Thursday, February 5, 2015

Short Attention Span Review: DeepStar Six (1989)

I like movies set in the ocean, particularly if they are horror movies.  Add a sea creature of some sort and you are promptly awarded bonus points.  I'm also a big fan of the Friday the 13th series, so I try to give DeepStar Six the benefit of the doubt because it was directed by Sean S. Cunningham and Harry Manfredini did the score.  In the end, however, it's an okay movie that does fall a little flat.  It doesn't help matters that the superior Leviathan debuted in the same year.  DeepStar Six has a quality score and Cunnigham's direction is steady enough.  Throw in some creative death scenes, a sound performance by Miguel Ferrer, and some effective gore, and we should be good, right?  Where does the problem lie?  I'm pretty sure it's the monster.  The movie is nearly over before we see the monster, and while I'm generally okay with that approach, here I think it was probably less about style and building up to that moment than concealing DeepStar Six's greatest failing.  The monster isn't all that effective.  Having said all that, the movie is still watchable and there are surely inferior horror films, so if you're looking for a B-rate horror flick set in the ocean, you can settle for DeepStar Six.  It's not stellar, but it doesn't suck.  It just manages to stay afloat.

Final Grade: C

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