Deep Blue Sea

On a remote research facility - actually a former submarine refueling station - a group of scientists works on a cure for Alzheimer's disease. On of them, Dr. Susan McAlester, has not quite conducted herself as the code of ethics require her to. She secretly tampered with their test subjects - a trio of Mako sharks - to increase their brain capacity - because bigger brains = more test material to harvest, right. Well, actually, bigger brains = smarter sharks, also.

The first indication of the troubles to come is an attack on a boat full of teenagers by an escaped shark. After the incident, a representative of the financiers of the project, Russell Franklin, is sent to the research facility to investigate. To impress the man, the team takes brain tissue from the largest of the three sharks (all of them back in captivity now). During the procedure, however, the fish tears off one scientist's arm. Then the helicopter sent to rescue the injured man is downed by sharks, as well, taking with it part of the construction. The body of the poor injured researcher is then used as a ram to smash a window of the lab, flooding it.

At this point, Dr. McAlester confesses to her fellow scientists. After initially being angry at her, Franklin holds a rousing speach about the importance of group unity. Here follows the most ridiculously brilliant scene of the entire film. Franklin, who stands on the edge of a basin opening into the sea, is snatched off and eaten by two sharks. Mid sentence. The group rallying to find a way to get up to surface is ever dwindling in numbers and at the same time, somewhere inside the facility the cook Sherman "Preacher" Dudley (with his pet parrot) is also trying to escape.

The only people to actually make it to the surface are Dr. McAlester, the gung ho Carter Blake and Preacher, who is almost eaten by one of the sharks but manages to get to safety. In an effort to save her fellow survivors (and possibly make amends for what she has done) Dr. McAlester lures the - now also diminished number of - sharks away from the others by offering herself up as bait. Unfortunately for her, this works for the other two but she does not manage to escape. While she is being eaten, the last shark is shot by Preacher.

Has all the makings of a run of the mill don't-mess-with-genetics thriller, with just enough humor to make it worthwhile.

6/10

The Boondock Saints

The MacManus twins, Connor and Murphy (played by Sean Patrick Falnery and Norman Reedus), kill a couple of Russian mob guys in self defense (sort of). After coming into a Boston police station, where the FBI agent Smecker (very passionately portrayed by Willem Defoe) has taken the role of lead investigator, to explain how the mobsters ended up dead they are suddenly celebrated by the media and the public for ridding the world of evil. Being religious Irish boys, they realize that this is what they should be doing - kill off bad guys.

They precede to take out big chunks of the Russian and Italian mob that infested Boston, aided by their hapless friend Rocco (David Della Rocco), who can finger any number of bad guys, having run errands for the don of the Italian side of the operations. Rocco's involvement causes some confusion for law enforcement and Smecker, at first. A lot of the killings look like professional hits (the brothers' talent runs in the family) but there is always some kills that less talented Rocco does, which stumps the investigators.

When at one crime scene Smecker finds Rocco's shot of index finger and realizes who it is he is actually hunting, he keeps the information to himself and starts aiding the crime fighting killers in any way he can. The Don has recruited a mysterious hitman, referred to as Il Duce or The Duke, to take out Rocco, who he initially believes is the only one responsible for taking out his associates.

During the bloody confrontation with the Italians, that Rocco does not survive, The Duke (Billy Connelly) arrives to take out the brothers only to realize that they are his sons he hasn't seen in a long time. The three team up to take out the last standing Italian mobster.

There is quite the cult around this film and the MacManus twins and now I understand why. The film is bloody, funny and quotable.

8/10