DEEP RISING is a generic, clichéd, roller-coaster ride of a monster, mish-mashing such films as DIE HARD, SPEED 2, and of course (for this genre) the inevitable ALIENS. It's got a wafer-thin plot, and the characters are given little to do except interact with the special effects of the monsters. When the monsters aren't around, the film gets pretty boring. But despite all of this, I still found DEEP RISING to be a greatly entertaining film. While it's a little sad to see the apparent dumbing-down of cinema values, the fact remains that big tentacled monster creatures will generate audiences, so that's why films like this come out every couple of years or so. They don't break any new ground, they're not even original, but they're fun. Popcorn movies, if you like.
I like the straightforwardness of the film in that you know what you're going to get in terms of special effects. That's right, a big CGI tentacled, scaly, slimy monster. There are no shocks there. But what is shocking is that the effects are actually good. That's right, they're good. Most of the effects in recent films look far too fluid and unrealistic because of their computer origins, but DEEP RISING mainly bypasses these flaws (hopefully a sign of things to come) and gives us something special.
While the scenes of tentacles chasing down corridors do look pretty fake, I would say 60% of the special effects on offer are realistic (if you're a generous viewer like me). The highlight of the film is an encounter with the big brain creature, a huge octopus-like thing with white eyes and lots and lots of teeth. Very exciting and nice to look at. However, there are lots of other good effects scenes, from tentacles crushing helpless victims to a surprisingly gory moment when a half-digested man pleads for help.
The rest of the film is taken up with people shooting, things exploding and survivors running around flooded corridors. It doesn't take much to please me, so I was happy. The acting is all pretty much average, from Treat Williams as the unlikely hero to Famke Janssen as the heroine, and it's definitely nothing to write home about. It's not really the acting that's important, though, it's the monster and for a change it's excellent. If you're looking for good, light-hearted scenes of excitement, horror, and action, then you can't go wrong with DEEP RISING.
I like the straightforwardness of the film in that you know what you're going to get in terms of special effects. That's right, a big CGI tentacled, scaly, slimy monster. There are no shocks there. But what is shocking is that the effects are actually good. That's right, they're good. Most of the effects in recent films look far too fluid and unrealistic because of their computer origins, but DEEP RISING mainly bypasses these flaws (hopefully a sign of things to come) and gives us something special.
While the scenes of tentacles chasing down corridors do look pretty fake, I would say 60% of the special effects on offer are realistic (if you're a generous viewer like me). The highlight of the film is an encounter with the big brain creature, a huge octopus-like thing with white eyes and lots and lots of teeth. Very exciting and nice to look at. However, there are lots of other good effects scenes, from tentacles crushing helpless victims to a surprisingly gory moment when a half-digested man pleads for help.
The rest of the film is taken up with people shooting, things exploding and survivors running around flooded corridors. It doesn't take much to please me, so I was happy. The acting is all pretty much average, from Treat Williams as the unlikely hero to Famke Janssen as the heroine, and it's definitely nothing to write home about. It's not really the acting that's important, though, it's the monster and for a change it's excellent. If you're looking for good, light-hearted scenes of excitement, horror, and action, then you can't go wrong with DEEP RISING.