'Dead Water' [Blu-ray + Digital]
(Casper Van Dien, Judd Nelson, et al / Blu-ray + Digital / R / 2019 / LGF)
Overview: When a relaxing getaway turns deadly, a former Marine must risk his life once again to save his wife and best friend from a modern day pirate; all the while trying to hold himself together as he faces the ghosts of the war he left behind.
Blu-ray Verdict: So, a former Marine, his wife, and his best bud go on a boat trip only to be confronted by a pirate bent on robbing and killing them.
That's just the surface view for with these wishy-washy characters (all pun intended), and running at an overly-long 90 minutes, 'Dead Water' plays out just as you would expect it to. Which doesn't say much for its genre, I'll give you that, but at least Judd Nelson does his best ham job to keep the thing afloat (just).
'Dead Water,' with its overhead vessel shots and its one continuous (and confusing) flashback, feels like a low quota thriller with C-list stars you don't see much of anymore (ie: the aforementioned Judd Nelson and the always-brilliant to watch in anything, Casper Van Dien - 'Starship Troopers').
Part 'Midnight Crossing' and part 1989's 'Dead Calm,' 'Dead Water' has a couple of neat puzzle piece twists - even though you can see them coming a mile away - all wrapped within the safe comfort blanket of knowing that at least one of these lesser-seen actors will pop his clogs at some point in the latter stages!
Directed by an unknown rookie (Chris Helton), shot in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and featuring a military dog tag throwing scene straight from the annals of 'Maverick,' 'Dead Water' feels all too brief while giving us only a conventional level of torrid strain.
As for the acting, well, I love Nelson in anything, for as much as he sleepwalks through most roles these days, his sense of timing (fun or otherwise) is still there - dread, if required, always plastered in just the right slap stick amounts across his facial expression!
The other actors are pretty decent too with Russell Crowe lookalike Griff Furst playing the PTSD-laden Marine named David (mentioned earlier). Nobody else needs to be brought forth here as it really is a three-man movie on the less-than high seas.
All in all, 'Dead Water' is not really noir, it's not really camp, and it's not in any way budget extravagant, but that's what you assume going in so you are never, ever let down.
In closing, it's just the type of flick you watch on a lazy wet Sunday afternoon (alone, or with friends) and allow to wash over you in the most harmless, yet mysteriously enjoyable of ways. This is a Widescreen Presentation (2.40:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.
The 'Dead Water' Blu-ray + Digital and DVD arrives September 17th, 2019 and will be available for the suggested retail price of $21.99 and $19.98, respectively.
www.LGF.com
Official 'Dead Water' Trailer