Will Arrow 'Deep Blue Sea' 4K release lack bite?
Deep Blue Sea (1999) is rightly regarded as one of the most fun shark films to hit screens since JAWS (1975).
It was probably quite apt that a Finn ended up directing a shark movie. Renny Harlin has always been big on spectacle, whether it’s Die Hard 2: Die Harder, Cliffhanger or The Long Kiss Goodnight, his work has a real sense of fun and playfulness. Deep Blue Sea doesn’t fail to deliver on any of these points.
It’s essentially The Poseidon Adventure (the constant threat of rising water) meets Jurassic Park (we even get a shark in a kitchen scene) via Alien (in confined spaces no one can hear you scream), and that spells pure B-movie popcorn pandemonium which delivers in spades and intelligent mako sharks aplenty.
And now Arrow Video has announced a limited edition 4K Ultra HD release of Deep Blue Sea, scheduled for March, 2025.
This edition boasts a brand new 4K restoration approved by director Harlin and includes a variety of special features such as new audio commentaries, interviews, visual essays, deleted scenes with optional commentary, and more.
Sounds like an essential purchase for fans of sharksploitation cinema, but the one thing it doesn't seem to be boasting to shark film fans is the radically different original ending.
In that, Saffron Burrows' character, Dr. Susan McCallister, survives and kills the final shark, but crucially this scene was altered due to negative reactions from test audiences who viewed her as the antagonist responsible for the shark crisis.
In short, she had to pay with her life and the filmmakers reshot the ending to have her character meet a fatal end, which is what we see in the released version.
As of now, there is no official confirmation that this upcoming release will include the original ending as part of its special features.
While the set offers deleted scenes with optional commentary, the specific content of these scenes hasn't been detailed. Therefore, it's uncertain if the original ending will be among them.
It wasn't on the DVD or Bluray deleted scenes and as many of these extras are being ported over onto this forthcoming release, it's likely that original unseen ending won't be swimming to the surface in this release.
With that included, it would be an essential purchase, without, they aren't going to 'mako' me buy it. It's also a huge missed opportunity.
Words by Dean Newman
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