Leofwine_draca
DEEP RISING is a generic, clichéd, roller-coaster ride of a monster, mish-mashing such films as DIE HARD, SPEED 2, and of course (for this genre) the inevitable ALIENS. It's got a wafer-thin plot, and the characters are given little to do except interact with the special effects of the monsters. When the monsters aren't around, the film gets pretty boring. But despite all of this, I still found DEEP RISING to be a greatly entertaining film. While it's a little sad to see the apparent dumbing-down of cinema values, the fact remains that big tentacled monster creatures will generate audiences, so that's why films like this come out every couple of years or so. They don't break any new ground, they're not even original, but they're fun. Popcorn movies, if you like.I like the straightforwardness of the film in that you know what you're going to get in terms of special effects. That's right, a big CGI tentacled, scaly, slimy monster. There are no shocks there. But what is shocking is that the effects are actually good. That's right, they're good. Most of the effects in recent films look far too fluid and unrealistic because of their computer origins, but DEEP RISING mainly bypasses these flaws (hopefully a sign of things to come) and gives us something special.While the scenes of tentacles chasing down corridors do look pretty fake, I would say 60% of the special effects on offer are realistic (if you're a generous viewer like me). The highlight of the film is an encounter with the big brain creature, a huge octopus-like thing with white eyes and lots and lots of teeth. Very exciting and nice to look at. However, there are lots of other good effects scenes, from tentacles crushing helpless victims to a surprisingly gory moment when a half-digested man pleads for help.The rest of the film is taken up with people shooting, things exploding and survivors running around flooded corridors. It doesn't take much to please me, so I was happy. The acting is all pretty much average, from Treat Williams as the unlikely hero to Famke Janssen as the heroine, and it's definitely nothing to write home about. It's not really the acting that's important, though, it's the monster and for a change it's excellent. If you're looking for good, light-hearted scenes of excitement, horror, and action, then you can't go wrong with DEEP RISING.
SnoopyStyle
Mercenaries led by Hanover (Wes Studi) hire John Finnegan (Treat Williams)'s boat whose motto is "When the cash is there, we do not care." Finnegan finds out that they're carrying torpedoes and they are tracking a luxury liner. The cruise ship Argonautica is on her maiden voyage which is owned by Simon Canton (Anthony Heald). Trillian (Famke Janssen) is a thief looking to make a score. The ship is attacked by some unknown force from below. By the time Hanover and his men board the ship, it seems to be empty with blood everywhere.It's a monster movie. The problem is that I don't care about most of these characters so I couldn't care less when one of them bites it. It's got some monster fun and shoot them up fun. It's a slick bigger budget action monster B-movie. However, it all feels a little pointless.
Python Hyena
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
