HOLLYWOOD—It seems every summer, we get another flick attempting to capitalize on the magic that Steven Spielberg managed to capture in 1975 with his blockbuster “Jaws.” How can I best say this? “Jaws” had something that many other shark flicks failed to capture: suspense, character development and an enthralling narrative.
I will indeed give credit to the 2017 flick “47 Meters Down” for its sheer brilliance in taking what should have been a fluke of a narrative and making it intense. It had those sheer moments of brilliance and intensity that unnerved you as a viewer. However, its sequel, “47 Meters Down Uncaged” doesn’t come close to matching that intensity.
Not sure if I can call this a sequel because no one from the previous flick appears in this installment, but it follows Mia (Sophie Nelisse), Sasha (Corinne Foxx) and several other pals of Mia who take an excursion to go scuba diving in Mexico where her father Grant (John Corbett) is working. I was seriously trying to understand this narrative of a group of teens albeit navigating through the waters of a hidden underground city.
Rule number 1 in a horror movie, if it’s a place that seems closed off from the public it’s for a reason. When you venture to places unknown you’re simply asking for trouble. Why can’t people be smarter America? With that said, our group ventures amongst some hungry sharks that begin to dispatch of our protagonists one by one until a select few are left to survive.
Can the spectator find themselves somewhat entrenched in the drama? Yes, but it’s not like you’re being delivered something that you haven’t seen before, and that’s the problem. The scares are limited at most; the suspense does not deliver on the payoff, and as far as character development, what character development! It virtually feels nonexistent.
If you are a fan of shark flicks, you will be mildly entertained. If you want something with a bit more teeth, watch “Jaws.” If you want something a bit more modern or close to modernity check out the 1999 thriller “Deep Blue Sea.”
