Into the Blue 2: The Reef

I started the movie expecting to turn it off because it was so bad. Instead, I watched to the end and quite enjoyed it.

It.is not a movie that requires deep intellectual thought and never aspires to be. Instead it is.a popcorn flick with good looking people searching for treasure and it delivers on this.

If you just want to spend a couple of hours enjoying something light and entertaining, this is a good option.

I wasn't all that impressed with either 1977's "The Deep" or the film it inspired 28 years later, 2005's "Into the Blue." They were decent oceanic thrillers but that's about it. I liked the actors in both -- Nick Nolte, Robert Shaw & Jacqueline Bisset in "The Deep" and Paul Walker, Scott Caan & Jessica Alba in "Into the Blue" -- but unless you're rabid fans of Bisset and Alba (or the guys) neither film ever rose above the level of average.

2009's direct-to-video "Into the Blue 2: The Reef" is a sequel-in-name-only that successfully builds on the template of those other two films, delivering a far more entertaining experience IMHO.

"Into the Blue 2" simply has a more engaging story, more dazzling filmmaking and better, more numerous bikini-clad babes. In other words, everything that you might be looking for in an island thriller is here, only better than those earlier pictures. Although the main cast is relatively no-name (Chris Carmack, Laura Vandervoort, Marsha Thomason & Dave Anders), they do a splendid job; plus the film is highlighted by two solid cameos of Parvati Shallow ("Survivor") and Audrina Patridge, both incredibly gorgeous. Another highlight is the ultra-serious and thrilling final act, which comprises the last 35 minutes or so. Up to that point the story is pretty much just a fun, light-hearted beach/diving flick. The dramatic change in tone works in the film's favor and keeps it from being one-dimensional.

Since "Into the Blue 2: The Reef" is a direct-to-video release it cost a fraction the expense of "The Deep" and "Into The Blue," the latter of which cost a whopping $50 million, believe it or not. This makes an interesting study: Filmmakers can make better films at a fraction of the cost; it's simply a matter of ingenuity. Hats off to director Stephen Herek, writer Mitchell Kapner and the cast - awesome job!

"Into the Blue 2" was shot in Hawaii whereas the other two were filmed in the Caribbean.

The runtime is 92 minutes.

GRADE: A-

And boy did we find it. From the director of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure comes the sequel nobody wanted from a film that nobody liked. Into the Blue 2: The Reef is bad soap opera dialogue, plot and acting with the egregious tits and arse of a Fast and Furious movie. There's the same underwater shoot padded over six times throughout the entire movie and the glorious use of split screen editing and incongruous and sudden bursts of ear-splitting music from unknown bands so the director could fit a music video's worth of stock underwater footage or bikini volleyball in for several 4 minutes 37 seconds and prevent the entire running time from being 40 minutes and change of actual 'plot'. Characters don't flinch after the people they love are killed, villains disappear, or instead end up acting with their mouths almost entirely shut, and none of it is engaging or interesting or makes a lick of sense. But sandwiched in two parts between a viewing of Ultraviolet, this film looked like Citizen Kane by comparison. Bad but not abysmal. Cheap and crass but not offensive or studio-destroyed. All in all, I guess they all made the exact kind of film they wanted to make, which by that, I mean, a film that allowed everyone to go to the beachside for the entire shoot.

This movie tries to be a serious action/drama but is is embarrassingly stupid. The question is, which of us is more stupid, the movie, or me for watching it? The whole final scene where they have the surfboard funeral was hilariously bad. It was supposed to be this dramatic ending but I was just laughing hysterically. It's also one of those movies that is completely unbelievable because the characters are absolute morons that do everything wrong. Running from a bad guy wearing a hospital gown? Don't try to find a large group of people to help. Just run into an abandoned subway or something. I wasn't expecting much but wow.

i thought i would give this movie a chance because i must admit i really enjoyed the first. i went in with my expectations low and after the viewing i must admit i was'nt sorry. this movie is just OK. into the blue 1 was pretty good so a sequel was hard to do. the story was fine if not a little outdated and the acting was fine apart from a few silly actors letting the side down.

as u can probably tell there is not a lot to write about this apart from that if you enjoyed the first 1 then you will probably enjoy this as well...just not as much.

give it a try and let me know if my rating of fair or unfair;)