The latest blockbuster is a refreshingly enjoyable and old-fashioned kind of thriller, full of action, suspense, and plenty of humour. In a year which has given us many oddities at the cinema, this comes across as a breath of fresh air, as it doesn't try anything inventive or new, it's just a plain simplistic adventure story. In many ways DEEP BLUE SEA harks back to the likes of THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, albeit with a monster-movie twist.

Of course, with Renny Harlin as the director, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that this film would offer up some exciting sequences. And, by gum, it does, as people are chased up corridors by sharks, having to swim for their lives and using everyday facilities as their only means of salvation; there are no rocket launchers or shotgun-toting heroes this time around, although Thomas Jane comes close.

Unfortunately, when the film is not dealing with one of these terrific action scenes, it all comes a bit unstuck. The music is uninspired and some of the cast disappoint. I know Harlin said he wanted to cast unknown actors and actresses in the film, I can understand that, but come on, he could have chosen someone who can actually act. Thomas Jane is acceptable, but was better in the likes of THE PUNISHER. As for Saffron Burrows, talk about miscasting. She has a ridiculous accent and is a poor actress when it comes to the action scenes, having the same expression on her face for the entire film.

The rest of the cast are all also bland and interchangeable, we don't really care if these guys live or die. The only interest comes from the two black cast members, firstly there's the reliable Samuel Jackson as a cool company benefactor back when he could do no wrong, and then there's LL Cool J, who, surprisingly, is actually funny and likeable in this film. No mean feat for a rap artist, and I was expecting the worst. It turns out that LL Cool J is the one we're rooting for and the only real person we actually care about when he's in danger. There's a turn up for the books.

There are some bloody moments in this film for shock purposes, the best being early on. For the next twenty minutes events just get worse, people die, buildings explode and the entire base gets flooded, these multiplying calamities are just sheer brilliance and really exciting and entertaining. It really made my heart beat. There's no way the rest of the film could live up to this moment, and it can't, but at least it concentrates on the sharks as the real stars and not the actors.

The special effects for the sharks are generally very good, and a seamless blend of animatronics and CGI animation is used. Only occasionally (at the end particularly) do the sharks look fake, but other than that they're very well done indeed. There are also plenty of shots of people getting ripped in half underwater and legs flailing about, quite fake too but fun anyway. However the old standby of someone sinking and then blood welling up in the water is the most effective and clichéd of the lot, but it works.

While comparisons to JAWS are obvious (the two films are very different DEEP BLUE SEA is action orientated, JAWS is more of a suspense story),just forget about that classic and sit back and enjoy some inspired moments and good chase bits, and play 'guess the next victim' with your friends. It's a riot. DEEP BLUE SEA may not break any new ground, but there are some excellent disaster moments (the large window cracking being one of them, it might have been nicked from THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK but it's a whole lot better) and there are plenty of things to divert your senses from the somewhat shallow nature of the film - no pun intended.

Dr. Susan McAlester (Saffron Burrows) leads a team of scientists in Aquatica, an offshore research lab, to cure brain diseases like Alzheimer's. After a terrifying escaped test shark, investor Russell Franklin (Samuel L. Jackson) goes out to investigate. The scientists are expanding the brains of sharks, but the Harvard Genetics Compact doesn't allow the sharks to be genetically modified. At least, they are not supposed to.

None of it makes that much sense. Why built a facility offshore? Why not just built big tanks like an aquarium? If all they're doing is raise sharks, there has got to be an easier way. It's begging for trouble when the next big storm to hit. The whole thing doesn't past the smell taste. If you can get past the stink, there are some fun action and some water games. But I would mostly recommend against watching this.

Doctor McAlester carries out tests on Sharks, in order to discover a cure for Alzheimer's. The testing increases the brain activity of the sharks, making them more intelligent. When a storm hits the underwater base and it floods, the forces of creation are set loose.

The casting is a little bit hit and miss, Saffron Burrows carries the film fairly well, Thomas Jane is quite good, Stellan Skarsgård is good but doesn't get enough time. LL Cool J's character was badly written, he didn't have much of a chance.

I love the idea of hyper intelligent sharks, predators I would have thought are super in intelligence to begin with made more so, there are some good ideas on show.

CGI effects ahead of their time, the sharks look fantastic. I still love the scene where Jackson is eaten, arguably the most memorable thing about the film.

Soppy and definitely silly at times, how Presented her survived Lord only knows, and then manages to kill The Mako. That awful line 'take me back to the ghetto,' bad.

A typical base under write from a clever monster film, but there's enough laughs and goings on to keep you entertained. 6/10