combine this male\ncharacter with the main love interest in order to extend the role and give the antagonist\nsome human traits. McCallister admits that as a result the potential romance\nintroduced doesn\u2019t go anywhere (which McKendry from the other commentary track actually\nenjoys about the movie).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While McCallister did survive as the final script went into\nproduction, the writer understands the changes at the end. While more positive\ntraits were added to the part, the character was still committing illegal acts,\nbreaking moral and ethical rules of science, threatening others on the job and causing\nthe deaths of those around her. A last-minute change was too late in the game for\naudiences to change views, and so the shark was made to hand out justice to its\nDr. Frankenstein-esque maker and notes that problems with this aspect are\nlikely due to his inexperience as a writer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kennedy also mentions the popularity of the cook Sherman \u201cPreacher\u201d\nDudley and comments that the part was simply an homage to Gene Hackman\u2019s heroic\nno-nonsense preacher in The Poseidon Adventure<\/em>, a disaster movie he enjoyed\nas a kid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The writer goes through the full process of creating the script\nand how it evolved, also complimenting director Harlin for shooting the shark\naction in exceptional ways. He also points out some of the humor in the\nbackground of the movie (now clearly visible with the new transfer), including\nthe many funny Finnish references made by the Riihim\u00e4ki-borndirector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another great bit of trivia… the writer was obviously a\nfan of the Jaws<\/em> series and the deaths of the mako sharks in Deep Blue\nSea<\/em> actually mirror the ends of the killer fish in the franchise\u2019s first three\nfilms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While changes were made to what he originally conceived, Kennedy\nthinks many alterations helped the picture and is happy with the final product.\nHe\u2019s pleased that it did well and still has a large following 25 years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Those who pick up either of these \u201cLimited Editions\u201d will\nalso receive a 60-page book containing new writing on the picture by multiple\ncritics, previously unseen production art and designs. A double-sided fold-out\nposter with original and newly commissioned artwork is also in the package, as\nwell as postcards with images from the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I still greatly enjoy Deep Blue Sea<\/em> as a fantastic\npiece of adventure cinema with memorable characters, some thrilling action, a\nfew unexpected twists and a couple of \u201cwow\u201d moments that still hold up today.\nIt\u2019s entertainment with a capital \u201cE\u201d and I agree that it is the best killer\nshark movie without the word Jaws<\/em> in the title. The Arrow Video \u201cLimited\nEdition\u201d 4K Ultra HD set offers a wonderful picture upgrade with amazing extras\nthat will thrill anyone who is a fan of the movie. This is another phenomenal\nrelease. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This Arrow Video 4K Ultra HD \u201cLimited Edition\u201d and Blu-ray \u201cLimited Edition\u201d will be available for purchase on March 18th. Of course, when anyone is asked about their favorite killer shark movies, the title that immediately jumps to everyone\u2019s mind is Jaws. The Steven Spielberg title is a classic and, for many, even considered one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":30833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[135,300,697,785,1836,2933,2950,5616,5619,5620,5621,5622,9319,10158,11723,12552,12866,17519,17850,18162,19014,22775,22825,23989],"class_list":["post-30829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dvdblu-ray-reviews","tag-135","tag-4k-ultra-hd","tag-action","tag-adventure","tag-arrow-video","tag-blasts-from-the-past-2","tag-blasts-from-the-past-deep-blue-sea-review","tag-deep-blue-sea","tag-deep-blue-sea-4k-review","tag-deep-blue-sea-4k-ultra-hd","tag-deep-blue-sea-4k-ultra-hd-review","tag-deep-blue-sea-disc-review","tag-horror","tag-jacqueline-mckenzie","tag-killer-shark","tag-ll-cool-j","tag-mad-scientists","tag-saffron-burrows","tag-sea","tag-shark","tag-stellan-skarsgard-2","tag-thomas-jane","tag-thriller","tag-warner-bros"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30829"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30829\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}