Deep Rising (1998)

Overrated

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

This movie is exactly what it looks like; a cheesy b-grade horror-sci-fi film. Where this movie excels is in not taking itself seriously. This is a great popcorn flick with above average acting, dialog and special effects (for a 90s b-grade cheese fest anyway). The bad guys are spectacularly over the top. Treat Williams is a great anti-hero leading man. Kevin J. O'Connor is hilarious in his role of the likable but dorky sidekick.There isn't much more you could ask for in a laugh out loud popcorn flick. Academy fodder this is not, but it's still one of my top 20 or so favorite movies

"Deep Rising" is not meant to be taken the least bit seriously unlike other creature features like the Alien films and Pitch Black (which I very much highly recommend you watch). Instead, Stephen Sommers keeps his tongue firmly tucked in his cheek, leading to a campy cruise most reminiscent of Tremors. If there's at least one thing to credit Deep Rising for, it has the look of a summer blockbuster. The 50 million dollar budget is large (especially for a campy action/horror film) and all the special effects are put to good use. The creature effects are well done and makes for a fun encounter between the survivors and the creature's main body. Rob Bottin, noted for the gory effects in The Thing, succeeds again though the creation in this film may not be as well remembered as some of his other works.The film overall, is very entertaining and the two problems I had with it was that I wish we could've seen the massacre but that leads to my other problem, it was a pretty long movie, but it was awesome non the less. The Director (Stephan Sommers) really shows how he wants the humor to balance with the horrors that definitely shows just as much in "The Mummy 1 & 2" and "Van Helsing"! Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

Stephen Sommers's Deep Rising is some of the most fun you'll have watching an overblown action horror spectacle, if that's your type of thing. It plays the slimy underwater alien formula to the hilt, an epic and very funny gory swashbuckler that is sadly very underrated and not too talked about these days. It's ridiculously watchable, insanely gory and punctuated by one liners and quips that work so well in the flippant context of the script. The story concerns a band of nasty sea pirates who plan to hijack the world's largest ocean liner cruise ship, and all the riches on board. They arrive to find the vessel empty of any passengers, and full of something they'll wish they never came across. A massive and very icky underwater predator has eaten everyone on board and now has turned its attention to the newcomers. They are picked off one by one in deliciously grotesque kills that show director Sommers in his little seen R rated mode. Treat Williams is a hoot as John Finnegan, a sort of cross between Indiana Jones and Bruce Campbell, a soldier of fortune and adventurer with a vernacular chock full of wiseass quotes and idioms that tickle the funny bone no end. He's got a sidekick named Joey Pantucci (Kevin J. O Connor slays it) and a girlfriend named Trillian St. James (isn't that the best name ever?) played by Famke Janssen in a fierce, sexy and capable turn as the chick with the gun that everyone loves. The trio make the film dizzyingly entertaining and you find yourself wishing you could hang out with them longer once it's over. There's a snivelling villain played by the always smarmy Anthony Heald, and the ragtag group of pirates are brought to life by distinct personalities such as Jason Flemyng, Cliff Curtis, Clifton Powell, Djimon Hounsou and the great Wes Studi. Sommers is a seriously underrated director. He spins loving odes to the adventure films of Old Hollywood with passion, wonder and the spark of imagination in spades. And what does he get? Critically and commercially spat on, time and time again, with some of his films not even getting a proper release (don't get me started on the masterpiece that is Odd Thomas). Hollywood and the masses don't deserve him and his toiling, thankless work, and yet he soldiers on. What a guy, and what a stellar filmmaker. This ones a testament, a rollicking, bloody piece of creature feature bliss that never fails to knock my socks right the hell off.Now What?!

Deep Rising (1998): Dir: Stephen Sommers / Cast: Famke Janssen, Treat Williams, Anthony Heald, Djimon Hounsou, Kevin J. O'Connor: The title sounds like a description of a plugged toilet. Plot regards a hijacking of a ship only to discover blood and bones. Then a creature makes lunch out of people who have no personalities. It is unconceivable that this creature can lock doors. If that is the case then perhaps they should have trained it to write a better screenplay. Director Stephen Sommers handles the action well enough but he seems at odds at finding a screenwriter who can do something beyond third grade level intelligence. He previously made Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book and The Adventures of Huck Finn among others. The special effects are about the only area of compliment and seems to be the only area of ambition. Famke Janssen is the heroine and the role does her no justice. Treat Williams makes close calls but unfortunately none of them involve calling his agent to verify that this is a joke. Anthony Heald and Djimon Hounsou also appear and are hopefully not proud to have this on their resume. Not much point other than to present the umpteenth Alien ripoff. Characters are unsympathetic especially when hiding in washrooms and getting sucked down the toilet. The film should be flushed down too but for all its worth it would probably plug it. Score: 2 / 10