[psycho d]

Deep Rising (1998). Deep Rising is simple entertainment that has no other aspirations. As such, it achieves its purpose handsomely, and those that were disappointed were likely digging for a genre that that does not exist here.

The story is nothing new, a rehashed plot and premise. Keeping it simple allows director Steven Sommers to focus on entertainment, as should the audience. That much of the action and even dialog is easily guessed is part of the fun.

The acting was standard fare for such a production, and that these actors were used mostly as vehicles of entertainment helps make this movie a success. Treat Williams as a third-rate movie hero is the perfect captain of this ship. Costar Famke Jannsen deserves more than a mere mention, not for her acting prowess but instead for being so damned sexy. The camera cannot seem to fit enough of here alluring lusciousness onto the screen. The rest of the cast were mere fodder for the action, deliciously gobbled up at just the right moments.

The technicalities were all above standards for this genre, with the directorial tone of Sommers the same here as in his other works. The camera does a textbook job of eliciting all of the correct response from its audience, and the tried and true tilts and closeups worked their magic fabulously. The CGI was probably spectacular for its time, and even today it was are more than acceptable. The editing could have been a little tighter, but that is just getting nit picky.

Deep Rising is a cinematic guilty pleasure through and through, and how we ever came to the point that movies that are pure entertainment should elicit unnecessary regret is a consideration that should be considerably considered. Merci.
d