Underwater

THE GIST: A sudden earthquake strikes a massive underwater drilling operation at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The damage is extensive, forcing the crew to evacuate. A few are left behind and need to figure out how to escape before they run out of oxygen or are killed by the now unsafe rig. It also looks like they might not be completely alone down there at the bottom of the ocean.

Underwater is the type of movie that intrigues me for its elements of action, mystery, and visual effects; in other words, I knew not to expect a masterpiece.

Overall, I was satisfied. The visual and sound effects are fantastic; the cast, led by Kristen Stewart and Vincent Cassel, is fully immersed in their characters; and the script and direction do a good job of upping the suspense and keeping the audience guessing about the end result.

THE BOTTOM LINE: This is the classic popcorn flick: don't expect too much from it and you likely won't be disappointed. I wasn't.

Grade: 6