Steel Sharks

This movie started out very slow, but then picked up the pace, and started to become more exciting. I nearly fell asleep during the first half hour, but sort of woke up during the last parts of the film, when you got to know the characters a bit better, and their escape from the submarine began.

I thought it was kind of funny that the foreigners couldn't decide on whether to speak in their native language, or to speak English, it just seemed like improvised play and/or poor planning.

I liked most of the actors though, and especially thought that Gary Busey's portrayal of the bizarre captain (he always said something weird in critical moments) was amusing. Seeing him in navy clothes brought back some memories of "Under Siege", where he also appeared in the same kind of outfit, and also acted crazy throughout. Shaun Toub does a good job as the rival Iraqi/Iranian submarine-captain too, albeit a quite typical "bad middle-eastern warmonger" portrayal though.

Overall, I have to give this movie 5/10, because it wasn't completely bad, and some of the settings were kind of cool, but it was just unexciting, dull, and lacked genuine thrills and excitement..

But to be honest, this movie just lacks the presence of Steven Seagal.. Billy Dee Williams giving orders through a walkie-talkie, and a crew of generic Navy Seals led by Billy Warlock doesn't quite cut it.

This has got to be one of the worst movies made in recent years. It's a low budget rip-off of "The Hunt for Red October" with acting so atrocious it's laughable. This is definitely one to miss. I have no idea how they got Gary Busey to do this film.

The main story may be too simple, i.e a person is kidnaped, a group of soldier is sent to rescue, the plan does not goes smoothly, the resue get caught and escape... , but if you have watched other movie that involve with navy SEAL, you will know that this movie is more realistic than other SEAL movies e.g The Rock, Navy SEAL, U.S Seal). The most obvious point is the movement of each SEAL units, they do not just walk, run, fire weapon... they move without opening any gap to their enemy, how they hold their weapon, how they clear each room to room, how fast can they make their assault plan before going into a room full of enemy... these above points really show us little pieces of how elite of the most highly trained commando in the world...

The movie starts very slow but don't judge the movie by its initial 40 minutes at least. Story line is pretty straight forward and easy to watch. The sequences in the submarine "hunter and hunted" scenes in the second half of the movie are excellent. Acting improves all the way in the movie. You will be gripping at your arm rest to know how it will end. Somehow it seems like acting school movie for both producers and actor/actresses. But the outcome is certainly watchable. Underwater filming of the subs in motion is commendable. And I feel the end scene could have been something more glamorous and looks like the film budget hit the wall here!

This film is more interesting today than when it was released in 1997.However it's still fighting WW11,not todays enemy as the script would like you to believe.Still a good sub film is hard to find.Add to it Navy Seals and its watchable one time.The plot is simple. Civilian scientist is kidnapped and the seals have to rescue him.Good stuff.The problem is that its Iran military not terrorists and the seal team sent to rescue him does but is captured itself and put on a Iranian sub which then plays "tag"with a US sub sent to extract the team after its mission.Some good navy footage as the Navy cooperated in the filming.Carriers,planes and subs,OH MY !!!! Still its good to boo the Iranians and cheer the seals even if it rings like fighting the "last"war instead of the one to come.Gary Busey plays Cmdr. Bill McKay,the USN subs captain with just enough aplomb to make you wonder if he's going to go off.Billy Dee Williams as Adm. Jim Perry head of the fleet, is really under-used and the rest of the cast is OK but not well known then or now,including the actors who played the seals.If you have nothing else to do, watch it.It's well made just not plausible.