Deep Blue Sea 2 Blu-ray Review

The video presentation of "Deep Blue Sea 2" on Blu-ray offers a mixed viewing experience. Shot with a mixture of digital cameras, as indicated by several sources, the film's visuals vary significantly. The outdoor ocean scenes exhibit impressive clarity and detail, particularly in facial tones and color accuracy. These scenes are marked by a pleasing, neutral color palette that enhances the overall experience. However, the visual quality tends to drop significantly when the action shifts to the submarine interiors, especially in the dimly lit third act where heavy color grading in blue, red, and green obscures fine details and introduces notable banding issues. This results in a softer picture that lacks the sharpness seen outside.

The Blu-ray's 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer by Warner maintains these characteristics well, with generally good detail and sharpness prominently in early scenes. Despite the low average bitrate of 19.96 Mbps on a BD-25 disc, the outdoor sequences maintain superior clarity with dominant marine blues. However, the heavily tinted third act scenes inside the facility suffer from reduced detail due to the dim lighting and substantial effects work. Banding is an occasional issue but remains relatively minor. While the Blu-ray's compression practices could be more modernized, it is doubtful whether more generous compression would overcome the film's intrinsically flat and dull aesthetic in these darker sequences.

The audio presentation of "Deep Blue Sea 2" on Blu-ray arrives with a DTS-HD MA 5.1 track that, unfortunately, doesn't fully capitalize on its aquatic horror setting. While the dialogue is consistently clear and well-prioritized within the soundstage, the overall mix lacks the immersive qualities that one would expect. The surrounds have a presence but fail to evoke a persistent atmosphere, missing opportunities to use dripping water, creaking metal, and other subtle sounds that could heighten tension.

In terms of Low-Frequency Effects (LFE), the bass performance is competent yet underwhelming. The low-end was steady but lacked the power and vigor needed for impactful moments, especially for a film that would greatly benefit from more vigorous bass during action sequences. While the dynamic range is broad enough to lend some authority to the sharks' attacks and occasional explosions, the mix does not challenge the listener’s audio setup significantly. The score by Sean Murray does its best to compensate, adding some needed tension and suspense, but it is not enough to elevate what is ultimately a middling audio experience.

The extra features of the Blu-ray release for "Deep Blue Sea 2" offer an engaging and insightful dive into the film's production process. "Returning to the Deep – The Making of Deep Blue Sea 2" provides an extensive look behind the scenes with in-depth interviews from both the cast and crew, highlighting the film's intricate effects and stunts, although viewers should be wary of spoilers. "Death by Shark" extends this exploration, focusing specifically on character demise and those thrilling, suspenseful moments the film is known for. Additionally, the "Gag Reel" offers a lighter side, showcasing amusing outtakes and bloopers featuring the cast's humorous antics. The disc also includes "Deleted Scenes," featuring notable sequences like a flashback to Misty's childhood and an enhanced conversation about the shark training, providing deeper context to the story.

Extras included in this disc:

• Returning to the Deep – The Making of Deep Blue Sea 2: Behind-the-scenes featurette with cast and crew insights.
• Deep Blue Sea 2: Death by Shark: Focus on character demise and jump-scare scenes.
• Deep Blue Silliness: Fun outtakes and bloopers.
• Deleted Scenes: Extended moments not in the final cut.

"Deep Blue Sea 2" attempts to replicate the guilty pleasure charm of Renny Harlin's original but falls short on multiple fronts. Positioned more as a remake than a true sequel, it rehashes the story with a diminished cast and a lower budget, yet includes comparatively decent CGI. The film has a convoluted production history, initially developed by Warner Premiere before the label's closure in 2012, resulting in a release with minimal promotion. This is perhaps indicative of the film's deficiencies: bland direction, weak performances, and an uninspired script that inadequately explores its central premise.

The plot revolves around billionaire Carl Durant (Michael Beach), who funds an unethical project aimed at boosting human intelligence through genetic modifications – using bull sharks as test subjects, which raises numerous logical questions. The narrative brings Durant and a group of scientists to a South African marine facility, where the predictable chaos ensues as super-intelligent sharks, led by the queen shark Bella, wreak havoc. A notable deficit in the film is its lack of coherent plot development and character motivation. Durant's own use of the intelligence serum only seems to make him dumber, voices concerns that go unanswered.

Director Darin Scott seems to aim for a horror ambiance, utilizing tinted frames in the third act to mask budget constraints – an effort that ultimately feels visually monotonous. The script heavily borrows from iconic underwater horror films like "The Abyss" and "Leviathan," but fails to capture their suspense or thrill. Instead, the cast stumbles through overused tropes and poorly rendered CGI setups. While the film attempts to set up another installment, its derivative nature and lack of originality suggest that future sequels are unmerited.

"Deep Blue Sea 2" attempts to build upon its predecessor but falls short in almost every aspect. The original "Deep Blue Sea" was a delightful mix of humor, action, and engaging dialogue, wrapped in a fun, albeit absurd, shark-infested plot. However, this sequel dispenses with the charm and opts for a more serious tone, relying heavily on escape sequences that lack the original’s creative flair. Plot holes abound, making the narrative hard to follow and stifling any potential enjoyment.

From a technical standpoint, Warner Brothers’ Blu-ray presentation is competent but unremarkable. The video quality showcases a decent 1.78:1 AVC aspect ratio, and the audio is equally solid with an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 track alongside various Dolby Digital 5.1 language options. Subtitles are plentiful, including English SDH, French, German SDH, and several others. While these specs are adequate, they do little to elevate the film's overall impact. The generic extras further dilute the viewing experience, offering minimal value.

In conclusion, "Deep Blue Sea 2" is a missed opportunity that pales in comparison to both its predecessor and other classic shark films like "Jaws." While the Blu-ray release is technically sound, the film itself does not warrant the investment in time or money. Your best bet is to revisit the original "Deep Blue Sea" or opt for a more rewarding shark-themed alternative. Recommendation: Skip It.