Deepstar Six

Directed by Sean S. Cunningham, Deepstar Six follows the crew of an underwater military outpost, including Greg Evigan’s McBride and Miguel Ferrer’s Snyder, as they’re forced to fend for their lives after a series of calamitous happenings. Filmmaker Cunningham, working from Lewis Abernathy and Geof Miller’s screenplay, delivers a slow-moving thriller that admittedly (and for the most part) fares better than one might’ve anticipated, as the picture boasts an assortment of relatively well-developed heroes and a smattering of engrossing, engaging interludes. (There is, for example, an exciting scene wherein McBride and Taurean Blacque’s Laidlaw risk their lives to rescue one of their own.) It’s equally apparent, however, that Deepstar Six suffers from a rather hit-and-miss midsection that diminishes its overall impact, with the movie occasionally dwelling just a little too long on episodes and events that aren’t quite as enthralling as Cunningham has intended. Such concerns become relatively moot as the picture progresses into an exciting (and appreciatively violent) third act, as Cunningham peppers this portion of the proceedings with gruesome kill sequences that undoubtedly ensure that Deepstar Six ends on a positive note – which ultimately cements its place as an erratic endeavor that could’ve been a whole lot worse, certainly.

**1/2 out of ****