Plot: What’s it about?
As a plane flies over an ocean’s waters, few of those onboard realize what else is riding on that craft with them. Along with the normal passengers and crew members, there are also some unusual people and items aboard this flight. A team of terrorists is also taking this flight and they have no intentions of allowing it reach its destination as planned. This team plans to gain control of the plane and then gain access to a special item on board, which could cause a lot of trouble in a short amount of time. The terrorists seek a computer micro-board, which controls a defense satellite Nova One, which in turn can trigger the launch of nuclear weapons. This means potential global destruction lies in the hands of criminals and that just isn’t right. Soon the terrorists make their move and gain control of the plane, which they then take down right into the ocean. As the passengers struggle to survive, the government is preparing a team of Navy Seals to raid the plane and neutralize the situation. Can even this elite team of agents prevent the deaths of innocent people, when they only have one chance to do so?
Just because a movie is bad, that doesn’t always mean that it isn’t good. I mean that we all know so movies are so bad, that in the end they turn out to be fun to watch. I happen to like a lot of movies that fall under that banner and as such, I never rule out a movie before I’ve seen it. When Submerged arrived, I figured it would be so bad that it might have some funny sequences and be worth a look. I was wrong. This is the kind of movie that is so bad, it is just bad in the end. It has a few worthwhile moments to be sure, but not enough of them to warrant a good recommendation or a place in my personal collection. The production values leave a lot to be desired and with this type of movie, you need good production design and a decent budget. Aside from Fred Williamson, the cast is weak and when Coolio gets top billing, what else can you expect? I think this one has an audience, it just isn’t me and as such, I recommend this one as a rental to those interested.
This movie sports a few names you’re sure to recognize, but on the bad side those names don’t belong to people who know how to act. Now I am sure in a movie about rap music or a situation where he would play himself, Coolio would handle himself well. In this film however, he plays a more serious role and he goes down in flames from start to finish. A lot to be said for good material and this movie doesn’t have it, but I expected at least a moderate performance from him. Coolio, if you’re reading this review, do us all a favor and stick with roles that don’t demand range of any kind. The main draw in Submerged is Fred Williamson (From Dusk ‘Til Dawn, Original Gangstas) and even he can’t make much use out of the poorly written lines he was given. Williamson has a knack for hitting the right notes with his dialogue, but this material never even gives him a chance. He still turns in the best performance of the lot, but he can only do so much with this character. The cast here also includes Brent Huff (Hot Boyz), Dennis Weaver (Cry For Justice), Nicole Eggert (Tv’s Baywatch), and Stacey Travis (The Muse).
Video: How does it look?
Submerged is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a low budget movie and it shows with this transfer, as it looks more like a made for television film in the end. I found a lot of debris on the source print, especially when pieces of stock footage were used in place of new shots. The colors look sharp though, with little bleeds & smears and flesh tones appear normal also. I found some softness in the contrast at times, but usually the detail is high and black levels well balanced. It isn’t that this transfer is bad, but it should have been better in the end.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc uses a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, but you wouldn’t know it if the package didn’t say as much. I didn’t think this was a bad mix per se, but it never makes much use of the surround channels and that just leaves me disappointed. The front channels handle most of the audio and it sounds good, but lacks range and that kind of makes it all seem flat. The dialogue sounds good though, with no harshness and always at a proper volume level. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround track and subtitles in English & Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes one of the lamest director’s commentary tracks I’ve heard, as Ed Raymond drones on about his other low budget movies and such. I was never interested in what he had to say, which is odd since I usually find commentaries to be worth a listen. Still, I applaud Paramount for including this feature, even on a lesser known title like this one. You’ll also find talent files and the film’s trailer.
