suite92 Project leader Van Gelder is driving most of the crew nuts. He's behind schedule on constructing an underwater missile platform for the US Navy. Unfortunately, pro forma sound checks reveal a cave beneath the seabed over which the platform was to be built. Van Gelder orders that explosives be used to collapse the cave so that building can continue. Burciaga and Collins register their objections due to structural risks. Scarpelli objects since she will lose any chance of studying possible life forms that normally reside in the caves. Captain Laidlaw sides with Van Gelder since the Navy is likely to shut down the project if there are any more delays.Hodges and Osborne set off the charges as ordered. When they send down a tethered remote unit to record stills and video, they manage to lose it. They detach from their tractor housing to pursue the remote, since losing it would be so expensive. The cavern is rather huge, and the likelihood of filling it in to continue construction looks bleak.That's when the elimination derby starts. The rest of the film is about survival: the crew versus whatever took out that the remote.This was a rather ordinary entry. It's sci-fi set underwater with some nasty creatures. This one turns into a more or less by-the-numbers elimination derby, with none of the characters (except perhaps Snyder) showing any awareness of what was happening. It was just not that interesting.

Wuchak Due to the hype of James Cameron's blockbuster "The Abyss" in 1989, there was a glut of underwater sci-fi/horror thrillers, all lesser productions (not that "The Abyss" was a great movie, just that it was a top level production)."Deepstar Six" is essentially an underwater version of "Alien" and Star Trek, but not as good. The story revolves around A crew of underwater workers/scientists who accidentally breach a cavern and disturb the creature living there. Havoc ensues. The film was directed by Sean S. Cunningham, known for 1980's "Friday the 13th" and 1983's "Spring Break." "Deepstar Six" is essentially Friday the 13th underwater, but with adults and therefore more sophistication.Although this is a Grade B production in comparison to the Grade A "The Abyss," it's not bad at all as far as actors, sets and F/X go. In other words, the sets are convincing, the no-name actors do a quality job and the special effects are effective. The monster is pretty good, it just lacks the iconic stature of the creatures in "Alien" and "Aliens." Whereas the actors are skilled, the character development is lacking and, as such, they're relatively uninteresting people and therefore largely fail to apprehend the viewer's sympathy. Don't get me wrong, there's only one whiny loser in the bunch, but the rest of 'em come off too bland. Nia Peeples is the best, but probably only because she's such a petite babe, who's inexplicably removed prematurely; stupid! Still, there's just barely enough of her.The first half is relatively ho-hum as the characters are introduced and the underwater setting is established, but the second half won me over to some degree. There's a great scene of someone dying because he or she failed to properly decompress; and the ending, although clichéd, is effective. So, overall it's pretty mediocre, but just good enough to check out.The film runs 105 minutes.GRADE: B-

FireFan This is an enjoyable show about an ocean floor mission which uses well-delivered, well-made ships and machinery props. The show tries to be realistic in a successful way. For instance, there is truly a danger from too high an increase of atmospheric pressures under water that will infect the bloodstream and cause a person to literally collapse from not equalizing his inner body pressure with the outside sea pressure. This was used effectively here in the movie. The movie is presented in a mood of suspenseful dread, illuminated by a ray of hope for the crew's survival like many good edge-of-your-seat thriller flicks. The acting showed this intensity okay. It features as one of the members, Snyder, played by Miguel Ferrer, who seems to be disturbed and almost neurotic. He causes mishaps which leads the others to compounded disaster after the monster is known to be lurking somewhere around. There is a violent death of just about everyone and their trapped condition worsens progressively. It seems like the blame for the lost cause of their mission should and was put on Snyder and his actions as being the real detriment to the crew. I think this presents the main monster problem in an effectively scary way. I did feel that some of the scenery underwater was pretty and improved the movie. This film was an adventurous and entertaining show with a cast which included some attractive women although they played not as sex symbols but more influential roles comparable to their male counterparts. Watch this movie for unexpected disaster imposed on a seemingly normal sea quest!

BloodTheTelepathicDog This film plays like the little brother of THE ABYSS with a twist of ALIEN thrown in the mix. Fortunately, it doesn't bog itself down like THE ABYSS by incorporating a tedious, needless social statement in the final 45 minutes like Cameron's vastly overrated film. Be that as it may, this is still a rather weak B-film with poor characterization and a by-the-numbers plot.When a group of underwater workers disturb the lair of a sea creature the monster gets its revenge by destroying their base and snacking on the crew. The crew are all quite underdeveloped, even the romantic leads of Greg Evigan and Nancy Everhard. (SPOILER) You know when characters are about to die because they'll start start talking about their New Hampshire farm like Cindy Pickett or greasy hamburgers like Matt McCoy.STORY: $$$ (This isn't a bad story it just offers nothing new. The characterization is weak because it tries to forcefeed clichés. Miguel Ferrer plays the doofus Bill Paxton character of ALIENS and the romantic link between Everhard and Evigan is too weak for my money. None of the other characters are even moderately developed leaving the viewer with little invested in the people on the screen).ACTING: $$$ (The acting wasn't the problem. Miguel Ferrer clearly gives the best performance in this film with his excellent, slimy portrayal of Snyder, the ever-picked-upon handyman eager to get topside. I thought Nia Peeples and Nancy Everhard should have changed roles because Everhard's character was a tough-as-nails Navy officer and Nancy, although she clearly got into solid shape for the role, looks more like a schoolmarm than a soldier--Peeples on the other hand, has the hard body for a female Navy officer but her line readings were way too fast. I felt like whenever Nia had a line I had accidentally hit the fast forward button. The other actors were fine. Evigan is okay as the male lead and Matt McCoy does a solid job as the goof-off. Ferris Bueller's mom, Cindy Pickett, gives a solid performance as the base's medical officer and Marius Weyers is great as always. His character really needed to be more developed though).NUDITY: None, but no female cast member wears a bra in this movie. They didn't quite adhere to their packing list before departing on this six-month deployment.