On the maiden voyage of the massive cruise ship the Argonautica, guests are partying like there is no tomorrow.
What most of them do not know is that someone is sabotaging the control system, a boatload of mercenaries are headed their way and something massive is rising from the depths toward the hull.
Deep Rising is so much fun. It is not trying to be anything more than an entertaining monster movie.
Right from the beginning, there is a sense of excitement and adventure.
Part of the movie’s charm is what a grab bag of ingredients the movie is. We get a futuristic cruise ship, pirates with hand-held mini-guns and gruesome monsters. And while the tone is light, the movie is not overburdened with lame quips or easy observational lines.
The visual effects for the creature have aged, but Sommers takes his time revealing them - it is a pity that he fell down the rabbit hole of CGI because when he has to rely on traditional filmmaking techniques, there is a real sense of craft to his work.
The film is always moving, and it never feels repetitive - the filmmakers have a lot of fun utilising different parts of the ship for the various set pieces.
The only real issue with the movie is miscasting - Treat Williams is a nice guy. You know him from Everwood and other things you caught at noon on a rainy Sunday. I know he has done darker material, but Williams is so even-keeled he does not read as an action hero.
While he is not detrimental to the movie - the lack of star does make the movie feel like more of an ensemble piece - I could not stop thinking about how this movie would play with Kurt Russell.
Harrison Ford was apparently who they wanted, but this character felt like a water-version of Jack Burton (Big Trouble in Little China). With this movie’s goofy tone, he would feel right at home.
The rest of the cast is ridiculously overly-qualified: among the faces you will recognise are Wes Studi, Famke Janssen, Djimon Hounsou, Cliff Curtis and Jason Flemying. No one seems to be phoning it in, which helps. Most of these people were early in their careers/lower profile so if you have not seen it before, there are some surprises to the sequence of deaths.
Recurring Sommers collaborator Kevin O’Connor is grating as the comic relief - he works better in The Mummy, where he has the benefit of playing a minor antagonist.
I remember watching this movie on TV as a kid and being absolutely terrified. On this viewing, the movie is still really entertaining. The script is an excuse to string deaths together, but it does so with speed, imagination and pilfering from the Jaws book of suspense.
This movie is the best kind of junk food. If you can find it streaming or in a discount bin at a second-hand store, it is worth a watch.
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