Submerged (2005)

Steven Seagal (Belly of the Beast, Out for a Kill), the free world's most "independent" anti-terrorist agent, is going down under - not to foreign ports but submerged, under the sea, where waves of deceit are set to torpedo his command permanently. Chris Cody (Seagal) is summoned from his military prison cell and promised a presidential pardon - with a hitch. An American Ambassador has been assassinated - by the U.S. Secret Service. Now the C.I.A. wants Cody to uncover and terminate this deadly operation, but they don't tell him the truth. Cody ends up overpowered and trapped beneath the waves but hardly out of his depth.

Should Have Stayed Underwater

You've got to hand it to "Submerged" - it's certainly very different from any other movie out there starring Steven Seagal. Director Anthony Hickox ("Waxwork", "Hellraiser III") certainly had a vision in mind that was different from typical action fare when he co-wrote and directed this little thriller. Whether you like it or not, any regular viewer of Seagal's films will at least look twice at what at what the Seagal-Hickox duo bring to the table...the problem is, this one's guaranteed to have more people dislike it than not.

Imprisoned mercenary Chris Kody (Seagal) is promised the release of himself and his team on the condition that they can stop a major terrorist strike against the US, headed by a sadistic mad scientist (Nick Brimble, "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves"). After the Uruguayan terrorist base is demolished, Kody and his team are set to return home by submarine, taking with them several POWs...unaware that their seemingly harmless quarry have been brainwashed to turn against them at the push of a button. Kody must not only escape assassination, but also stop this dangerous infiltration from spreading through the highest levels of government.

I'm pretty sure that my summary doesn't cover everything in the film, but can you blame me? - up there with "Attack Force", this is one of the convoluted, difficult-to-follow films Steven's ever been in.
While the plot's a given dud, the film does have a few good points. For example, even though Seagal and bad-guy Brimble leave a lot to be desired in the acting department, Christine Adams ("Eye of the Dolphin"), William Hope ("Aliens"), and Vinnie Jones ("Strength and Honour") give good performances. In addition, if you can get over the mind-bogglingly fake-looking airplane in the film's opening shots, the production is generally higher than Seagal's other DTV outings. The scenes in submarine are effectively creepy, with director Hickox getting a chance to show off his credentials in the field of building up a decent-looking thriller.

Alas, only about a third of the film takes place in the actual submarine, which is less than the amount of time that Seagal's voice is dubbed by another actor. Though the film manages to keep ahold of a certain amount of suspense throughout its duration, it's watered down by dumb dialogue (Seagal calls people "white boy" and "alligator" now and then), the fact that we get to know next to none of the supporting characters, glaring factual errors about the Republic of Uruguay and the Italian language ("It's all in Spanish!"), and a general feeling of the entire production not being entirely tied down. In addition, the shootout in the tunnel - in which a handful of mercenaries armed with submachine guns manage to hold off at least two dozen advancing soldier and a TANK without cover - should receive an award for the most unconvincing action scene ever. Luckily, the remaining action scenes aren't as bad - they're just completely forgettable.

While I wouldn't go as far as to call this Seagal's worst movie, it should certainly prove to any nay-sayer that the man's career is slowly wheeling towards its deathbed. This is definitely a fans-only purchase...and that will be only so you can convince yourself of the horror stories you've heard about the film. Everybody else shouldn't even bother looking twice. October 17, 2008

Disappointing

Awful can't even describe this DVD Video. A waste of money, if you must see it, rent it. August 8, 2007

Seagal, what happened after you were Under Seige?

I enjoyed the blockbuster Steven Seagal was in called Under Siege and I've taken in some films he did here and there after that great film, which was also helped with a cast that included Gary Busey and Tommy Lee Jones.

I could not even finish this movie, it was that bad. The level of special effects were horrible, with presentations that were so false it made me want to poke my finger through the screen to see if my outstretched hand would go right through the paper looking backdrops. Weak characters and a plot that spins around forever without really going anywhere other than down. Seriously, skip this and be selective when looking for a Seagal film anymore because this cheaply made straight to DVD stuff is terrible. I wish Seagal himself would have some pride but considering he probably is not getting any offers, he has to take what he can get. The last major role he had in a great action film was unfortunately when he fell out of that airplane at the beginning of the movie Executive Decision and it obviously has been a free fall ever since. Submerged is cheap low grade filler and is the kind of film you could not give away if you paid someone to take it! August 4, 2007

Seagal's style.......

If you're a fan of Steven Seagal then you won't be disappointed. He always knows how to deal with the enemy and he'll do anything to reach his goal. It is too bad that Seagal doesn't use his Martial arts skills as much as he uses weapons most of the time. August 19, 2006

Don't listen to the negative reviews: Steven is still Excellent!

I've finally seen Submerged on cable. It's a great flick. The director made it much more gritty, fast paced, and geared towards what I assume the young people appreciate today. As with other reviewers, I didn't hear the "dubbed in dialogue" that they were referring to. Also, with all the split screen and flashbacks, it all ties into the story.

Anyway, Steven is a convict that must rescue some Americans and brings in some old friends who are very ba****ss. Lots of action and as always with Mr. Seagal, the moral is, be good, because good is always rewarded and bad punished. It's great! June 20, 2006

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