This one is for my friend Lindsay, who insists this is a better shark movie than Jaws, and yet it can’t help but make a number of references to it, not the least of which is a familiar-looking licence plate.

Director Renny Harlin does, for the most part, deliver a fairly solid thriller though even at the time, the computer-generated images of the sharks and the environment were less than exceptional. And unlike Jaws where such faults could be forgiven because of a better crafted film that amped its characters and tensions just right when the bad effects show up here, they’re glaring and can eject the viewer from the story.

It’s relatively fun though.

In a remote aquatic setting, a research facility has been creating genetically modified sharks in an attempt to unlock cures for human ailments and more. Using some loose science as a launching point (contrary to the film’s belief sharks do get cancer) we join a crew on the Aquatica research station which will soon be hit by a storm and will find itself under siege from a trio of incredibly intelligent sharks.

Amongst the shark fodder is shark wrangler, Carter Blake (Thomas Jane), station cook Preacher (LL Cool J), a pair of research scientists, Janice (Jacqueline McKenzie) and Jim (Stellan Skarsgard), Scoggins (Micheal Rappaport), lead scientist, Susan McAlester (Saffron Burrows) and the financier of the whole project, Russell Franklin (Samuel L. Jackson).

It’s a pretty impressive cast, and the sets are equally so, which is why some of the visual effects are so jarring when they happen, adversely some of the practical effects are top notch. The narrative also plays with and subverts expectations of who will survive, playing with horror tropes.

Almost drowned out is an interesting score by Trevor Rabin that does its best to make its own mark, and not reference John Williams’ iconic Jaws score, the only other real shark film of note before this one.

The cast saves the film, Jane is always fantastic, and Rappaport and LL Cool J provide some comic relief by serving as the everyman characters in the film. With some great dialogue, some well-crafted action/horror beats, Deep Blue Sea is a solid shark film and somehow like Jaws inspired less and less successful sequels.

Harlin has shown a knack for directing horror and action, scoring some big and lesser hits in both genres, and if the production had the budget it needed behind it, I expect some of the less impressive visual effects could have been rendered a lot better.

It’s not quite camp, it’s definitely fun and while it may not be the best shark movie, it is entertaining, and has some very enjoyable sequences. But as soon as it was done, I just wanted to watch Jaws again, sorry Lindsay.