Underwater not only goes about 7 miles to the ocean floor, but where many sci-fi/horror movies have gone. Movies about an isolated group of people in peril from a monstrouos presence or presences have been done at least The Thing back in the 1950s. Alien hit it big in 1979 with the theme, jumpstarting the trend. This type of movie will be done over again indefinitely.
Underwater is the latest variation on a theme from Fox, which was recently bought out by Disney. As the movie was reportedly shot back in 2017, it's believed that Disney didn't care about it and released it when it did. At any rate, we've got a likable enough crew who have to abandon their deepsea drilling station when disaster strikes. And it strikes almost immediately, giving the film a fast start. Director Bill Eubank's camera quietly explores the interior of the station for a short time before catapulting Stewart and crew into peril. The captain is a caring and brave soul who has to decide on the best course of action for evacuating the station and trekking to safetly with whatever's left at his disposal..
As anyone who's seen the previews knows, the main obstacle confronting the humans is a school of previously-undiscovered life forms with lots of razor-sharp teeth. The movie by now has settled into the who-dies-and-who-lives formula.
Eubank milks enough mileage out of a simplistic, no-frills storyline as Underwater moves along. the pacing is well-handled, not too fast and not too slow, as the token funny guy and the rest of the crew bravely press on. The characters briefly mention a detail or two of their lives outside of work: family, lost love and little else. Characterization isn't a major thing in Underwater, but it's worth checking out at a bargain theater or a matinee.
Underwater is the latest variation on a theme from Fox, which was recently bought out by Disney. As the movie was reportedly shot back in 2017, it's believed that Disney didn't care about it and released it when it did. At any rate, we've got a likable enough crew who have to abandon their deepsea drilling station when disaster strikes. And it strikes almost immediately, giving the film a fast start. Director Bill Eubank's camera quietly explores the interior of the station for a short time before catapulting Stewart and crew into peril. The captain is a caring and brave soul who has to decide on the best course of action for evacuating the station and trekking to safetly with whatever's left at his disposal..
As anyone who's seen the previews knows, the main obstacle confronting the humans is a school of previously-undiscovered life forms with lots of razor-sharp teeth. The movie by now has settled into the who-dies-and-who-lives formula.
Eubank milks enough mileage out of a simplistic, no-frills storyline as Underwater moves along. the pacing is well-handled, not too fast and not too slow, as the token funny guy and the rest of the crew bravely press on. The characters briefly mention a detail or two of their lives outside of work: family, lost love and little else. Characterization isn't a major thing in Underwater, but it's worth checking out at a bargain theater or a matinee.