Belated movie review: Open Water

[marshallkarp]

It is cold here in northeast Ohio, so time to dream about summer and diving and watch movies while getting through the winter. Last night, I watched Open Water. I think the best way to report on this movie is pros and cons.

Pros

Several times I was engrossed in the action and characters. There were some intense scenes.

Underwater dive video portions were pretty good.

Acting was good, got involved with the two leads.

Location shots were good.

Cons

Strange looking. Looks like digital video transferred to film.

I was really underwhelmed by the experience. I was expecting so much more from the hype. But, how much can you do with two people who love each other left behind in the water for a day and night.

Once again, they lean on sharks to get a JAWS thing going to sell tickets and stake the plot on. Sharks and JAWS in movies and TV was overdone a long time ago.

This is not a good film to inspire people to take up recreational diving. (Uh, huh, I'm going going to do that, I'm afraid of sharks. No way am I getting left behind in the ocean)

Conclusion

If you don't have anything else to do to get through winter, watch this movie. If you have the opportunity to go ocean diving, go ocean diving.

**1/2

 

[Barracuda2]

Pros

Several times I was engrossed in the action and characters. There were some intense scenes.

Underwater dive video portions were pretty good.

Acting was good, got involved with the two leads.

Location shots were good.


**1/2

You must have watched a different "Open Water" than I saw!! The movie was terrible in everyway possible. Search for past threads and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I'm with cuda on this one. It stunk big time. the lead characters were idiots and got what they deserved. The husband was a first class hot dog who seemed to get all his experience and training from magazines. It was so bad that when my instructor asked me how it was I told him he needed to see it for himself. He did. And after seeing it he called me at 11 at night to call me a few names for not telling him wht drivel it was and saving him a few bucks. My rating- negative 5. Only "plan 9 from outer space was worse". but not by much

 

[danktex]

My wife would not watch it because she would be afraid every time I went diving. I told not to worry if she watched it she would not be able to wait for them to die soon enough.

 

[Nemrod]

This is not a good film to inspire people to take up recreational diving. (Uh, huh, I'm going going to do that, I'm afraid of sharks. No way am I getting left behind in the ocean)



I don't think that was the intention, OPen Water, like the movie Into the Blue, showed recreational divers/cattles boats as bafoonery at it's best.

Suprisingly, the public at large does not see scuba as a glamor sport, instead, something of a nerd event.

N

 

[Buoyant1]

I just liked the gratuitous nudity...other than that...not overly great. (But I saw things that really happen on cattle boats!...THAT was the scary part!)

 

[johnny_bravo]

The only way I was 'involved' with either of the leads was with the female lead's gratuitous nude shot

Cheers.

-J.-

 

[Jcsgt]

Only "plan 9 from outer space was worse". but not by much

I disagree. Plan 9 From Outer Space was much better.

 

[shark.byte.usa]

And YES you are correct, it was shot with Digital Video, this was by no means a big budget film it was an "Indie" backed by great marketing.

 

[all4scuba05]

I think parts of it should be shown in OW class and then the do's and don'ts should be discussed.
I watched it with wife even though she's scared of diving. But I kept pausing it to explain how that wouldn't be happening to me. After a while she told me to stop pausing it on the girl shot.