“This could be messy”.
I’ve been obsessed with Deep Rising ever since I left the theater that cold January evening in 1998. I was sure we were on the cusp of another great potential franchise, like Soldier or The Faculty.
I was wrong a lot in ’98.
Now it’s decades later and it’s still aging like a fine wine – heck, it’s a bona fide classic despite the relative obscurity. It kind of asks the question: what would Han Solo do in the Aliens franchise? For his answer, Stephen (The Mummy) Sommers managed to combine just the right amounts of humour, horror and action to create an exquisite underwater monster movie.
Sure, some of the digital effects are very 1998, but the performances do an amazing job of drawing attention away from the wet polygons. What was absolutely clear then, as is now, is that the ad wizards had no idea how to market this thing. The key poster art, especially the VHS and DVD box art, has probably done more to dissuade audiences than entice… but make no mistake, this isn’t a cheesy so-bad-it’s-good movie, this is a kick-ass thrill ride that keeps you on edge of your Sea-Doo until the final frame. Haven’t seen it? Take the plunge, it’s a real… Treat.
Great, now ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ is in my head. -Pop