Review of Deep Rising (1998) by Jim M — 18 Apr 2011

John Finnegan (Treat Williams) has been hired by Hanover (Wes Studi) to transport a band of mercenaries, their destination "The Argonautica" the worlds largest most expensive cruise ship currently stranded in the South China Sea. When they arrive they find the ship taking in water, blood, signs of chaos and a handful of survivors...and then the would be hijackers realize they're not alone and there robbery becomes a desperate struggle to stay alive against a prehistoric relic risen from the deepest depths of the ocean.

Deep Risning has been called an "Aliens" clone with good reason, and well not as good or as memorable as James Cameron's film, if you liked Aliens you should like this. Treat Williams has always been deceint as an action hero (anti-hero here), Wes Studi gets to play something other then an Indian in period pieces pulling it off well (its a shame Studi doesn't get more work like this). They're supported by Famke Janssen (fresh off Goldeneye but not yet an X-Man) to add some eye candy, Kevin J O'Connor perpatualy the sad sack side kick, and Anthony Heald as a rich prick (yeah no ones really stretching themselves here). My one complaint would be that several of the Mercenaries T-Ray, Vivo and Mamooli (played by Trevor Goddard, Djimon Hounsou and Cliff Curtis you'll recoginize the last two) are killed off too early in favor of Jason Flemying (nothing against him) and some Black Guy whose name escapes me (can't recall seeing him in anything before or since). Still for what it is it's defeintly worth watching, preferably on TV.