47 Meters Down: Uncaged
review by Bobby Blakey
I love a good shark flick and in the last couple of years we have gotten both good and bad with The Shallows, the ridiculous Sharknado franchise, and most recently The Meg. In 2017 yet another film took fans into the depths of the ocean with 47 Meters Down. While the film delivered some intense moments for me it didn’t really capture the full shark attack genre. Now we are returning to the series for the follow-up 47 Meters Down: Uncaged that looks to try and actually bring the shark fury to the fans. Can this unexpected sequel offer up more underwater for the fans to feast on or will it sink to the bottom of the ocean?
47 Meters Down: Uncaged follows the story of four teen girls diving in a ruined underwater city, who quickly find themselves in a watery hell as their fun outing turns into heart-stopping fear when they learn they are not alone in the submerged caves. As they swim deeper into the claustrophobic labyrinth of caves they enter the territory of the deadliest shark species in the ocean. I was pretty impressed with the first film in relation to the visuals and the way it was shot, taking place almost completely underwater, but was underwhelmed by the lack of shark terror that the trailers seemed to promise. When this latest sequel came up I wasn’t overly excited thinking we might get more of the same, but instead was pleasantly entertained way more than expected.
The beginning of the film limps along pretty slow as they try to establish the characters and their issues with each other. Here most of it makes little sense as it isn’t overly necessary elements when the film actually kicks into high gear. Thankfully once they dive into the water the film delivers both another underwater visual treat, but this time fully brings the shark attacks in abundance. Sure like any of these films there are some over the top moments, but I liked that they kept a lot of it grounded in reality despite the big situation.
The cast are fine with no one really standing out, but in a film like this it isn’t
really necessary. They are all able to convey the terror needed to fight for their lives and that is all that this film needs. I was most impressed with the shark choice and how they shot it. It is obviously CGI, but thanks to some excellent visual choices and shadows they offer up some awesome sequences and real jump scares for those that tend to fall for it. It takes the slow first half and fully makes up for it by diving into the sharks, water avalanches and so much more to keep the intense levels up until the very end of the film.
I had a blast with this film and even enjoyed the over the top final moments of the film that while not as realistic in some ways sucks you in thanks the previous events leading up to it. This was one of those rare sequels that I felt surpassed the first film in almost every way and makes me hope for another chapter that I hopes sticks with this formula. If you like the underwater shark attack genre then give this flick a try available now on Blu-ray and DVD.