Open Water 2 - Adrift

Nice Idea - poorly executed, 23 February 2007

Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom


*** This review may contain spoilers ***


It is easy to dismiss this film as derivative, clichéd and formulaic. And there is some truth in these descriptions. Yet despite these negatives, there is a half decent film struggling to get out. The premise, that a group of young adults find themselves stranded in the water, with no apparent means of re boarding the yacht is fine.But the Director struggles, even more than the poor souls in the water, to overcome the conventions of the yarn to deliver an engaging story.

When you place all your cast in the water for pretty much 3/4 of the 94 minute running time,maintaining dramatic tension is tricky. Compelling characters, a strong unfolding story, and powerful dialogue can come to the rescue - but all are sadly absent here. Indeed some of the characters are so irritating that you find yourself hoping that they die early on. You genuinely fail to engage with them in being saved.

Overall the acting is routine and the scene setting first quarter of an hour is so laboured and forced that you are urging them to "get on with it". Once in the water their options are so limited that the run in to the finale seems to take forever.

On the plus side there are some dramatic moments and the plot steers away from "sharks in the water" mode. Aqua phobia, and career misrepresentation provide some mild moments of tension, but the characters are not sufficiently well drawn, and the dialogue too routine, to really maximise the potential of the tale.

Competent enough, and enjoyable enough, but never more than run of the mill.