Dangerous Waters Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Dangerous Waters Blu-ray Movie Review

A soggy thriller that washes ashore dead on arrival...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown February 26, 2024

"And just as he who, with exhausted breath, having escaped from sea to shore, turns back to watch the dangerous waters he has quit, so did my spirit, still a fugitive, turn back to look intently at the pass that never has let any man survive."

Every so often, typically released straight to streaming or directly to home video, comes a film that's been made dozens of times before; one with little interest in doing anything new or, really, much more than recycling old familiar tropes and rehashing genre cliches to increasingly diminished effect. That's Dangerous Waters in a nutshell: a flick you've most certainly seen before, albeit with different actors, from different filmmakers and, most likely, with more bite, style and suspense than anything here. Its only draw? It offers the late Ray Liotta's (presumably) last appearance on screen, even though he abruptly enters and violently exits Dangerous Waters within the span of five minutes deep into its third act. His performance sizzles, honestly, and were the rest of the film as sinister and threatening as his delivery, we might've had something worth watching. Instead he's a high point in a thriller of bottomless lows, middling acting, rote cinematography and all the genre predictability you could ever wish for. It's not unwatchable per se. It's worse... just watchable enough to suggest potential but dull and diluted enough to disappoint thoroughly.

A yachting getaway goes dangerously awry in the middle of the ocean, leaving 19-year-old Rose (Odeya Rush) without her mother Alma (Saffron Burrows) -- killed in a nightmarish attack at sea -- and in the care of her would-be stepfather, a wolf-in-sheep's clothing boyfriend and corrupt businessman named Derek (Eric Dane) who turns out to be a much different man than Alma thought. Separated from Derek, stranded, and searching for a way home, Rose fights to survive the elements, escape a band of vicious traffickers, and elude her mother's boyfriend, injured but in hot pursuit. But Derek and his partner, a steel-eyed ship captain (Ray Liotta in his final film appearance), have already made a horrible mistake: underestimating the young woman, who's still grieving the loss of her mother and eager to exact vengeance.

Click here to read Brian Orndorf's 2023 review of the film, which he says "isn’t exactly boosted by Ray Liotta’s [single-scene] appearance, with the effort largely underwhelming, established as something of a crime thriller before it takes a lengthy detour into a survival story." He adds, "guns and bad guys are present in the tale of a young woman facing the fight of her life while stuck on the open water, but director John Barr (“Blood and Money”) can’t tap into a rich sense of suspense, with the endeavor too slack when it comes to pressurized moments of conflict, while his casting isn’t strong enough deliver a more physical understanding of danger."

Dangerous Waters Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Distributor Brainstorm Media brings Dangerous Waters to Blu-ray with a fully competent, nearly proficient 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer that, barring a few flaws, does quite well with everything it's charged with presenting. The film's first act is awash with natural colors and striking contrast leveling, bringing the vibrant blues of the ocean and the lovely skin tones on display to impressive life. Detail is particularly exacting, with precise edge definition and sharply resolved textures, and excellent delineation. However, as night falls, Rose goes below deck or scrambles around a dark island, or for the majority of the third act, when Rose boards a larger cargo ship, the image struggles. Detail remains quite crisp, even if the retention in quality appears a bit too artificial for its own good, but other problems persist. Crush is a nagging issue, swallowing shadow subtleties and hanging heavy over the foreground; slight banding appears around bright light sources; and grain, though remaining subdued, grows inconsistent. Most of these lesser traits trace back to the original photography, but there's the sense that darker scenes are just a touch too dark, making for a murky, sometimes muddy climax that cloaks its (subpar) action in dimly lit corridors and ship holds. All told, nothing amounts to a disastrous distraction and most, if not all of the issues are fairly negligible.

Note: the Blu-ray release of 'Dangerous Waters' has been pressed on a BD-R 25GB disc. It is not compatible with every Blu-ray player on the market (Xbox consoles are especially susceptible to playback issues with BD-R discs). Let the buyer beware.

Dangerous Waters Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dangerous Waters features a strong DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that stands as the highlight of the disc. Dialogue is clean, clear and intelligible at all times, with spot-on prioritization that handles the mix of action, quiet suspense and island and ocean ambience nicely. LFE output lends weight to the groaning hull of a creaky ship, the visceral explosiveness of an at-sea attack, and the firepower of the guns the production rolls out for the cast to toy with. Likewise, rear speaker activity is engaging and convincing, creating a fairly immersive experience, particularly when Rose slips below deck, creeps around a trafficking ship, or does her best to survive the perils of being stranded on an island. Directionality is believable, channel pans are smooth, and the film's sound mix is represented faithfully. There is a bit of direct-to-video inconsistency to the original sound design, which isn't the fault of the lossless track, but nevertheless leaves a few too many scenes front-heavy and flat. But such moments are the exception rather than the rule, leaving Dangerous Waters sounding more akin to a big screen thriller than a small screen dud.

Dangerous Waters Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No extras of any substance are included.

Dangerous Waters Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Travel if you wish, taste strange dishes, gather experience in dangerous activities, but see that your soul remains your own. Do not become a stranger to yourself, for you are lost from that day on; you will have no peace if there is not, somewhere within you, a corner of certainty, calm waters where you can take refuge in sleep."

Dangerous Waters will give you deja vu from start to finish, although for a variety of films, most of which are far better. It's tried and true genre recycling, minus the notable performances, filmmaking style, or star power. Perhaps sharper leads would have turned things around, but as is, it's merely Ray Liotta's last appearance, and it isn't worthy of his talent or involvement. It's certainly not an exclamation point at the end of his long and impressive career, serving more as an ellipsis without a satisfying conclusion. Brainstorm Media at least delivers a solid Blu-ray, thanks to a strong AV presentation. Unfortunately, a lack of supplements doesn't suggest the distributor had much more confidence in the film than it deserves. Even if you're a diehard Liotta fan, steer clear of this shipwreck.