All the way up to the late 1990s, there had not yet been a satisfactory successor to Jaws, Steven Spielberg’s iconic 1975 blockbuster hit about a marine biologist and shark hunter taking down a man-eating great white shark. In walks Renny Harlin’s classic Deep Blue Sea, a film about a team of scientists who fight to survive when a group of genetically engineered sharks (used for research in fighting Alzheimer’s disease) go rogue and target the crew for dinner. Deep Blue Sea could be called a classic for many reasons: its thrilling action sequences (even for the ‘90s); its dynamic cast (Samuel L. Jackson, Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, and LL Cool J rounding out the players here); Trevor Rabin’s memorable, thrilling theme song; and one of the most iconic, surprising death scenes in the history of cinema. Seen as a comeback box office success for Harlin (by this point in 1999, Harlin had not made a commercially successful film since Cliffhanger in 1993), Deep Blue Sea is a memorable B-movie thriller that spawned two sequels and preaches on its tagline promise that its antagonist(s) are “Bigger. Smarter. Faster. Meaner” than its iconic, spiritual predecessor.
As is the case with ‘90s thrillers, Deep Blue Sea has the usual suspects with its group of characters: there’s the headstrong, beautiful heroine (Saffron Burrows as Dr. Susan McCallister); the uptight corporate head with a mysterious past (Samuel L. Jackson as Russell Franklin); the shark wrangler bad boy who’s a bit rough around the edges (Thomas Jane as Carter Blake); and the wisecracking, God-fearing chef who is used for comedic effect (LL Cool J as Sherman “Preacher” Dudley). With its 105-minute runtime, the shark attacks don’t go into effect until 30 minutes or so into the film. After a gory “arm ripped-off” scene paired with an awe-inspiring helicopter crash not too long after, the action rolls in, classic Harlin-style.
DEEP BLUE SEA packshot. Photo Courtesy of ARROW Video/MVD Entertament Group.
With that being said, Deep Blue Sea may be an action-packed B-movie but it’s not necessarily dumb fun, like The Meg (2018) for example. There’s a palpable storyline here and the purpose for which these sharks are “smarter and faster” directly correlates to the character development of Dr. McCallister, a woman who is driven to cure Alzheimer’s, no matter the cost. An intriguingly flawed protagonist such as this is what gives the film its differentiating soul and puts it a notch above being just a B-movie. In addition to the action-packed sequences, there is definitely room left for humor with most of the film’s great one-liners being stolen by rap legend himself LL Cool J (S.W.A.T.). His performance as “Preacher” is both a witty and charming one, he steals any moment he’s on screen, and he’s definitely one of the characters you would riot for if he dies. Humor and action aside, Deep Blue Sea is not without its eyeroll moments. One in particular is a scene where a female character strips down to her bra and panties (so she won’t get … hurt … or something?) as she grabs an electrical cord and shocks a shark to death. The end result — a shark swimming around in panic while being baked — is cool to see, but the “sex sells” moment preceding it is exasperating. Then again, this is a film from the late ‘90s, so … par the course for that time.
When it comes to direction, the man who has given us Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, and The Long Kiss Goodnight does not disappoint. A director known to focus on the spectacle and not too much else, Harlin keeps all the action on screen and does not leave too much filler for the film’s runtime. As some of the computer-generated effects may look a bit dated (even in the film’s updated 4K presentation), the kills, both human and fish, are still entertaining and thrilling. Its tense climactic showdown looks perfect in 4K with blown red bits of shark being flung all over the screen in bloody glory.
The B-movie heir apparent to Jaws, Deep Blue Sea is given the updated 4K glow up it deserves by Arrow Video, approved by director Harlin himself. The featurettes are pretty stacked here. We have two archived featurettes, deleted scenes with optional commentary by Harlin, an archived audio commentary with Renny Harlin and Samuel L. Jackson, two new commentaries with the film’s screenwriter Duncan Kennedy and filmmaker/critic Rebekah McKendry, and a visual essay by film critic Trace Thurman. For lovers of shark thrillers or aqua thrillers, this is definitely a must-have.
Deep Blue Sea Blu-Ray Special Features:
- *NEW* Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negatives by Arrow Films approved by director Renny Harlin
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
- Original DTS HD-MA 5.1 and Dolby Atmos audio options
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- *NEW* Brand new audio commentary by screenwriter Duncan Kennedy
- *NEW* Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and critic Rebekah McKendry
- Archive audio commentary by director Renny Harlin and star Samuel L. Jackson
- *NEW* From the Frying Pan… into the Studio Tank, a new interview with production designer William Sandell
- *NEW* Beneath the Surface, a new visual essay by film critic Trace Thurman
- When Sharks Attack: The Making of Deep Blue Sea, an archive featurette
- The Sharks of the Deep Blue Sea, an archive featurette
- Deleted scenes with optional audio commentary by director Renny Harlin
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
- Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Luke Preece
- 60-page perfect bound collector’s book containing new writing by film critics Josh Hurtado, Jennie Kermode, and Murray Leeder, plus previously unseen production art and designs
- Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Luke Preece
- Postcards from Aquatica
Available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray from Arrow Video March 18th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official Arrow Video Deep Blue Sea webpage.
To purchase, head to the official MVD Entertainment Group Deep Blue Sea webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Recommendation
Hate they couldn’t include the original ending