Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		2.5

Deep Blue Sea 3 Blu-ray Movie Review

Anyway, they delivered a bomb.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III August 24, 2020

Arriving more than two decades after the original Deep Blue Sea (a true guilty pleasure around these parts) and a mere two years after its objectively awful direct-to-video sequel, Deep Blue Sea 3 had nowhere to go but up. Although billed as a direct sequel to Deep Blue Sea 2, this third installment once again pushes the reset button behind-the-scenes: a new director, new actors, new writer...hell, probably even a new key grip and craft services. Not surprisingly, almost everything else about Deep Blue Sea 3 feels predictable and, well, a little shallow considering the title, but it does make a few admirable attempts to keep things more in line with what made the original work reasonably well.

This lap around the pool, we're introduced to a ragtag group of ocean preservationists led by Dr. Emma Collins (Tania Raymonde) on a small island nicknamed "Little Happy", along with right-hand-man Eugene Shaw (Emerson Brooks), so-called "tech genius" Spinnaker (Alex Bhat), and Miya (Reina Aoi), who's also a tech genius because she's Japanese. A husband and wife duo, Bahari (Siya Mayola) and Nandi (Ayumile Qongqo) are also there, and serve as the last of the man-made island's inhabitants thanks to rising sea levels. Anyway, sharks. Emma's tagged a great white named Sally and has been even swimming with her, but Shaw becomes fearful after Sally "playfully" attacks Emma while they're shooting a video. But their real problems arrive with Dr. Richard Lowell (Nathaniel Buzolic), Emma's ex-boyfriend who now leads a team tracking bull sharks that have recently ventured into surrounding waters. Once she finds out the real reason for their shark tracking and "friendly visit" -- which not-so-coincidentally mirrors a major plot point from the original movie -- the plot thickens, and suddenly Emma is in as much danger above water as she is below.

It's obvious that the team behind Deep Blue Sea 3 aimed to follow the spirit of the original, which successfully added good old-fashioned camp to its thrills in a way that, if nothing else, kept things pretty fun. Here the story is taken a little more seriously, for better or worse, and focuses more on the immediate effects of climate change and a few dangerous humans instead of just sharks with frickin' laser beams big brains. As that first screenshot implies, though, some of Deep Blue Sea 3's biggest showdowns happen below the surface and they can be quite intense, thanks to solid editing, steady direction, and respectably good CGI -- the original, fun as it was in 1999, probably wouldn't hold up nearly as well in that department nowadays. Also worth a mention is the outstanding set design: "Little Happy" really does look like an authentic fishing village, not a closed set built smack-dab in the middle of a state park.

Still, Deep Blue Sea 3 has a few obvious drawbacks. Most of its characters are really nothing to write home about: only Emma, her buff sidekick Shaw (basically, a store-brand Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), and one or two of the baddies make any kind of real impact. The rest are so forgettable that I was hard pressed to remember their names, and some are so inconsequential to the plot (Bahara, Nandi, and especially Spinner, who acts as more of a doofy social media guru than an actual IT expert) that they take away from Deep Blue Sea 3's more interesting elements. It doesn't help that some of the film's least essential characters stick around much longer than others, and some all the way to its admittedly lackluster epilogue. You know things are bad when you actually miss LL Cool J and his parrot.

Still, a great environment and over-the-top shark gore (including a fun riff on Samuel L. Jackson's fate) go a long away, so the end result will probably be enough for fans of the original. It's a decent rebound flick that has the luxury of following a lackluster sequel -- I might have not been quite as receptive of its plot recycling a few years ago. But in the here and now, Deep Blue Sea is decent enough summer entertainment and probably a bit more than the franchise deserves at this point. It's now widely available on Blu-ray after being exclusive to Wal-Mart for the past month...which meant that if you wanted to see it in time for Shark Week, you had to venture into really dangerous territory.

Deep Blue Sea 3 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This digitally-shot production makes the most of its limited budget with attractive outdoor sets and natural lighting that showcases a decent amount of fine detail and texture. The "fishing village" where much of Deep Blue Sea 3 takes place (nicknamed Little Happy) is actually a controlled environment, but the illusion is maintained thanks to green-screen that does a good job of hiding all the seams. Colors run the gamut from the earth-toned hues of much of Little Happy's ramshackle buildings -- with their worn-out signage and rusty tin roofs -- to vivid costumes, colorful CPU displays, and warm skin tones that stand in contrast with the blue water and skies. Explosions also pop with vivid orange hues, which are also supported nicely by good contrast levels that don't fall victim to excessive blooming or black crush. The sporadic CGI is also well-done and, for the most part, blends in seamlessly. In fact, the only room for improvement here is in the compression: while it's a capably-authored disc, this single-layer Blu-ray runs at a rather low bit rate and a few obvious signs of artifacts and banding could easily be spotted, both in higher-contrast shots and murkier locales, such as the extended scuba-diving sessions. (Then again, some could be part of the source material.)

Deep Blue Sea 3 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While Deep Blue Sea 3 isn't packed with wall-to-wall action, it kicks into high gear at unexpected moments and the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix does a fine job of replicating its open-sea atmosphere. Voices carry well over great distances but tighten up indoors, which typically offer subtle background effects such as lapping waves and the hissing of sea mist. Explosions and other heavy moments pack a reasonable amount of punch, while the original score often drifts far into to the background. It's pretty standard but effective sonic treatment for a film of this type -- everything is more than up to par and only adds to the overall atmosphere. Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are offered during the film and both main extras; these are formatted nicely and fit snugly within the 2.39:1 frame.

Deep Blue Sea 3 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deep Blue Sea 3: Fight to the Death (5:10) - Director John Pogue, stunt coordinator Vernon Willemse, marine coordinator Jason Martin, and a few of the lead and supporting actors briefly talk about preparing for their physical roles, scuba training, the on-set experience, underwater fights, and more.

• Sinking Sets and Sharks: Making Deep Blue Sea 3 (5:23) - This like-minded featurette includes a few more key cast and crew members, who mostly talk about the set construction and a few special effects shots.

Deep Blue Sea 3 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Pogue's Deep Blue Sea 3 didn't have a lot to live up to: no one even asked for one sequel (let alone two), and the previous one tanked badly enough that I wouldn't have blamed anyone for abandoning the franchise. Yet the film does show some signs of life and it's capably shot with respectable CGI and action scenes...and of course, some enjoyable great white gore along the way. It won't float everyone's boat but if this sounds like a good time you'll probably enjoy at least a once-over. Warner Bros.' Blu-ray plays it straight with a decent A/V presentation, although the extras are all short and surface-level. Mildly recommended as a blind buy, but more so for fans of the first two.