25 Years Later, the ‘90s’ Campiest Action-Packed Sharkfest Still Holds Up Beautifully
Released on July 28, 1999, Deep Blue Sea turned 25 this weekend. While so many shark movies spend their runtimes ripping off Jaws, Deep Blue Sea deserves recognition for very much doing its own thing—even if its own thing is an action-packed camp fest.
Deep Blue Sea became a commercial and (mostly) critical success despite its B movie conventions. The film, directed by Renny Harlin of Die Hard 2 fame, traded the big bad great white shark trope for mako sharks, whose brains had been enhanced during an experiment aimed at curing Alzheimer’s. Yes, the sharks were super geniuses, capable of manipulating the motley crew of scientists into flooding their own research base so they could escape and reach the ocean. On paper, it’s a ridiculous premise that somehow works, thanks largely to the suspenseful action sequences of which there are many.
Deep Blue Sea offers plenty of stupid fun
“You’re never entirely sure whether you’re laughing at or with Deep Blue Sea,” wrote Ian Nathan in his 2000 review for Empire, but that’s precisely why the movie retains a cult following. For the right type of audience, Deep Blue Sea’s over-the-top action, tropey characters, and general ridiculousness are like popcorn with lots and lots of butter. Reaching the same artistic heights as Jaws was never its goal—and thank goodness. LL Cool J’s Preacher traversing his flooded kitchen and screaming, “You ate my bird!” at a smart-shark is just as memorable as Quint sliding into the mouth of the great white in Jaws, albeit for different reasons. Likewise, Samuel Jackson’s on-screen death remains one of the movie’s best and is still sure to shock first-time viewers.
Looking back to the summer of 1999 proves it was a big time for horror and comedy. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me kicked off the season, while classics like Big Daddy and American Pie closely followed. Funny enough, Lack Placid, a crocodile movie with a similar B movie flair and later cult following, premiered just before Deep Blue Sea on July 16, 1999. More serious horror offerings debuted after, with The Blair Witch Project changing the horror landscape and The Sixth Sense shocking audiences everywhere.
It seems Deep Blue Sea hit theaters at just the right time, serving up horror with a side of stupid fun. The Jaws nods are there (the license plate pulled from one of the mako shark’s teeth is the same one extracted from the tiger shark’s belly in Jaws) without wading into the same waters. Beneath its surface, Deep Blue Sea brings its own message about the dangers of playing God. Dismissing it as yet another Jaws knockoff is more than an insult; it’s untrue. Deep Blue Sea is in a category of its own, which is why people are still talking about it 25 years later.
Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com
