Deep Rising - 1998's Titanic rival?

Now what?

Ah the 90's, we got so many classic films like Face/Off, The Rock, Heat, Goodfellas, Shawshank Redemption and, erm, Deep Rising?

Not many people know but in 1998 we got this action/ disaster/ thriller about a glamorous cruise liner that gets attacked by mysterious sea monsters. The film released about a month after blockbuster hit Titanic (James Cameron), so many people were already sick of the cruise liner/ disaster sub genre. Over time Deep Rising became a bit of a little known classic but the film had all the ingredients to be a hit. 

The cast is a mixed bag with Treat Williams playing John Finnegan, easily the films protagonist and eventual hero, a role he's not exactly known for but pulls off really well. The great use of his expressions and bond style dialogue works well, and it's obvious he can play the hero very well, even if he is no Harrison Ford. Continuing his relationship with Stephen Sommers, Kevin J. O'Connor is cast as Joey Pantucci, perhaps the most bizarre choice. As good an actor as he is, this role was an unusual fit for his style, but for the most part he pulls of the role of 'sidekick hero' fairly well. His characters in many of Sommer's films are suitably quirky and goofy but he manages to cut a fine line between that and normal here. Definitely the comedy of the film and it ensures it never takes itself too seriously. Other great actors include Famke Janssen, Anthony Heald, Wes Studi and Jason Flemyng.

The film's CGI is actually decent for a film from 1997, with the squid like monster squeezing in and out of pipes and corridors. The effects are good too with the walls caving in and floors shaking violently.