Deep Rising, 1998.
Directed by Stephen Sommers.
Starring Treat Williams, Famke Janssen, Anthony Heald, Kevin J. O’Connor, Wes Studi, Derrick O’Connor, Jason Flemyng, Clifton Powell, Trevor Goddard, and Djimon Hounsou.
SYNOPSIS:
A group of mercenaries board a luxury cruise liner with the intent of stealing its cargo, unaware that something monstrous has already taken over its decks.
The deep sea. It’s incredible how little we know about what lies below the depths, the darkness almost akin to an alien world full of mysterious creatures that baffle and terrify us. But to hell with all my pretentious ramblings because today we’re talking about a film that is among the most unpretentiously fun experiences I’ve had all month. The supremely silly but gloriously entertaining sea bound action-horror Deep Rising.
The plot of Deep Rising is simple to the point that you could write a synopsis on a napkin and still have space left over to write a sequel. Robbers board ship, the ship has monsters, robbers become lunch, things go boom. FIN. This simplicity is why the film works so well. Never becoming bogged down by pointless details such as character development or rich backstories. The characters are given enough personality so that you know who’s who and can likely guess in what order they’ll get killed. Although written with as much depth as a paddling pool, the characters are wonderfully performed by the cast, who seem to be having a great time hamming it up. Quickly endearing themselves to you and making you feel a pang of remorse when they meet their inevitable gooey end.
The story and style might be cliched and derivative of other better horror films. Yet, while it lacks originality, there is one thing that Deep Rising never is; boring. From the word go, this film is terrific fun. The pacing is tight, only slowing to give us a moment to contemplate the significance of events before moving onto another set-piece of gory death and gunfire. Running throughout is a playful charm that melds horror, action and humour into a delightful concoction that keeps things light without ever getting weighed down by pretentious self-seriousness, an approach that writer/director Stephen Sommers would carry over to his Mummy films.
The special effects, made by the people at Industrial Light and Magic, range from still looking pretty decent after 20 years to looking like graphics from a cut-scene from an ancient PlayStation 1 game. But, the film follows a clever approach of keeping its monsters hidden for much of the run-time. Opting for the tried and tested trick of representing the monster through bugling bending metal doors and floorboards erupting from their frames as our heroes run for their lives.
The monster of the film is perhaps the only genuinely creepy thing about it. A giant tentacled beast that doesn’t eat its prey but crushes them and then drinks their innards while they’re still alive. It’s a frightening prospect, with the horrific aftermath being shown to us via our heroes stumbling across a room filled to the brim with gore-soaked skeletal remains. Although, the terror is somewhat ruined when we finally see its in all its ropey late 90s CGI “glory”. Still, I have to give props to what is, in concept, a freaky monster, even if the final reveal doesn’t quite stick the landing.
Treat Williams leads the film with his committed performance as John Finnegan, a sea captain who finds himself transporting a gang of heavily armed goons across the sea to rob a cruise ship. Williams, who seems to be channelling his inner Harrison Ford (who supposedly and foolishly turned down the role, the idiot), portrays Finnegan as a kind of Han Solo of the sea, his dry-witted humour and earnest delivery making for a likeable and compelling action hero. I particularly love the surprisingly calm way he treats his increasingly horrifying situation, reacting to an onslaught of tentacled beasts as if a mildly ridiculous annoyance, and that’s when he isn’t blasting giant octopus monsters right in their stupid face.
Kevin J. O’Connor also shines as Joey, the comic sidekick to Finnegan. However, in a welcome change from most comedy sidekicks, O’Connor is actually funny. His whiny nerve wrecked witticisms never once failing to make me giggle like an idiot. It’s rare to see this kind of character without wishing to see them die horribly, but O’Connor’s sympathetic put upon performance made me genuinely hope for his survival.
The rest of the ensemble is also great fun, making the most of their thin character traits but never once half arsing their performances, taking the material just seriously enough without lapsing into obvious parody. I particularly enjoyed Anthony Heald’s delightfully douchey Canton, his smug, arrogant portrayal making him a character you love to hate.
Of course, with a film as silly as Deep Rising, we need a doubly silly climax. After setting the liner on a collision course with a torpedo laden boat, Williams, like anyone would, decides his best method of escaping the vessel before it explodes is via jet ski. Barrelling down the halls, evading more tentacles while blasting away with a shotgun, all before erupting from the decks in a hail of impressive stunt work, bad green screen and a fiery explosion that destroys everything. It’s a wonderfully absurd finale, but one that suits what is a wonderfully absurd film.
With a knowing sense of humour, enjoyable action-horror set pieces and entertaining performances from a game cast who seem fully aware of its ridiculousness, Deep Rising is a silly, stupid, but an insanely good time for all.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Graeme Robertson
