Rating: Summary: Splashes. Review: An effective movie that was extreemly well lensed, BELOW is one of the better submarine movies out there. Tense and claustraphobic, this story of WW2 submariners dealing with supernatural happenings hits the mark with some erie momments and cool visuals. The very end of the picture has some silly scenes that could've been better orchestrated, but other than that the film is solid- it moves quickly and with purpose. The DVD is very good and the sound on the disc and in the film is nothing less than awesome. A great scary movie for late night viewing.
Rating: Summary: It's the acting that makes it great Review: All the positive reviews are right....this is a great genre film. But it's not the pitch perfect subtle horror....or the best underwater action since Hunt For Red October. Or even the very deftly done cinematography. It's the superb acting done by an ensemble cast. Each character is a real, multifaceted, human being. The cast works together so well you imagine they must have rehearsed for months....there is not a "wrong" moment on screen.....a master script! The releasing company buried this great film...and if it wasn't for the reviews I read on Amazon...I might have missed it. Thanks to everyone who writes a review....good or bad!
Rating: Summary: Not too bad, but needed more ghosts!!! Review: This was a god movie but not a great movie either. It had a good creepy atmosphere to it, a nice original story line. Yes, the actors and actresses where very good for no-namers. The picture quality and sound was very good. My only problem was I thought the movie was a little too slow, and it needed way more monsters/ FX/ something! Anything. Is it possible to have too much story line?, I think in this case the answer was yes. For reference, I thought the same thing about the Haunting: Needed way more action! Definitely worth seeing though. (Note, if you class being bumped around inside the submarine when depth charges are exploding around you, also similar to star trek's enterprise getting hit by torpedoes and the over dramatized reaction of the crew members, The YES this does have action)
Rating: Summary: A classic Review: I was very plesantly surprised with this film, I went in hoping for at least an adequate horror movie, but this gripped me like no other work in the genre has since the original Evil Dead. The suspense is extraordinarily well handled, and if you are a true fan of this sort of thing, it will have you looking behind you and checking for weird noises around the house after you are finished watching - it's that effective. Direction, acting, photography and special effects (although nothing too flashy here, the suspense is what really counts) are tops - it's almost unusual to find something so artistically sound coming out of Hollywood these days. As to why this film was so shabbily treated by the studio, it's anybody's guess. It should easily find its audience on DVD, where it is bound to get the classic status it deserves. A must for every horror film buff's collection.
Rating: Summary: creepy/spooky/cool Review: Why didnt it get released in theaters? I know bob and harvey weinstein know what works and how to do the job,but they got it wrong with this one. this film has Perfect acting,a big budget, a great director and a good story.If you like the idea of a haunted sub BUY THIS MOVIE NOW!
Rating: Summary: Not what it seems... Review: I went in thinking this would be a "light" horror movie, and was pleasantly surprised. The overall tone is tense and there are spooky moments- but it's more of a mystery/thriller than anything else. The performances are understated yet outstanding (the actors found a way to keep it interesting while smushed together on a sub) and whether you figure out the plot twist beforehand or not- it's well paced and keeps you guessing.
Rating: Summary: Don't Miss This One! Review: I see pretty much every "scary" movie that comes out and this was one of the BEST of 2002! Well acted, well-directed, interesting script, so DON'T MISS IT. Reminds me some ways of Robert Wise's classic 1963 film THE HAUNTING--what you don't see is what gives you the chills!
Rating: Summary: Best WWII submarine movie Review: This is a superb film. It beautifully blends supernatural suspense with an amazingly accurate depiction of the structure and function of the WWII fleet submarine. The producers did their homework on this one. It is a must see for WWII or submarine buffs or anyone who wants to be confined within a tight suspense-filled thriller.
Rating: Summary: An original and inventive submarine thriller Review: The year is 1943, and the U.S.S. Tiger Shark is on a covert assignment deep within enemy territory in the Atlantic Ocean, until an order takes them on a detour for a rescue mission. When they arrive at the designated coordinates, three survivors from a British medical ship are found and brought aboard, among them is a female named Claire. It turns out that a German U-boat had torpedoed and destroyed their craft two days ago, leaving them stranded in the sea. Soon after, strange things begin to happen on the submarine as Claire starts to uncover clues that eventually lead her to a dark secret among the senior crewmen. Now they must find a way to evade the enemies above, while dealing with an unknown terror in their midst at the same time.Below came highly recommended to me, and I have to say that I was very impressed, especially with the acting. You might remember Bruce Greewood's compelling performance as of JFK in Thirteen Days; here he plays Lt. Brice, the acting captain of the Tiger Shark. On the surface Brice is a very capable man, decisive and a great leader, but as his past begins to catch up with him, the guy slowly breaks down, and Greenwood does a good job portraying the character's slow descent into instability. Olivia Williams and Matthew Davis are equally solid in the roles of Claire and Ensign O'Dell respectively. Admittedly there are certain cliches one would often expect in horror movies, such as the obligatory visual tricks, the unexplained noises, and sudden crescendo in the music to insinuate the presence of the paranormal. Yet director Twohy was able to create some interesting and effective sequences, one noteworthy scene took place when Lt. Loomis noticed his image the mirror, there was an obvious lag between the movements he makes and the reflection's response, it still gives me the creeps when I think about it. The script co-written by Aronofsky is another strong point of the movie, original and inventive, even though the film seems to flounder a bit towards the middle, as it transitions from the action-oriented WWII subplot to the more suspense filled part of the film. In the end, the plot is an engaging tale that will probably leave you wondering whether if the submarine is really cursed, or is it just a string of coincidental circumstances? I would consider Below as one of the best movies I've seen all year, therefore I am somewhat perplexed in regards to Dimension Films' poor treatment of its release. There was little to no advertisement, the trailer itself wasn't made available until a week before the picture hit the theaters, director Twohy even had to put up a website out of his own pocket. But don't let that stop you, despite some of the minor flaws I have mentioned previously, Below is a very well rounded film, and I believe it should cater to a wide range of moviegoers, that is if they will give it a chance which the studio never did.
Rating: Summary: A smart, chilling 1940s B picture--don't miss it. Review: A "B" picture about a haunted submarine, and it's the best movie I've seen this year. Yep. No pretentious artiness, no pandering to the audience, no snarky cynicism. Just expert filmmaking from a smart, intricate screenplay, with an excellent cast, marvelous cinematography, terrific special effects, and a final shot that will linger in your memory for quite awhile. Too bad the studio is dumping it when it's the most sophisticated and highest quality film I've seen this year.
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