When John Carpenter makes a low budget sci-fi thriller it becomes cult, when Sean S. Cunningham does the same practically everyone calls it cheap. I don't get it. Okay, DeepStar Six is a little dull, but once the monster pops up it isn't that bad. Visually I think it's fine, and although the special effects look slightly pre-mature and clearly a lot of small-scale models have been used I actually prefer this over the clinical and steely looking computer tricks pulled by canonized Industrial Light and Magic.
To compare this film to Fantastic Voyage (1966) may be way out of line, but still DeepStar Six reminded me of that somewhat ridiculous film in which a scientific crew and their vehicle are shrunk in order to explore the human body. Little human bodies are saved in DeepStar Six and that is a bit of a waste since the cast is good and especially the female contributions (by Nia Peeples, Nancy Everhard and Cindy Pickett) are swell. Greg Evigan makes a nice lead and he has the right looks for his heroic part. Thank God (or Cunningham) they did not cast a bull like Steven Segal or Chuck Norris for this part, for that would have spoiled everything. A pleasant surprise is the presence of Marius Weyers (who played in the wonderful classic The Gods Must Be Crazy). Not at his best here, but I don't mind.
Camera and lighting are done in such a way that the interior of the ship as well as the atmosphere look pretty authentic and Sean S. Cunningham has done a fine job in making his actors move around in it naturally and convincingly. Not a masterpiece, but I am pleased to see a film like this from a man who has done much worse.
