
‘Deep Blue Sea 3’ is Leagues Above the Last Direct-to-Video Sequel
Posted on Wednesday, July 29th, 2020 by Rob Hunter
(Welcome to DTV Descent, a series that explores the weird and wild world of direct-to-video sequels to theatrically released movies. This week, we take a second dip into the world of ‘Deep Blue Sea’ sequels.)
I’m a sucker for killer shark movies, but the great ones represent a small percentage of the sub-genre overall. Most are dull, dumb, and waterlogged in their attempts to entertain and thrill, but none of those descriptors can be applied to Renny Harlin’s 1999 gem, Deep Blue Sea. Okay, maybe it’s a little dumb, but the film remains an absolute blast that entertains through to the very end.
The same cannot be said for the supremely disappointing direct to video sequel from 2018 – which I previously covered in this very column. It’s a bland, uninteresting slog that never entertains or thrills, and it’s the reason anticipation was kept in check when the inevitable second sequel was announced. The lack of title creativity felt like a bad sign, as even Twitter folks suggested the likes of Deep Blue 3ea, Deep Blue Three, and Deep Blue S3a, but I reluctantly dove into the deep end anyway and watched Deep Blue Sea 3.
And it is… good?