I really think this film's IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes score do not do it justice, and make it out like its one of the worst films ever made.
The story is about a small tugboat crew that come across a seemingly abandoned Russian research vessel in the remote South Pacific. With dreams of salvage fees, they board the ship to take it over, only to find that there is something else onboard, an unknown lifeform that is out to destroy them.
I first saw this film in my early teens, and now watched it again some 20 years later. I didn't remember much of it and wasn't expecting much based on how this appears to have been reviewed. Now don't get me wrong, this is by no means a good film. However it is by no means any worse than so many other sci fi or horror films that don't strive for artistic greatness. The best way I can think of describing this is that its a B-movie concept made with A-movie money and stars (Jamie Lee Curtis, William Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, Cliff Curtis). The production values are excellent, helped greatly by the fact that they had use of an actual full sized ship for the film instead of only relying on miniatures, CGI or soundstages.
I'm a sucker for anything naval/maritime related as well as horror and mystery. This is a film that combines them all, and while not a great film, its perfectly decent entertainment. 6/10.
The story is about a small tugboat crew that come across a seemingly abandoned Russian research vessel in the remote South Pacific. With dreams of salvage fees, they board the ship to take it over, only to find that there is something else onboard, an unknown lifeform that is out to destroy them.
I first saw this film in my early teens, and now watched it again some 20 years later. I didn't remember much of it and wasn't expecting much based on how this appears to have been reviewed. Now don't get me wrong, this is by no means a good film. However it is by no means any worse than so many other sci fi or horror films that don't strive for artistic greatness. The best way I can think of describing this is that its a B-movie concept made with A-movie money and stars (Jamie Lee Curtis, William Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, Cliff Curtis). The production values are excellent, helped greatly by the fact that they had use of an actual full sized ship for the film instead of only relying on miniatures, CGI or soundstages.
I'm a sucker for anything naval/maritime related as well as horror and mystery. This is a film that combines them all, and while not a great film, its perfectly decent entertainment. 6/10.
