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LIONSGATE

MOVIE INFO

Director:
Johannes Roberts
Cast:
Sophie Nélisse, Corinne Foxx, Brianne Tju
Writing Credits:
Johannes Roberts, Ernest Riera

Synopsis:
Four teen girls diving in a ruined underwater city quickly learn they've entered the territory of the deadliest shark species in the claustrophobic labyrinth of submerged caves.

Box Office:
Budget
$12 million.
Opening Weekend
$8,427,265 on 2853 screens.
Domestic Gross
$22,260,900.

MPAA:
Rated PG-13

DISC DETAILS
Presentation:
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio:
English DTS-HD MA 5.1
English Descriptive Audio
Subtitles:
English
Spanish
Closed-captioned
Supplements Subtitles:
None

Runtime: 90 min.
Price: $39.99
Release Date: 11/12/2019

Bonus:
• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Johannes Roberts, Producer James Harris and Writer Ernest Riera
• “Diving Deeper” Featurette
• Previews


PURCHASE @ AMAZON.COM

EQUIPMENT
-LG OLED65C6P 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart OLED TV
-Marantz SR7010 9.2 Channel Full 4K Ultra HD AV Surround Receiver
-Panasonic DMP-BD60K Blu-Ray Player
-Chane A2.4 Speakers
-SVS SB12-NSD 12" 400-watt Sealed Box Subwoofer


RELATED REVIEWS


47 Meters Down: Uncaged [Blu-Ray] (2019)

Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (November 19, 2019)

Just as the title implies, 2019’s 47 Meters Down: Uncaged acts as a follow-up to 2017’s 47 Meters Down. Don’t expect any of the first film’s characters or actors to carry over to Uncaged, but the return of director Johannes Roberts and writer Ernest Riera allow some form of credibility as a “spiritual sequel”, I guess.

Set in Mexico, we meet a blended family that consists of underwater archaeologist Grant (John Corbett), wife Jennifer (Nia Long), his daughter Mia (Sophie Nélisse) and her daughter Sasha (Corinne Foxx). The two teen girls don’t have much of a connection, so Grant forces them to go on a glass-bottom boat tour to see sharks in their natural habitat.

Before they embark, Sasha’s pals Alexa (Brianne Tju) and Nicole (Sistine Rose Stallone) hijack the stepsisters and take them to a secret pool. This location allows access to the submerged Mayan ruins that Grant studies, and the four teens “borrow” scuba gear so they can check out the historical site.

Matters go awry when a creepy blind fish scares Nicole. Her actions cause a collapse that blocks their exit.

The teens also meet a deadly visitor when a shark discovers them. This sends the foursome on an urgent mission to survive the beast and make it out of the underwater location before their oxygen expires.

Many movies get made for theatrical release but end up straight to video. Few flicks get set for video release and then go to theaters, though.

That’s the path the original Meters took. Not only did the film get a home video release date, but also the studio had already sent out review DVDs before matters changed.

This took Meters from a summer 2016 DVD release to one with a summer 2017 theatrical run, and this paid off for the studio. With a low $5.5 million budget, Meters earned a tidy $44 million.

Uncaged fared less well, though its cheap $12 million budget allowed it to turn a small profit, as it grossed $38 million worldwide. Still, that’s much worse return on investment than its predecessor.

Perhaps Uncaged should’ve been the one to go straight to video. The movie certainly never seems “ready for prime time”, as this awful film feels cheesy and amateurish from start to finish.

The script plays like a checklist, as you can hear the writers mentally mark off the necessary expository points. They place foreshadowing elements in the most obvious way and give the story no organic life.

That extends to the ridiculously underdrawn characters as well. At the start, we learn that her classmates view Mia as an outcast, but we get no sense why, and the movie never bothers to expand her role or any of the others.

I don’t mind that we find out nothing about what led Mia and Sasha’s family to become blended, but we really do need some form of character development. As it stands, we get a cast of pretty but formless roles, and we never even vaguely bond with any of them.

Since a movie like this relies on our interest in the characters’ survival, this turns into a problem. As it stands, we never care at all who lives or dies.

Not that you’ll encounter any surprises in that regard. Oh, in the vein, we get one attack that might qualify as surprising – but not really.

I won’t formally spoil the ending with a reveal of who makes it to the end credits, but it takes no effort to deduce the finale. A semi-seasoned movie fan will figure out the survivors before the film’s first five minutes conclude.

Of course, you’ll find yourself stuck with a slew of absurd plot contrivances along the way – and lots of swimming. We see endless shots of characters as they paddle from here to there to somewhere else.

Do the filmmakers believe these scenes will build tension? Perhaps, but instead, they become awfully tedious, and they feel like they exist solely to pad out this short movie to feature length.

After so much tedium, the filmmakers attempt to ratchet up the excitement in the finale, which means a slew of “big endings”. Uncaged comes with more climaxes than Sting during a 12-hour round of tantric sex, though none of them prove satisfying.

Like everything else, these “conclusions” seems laughable and absurd. I can swallow some disbelief for a film like this, but Uncaged goes to such an extreme that it proves ridiculous. Characters spend ample time stuck in sharks’ mouths and end up barely worse for wear!

Perhaps if the filmmakers winked at the viewer and played some of this for campy laughs, Uncaged might come with some entertainment value. None of that occurs, as the flick takes itself seriously. Too bad the viewer won’t.


The Disc Grades: Picture A-/ Audio B/ Bonus C+

47 Meters Down: Uncaged appears in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The movie boasted a terrific transfer.

Sharpness appeared strong. No problems emerged there, as the image displayed crisp and concise information.

Jagged edges and moiré effects created no concerns, and edge haloes were absent. Print flaws remained absent, as we found no specks, marks or other issues.

Uncaged utilized a fairly stylized palette, with a clear teal/orange orientation. The tints made sense in all the underwater photography, and the tones seemed well-reproduced.

Blacks seemed dark and dense, while shadows showed nice clarity. This became a very pleasing image.

In addition, the film’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack worked well. The soundfield offered a largely good sense of the action, especially during the various underwater and shark scenes.

Those allowed for various elements to spread around the room and present a nice impression of movement and impact. Music added good impact and the track melded together in a satisfying manner.

Audio quality worked fine, with speech that appeared natural and concise. Music appeared full and rich, while effects were accurate and dynamic. This wound up as a positive soundtrack.

Alongside the movie, we get an audio commentary from writer/director Johannes Roberts, producer James Harris and writer Ernest Riera. All three sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story/characters, cast and performances, sets and locations, shooting underwater, various effects, and related areas.

Expect a brisk, lively commentary, mainly led by Roberts’ giddy, profane presence. Because the track accompanies a “PG-13”, his many “F-bombs” all get bleeped, but the tone comes through anyway.

The conversation moves well and gives us a lot of production notes. This winds up as a pretty solid chat.

Diving Deeper runs 12 minutes, 30 seconds and brings notes from actors Sophie Nélisse, Sistine Rose Stallone, Brianne Tju, Corinne Fox and John Corbett.

“Deeper” examines story and characters, cast, performances and aspects of the shoot. They provide a few decent thoughts about the production’s challenges, but much of “Deeper” feels superficial and fluffy.

The disc opens with ads for Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark and 47 Meters Down. No trailer for Uncaged appears here.

A second disc provides a DVD copy of Uncaged. It includes the same extras as the Blu-ray.

A shark attack movie with no thrills or drama, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged fails in all possible ways. Idiotic, boring and ridiculous, it comes with zero entertainment value. The Blu-ray offers excellent visuals along with solid audio and an informative commentary. Even by the low standards of shark-attack movies, Uncaged flops.

Viewer Film Ratings: 2 Stars Number of Votes: 2
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