RED WATER

US, 2003, 100 minutes, Colour.
Lou Diamond Philips, Kristy Swanson, Coolio, Jaimz Woolvett, Rob Boltin, Langley Kirkwood.
Directed by Charles Robert Carner.

Red Water is a derivative from Jaws. This time a bull shark has gone into a Louisiana river and gone upstream into a lake - devouring quite a number of characters on its way.

Where the film is a bit different is that it focuses on two subplots, one a Virgin Island gangster employs divers to go into the lake to recover money that was thrown overboard five years earlier. The other concerns oil exploration in the lake, in a wilderness, and the researchers and their personal clashes. This all combines with a final confrontation with the shark.

The film is routine telemovie material, some touches of the cliché. Lou Diamond Philips is tight-lipped as the hero, captain of a boat who takes tourists and passengers upriver, feeling full of guilt because as an oil researcher some people were killed on his watch. Kristy Swanson plays another researcher, ex-wife of Philips. The criminals are Coolio, the rap singer, Jaimz Woolvett and Langley Kirkwood. Rob Boltin appears as a sympathetic Cajun man.

The film was made completely in South Africa standing in for Louisiana.

The film was directed by Charles Robert Carner, writer and director for television movies including Vanishing Point, The Fixer, Echo of Murder as well as the biblical film, Judas.

1. An entertaining thriller? Derivative of Jaws? The influence of Jaws - theme, visual treatment, confrontation with sharks? Heroism?

2. The South African settings standing in for Louisiana? The rivers and lakes? The landscapes? The wilderness areas? The musical score?

3. The title, exploitation of the Jaws theme?

4. The focus on the shark, the relationship with the search for oil and the disruption of the environment? The attacks by the shark, the swimmers at the resort, the old grandfather, the ecology guide? The further depredations? The visualising of the shark, the underwater scenes? The attacks on people? The drilling crew? The searches for the money? The final confrontation and death of the shark? The reward?

5. The story of the oil exploration, its being in a wilderness centre? The personnel, their work, the equipment, the dangers? Hank and his management? The raising of the temperature leading to the final explosion? Kelli and her relationship with Gene, hiring John, going to the site? His expertise, helping with the explosion? Their confrontation with the criminals? The ending of the oil exploration?

6. The background of the criminals, the Virgin Islands, the criminal and his employing the divers? Brett and his background? Ice and his going along to supervise? Jerry and his getting out of jail? Their equipment, the diving? The background of the money hidden while Jerry was in jail? The personalities of Ice and his tough man act? Brett and his athleticism? Jerry and his two-timing? The diving, the search? The confrontation with the oil people, with Gene, Gene being shot at, his eventually dying? The taking over of John's boat? The oil rig? The dangers, the shark, the forcing of John and the others to dive for the money? Emery and his not being able to swim? Kelli standing in? Jerry and his double cross? The injuries to Brett, Kelli saving him, his approach to her? His death? Ice and his finally getting the money - and his being taken by the shark? Jerry and his death? Poetic justice and comeuppance?

7. John, his background, his lack of money, the severity of the woman at the bank? His friendship with the captain? The background of the deaths on his watch, his feelings of guilt, pulling out of the oil business? His separation from Kelli? His explaining the background of his marriage and separation? The talks with her, the dance, his deciding to take the expedition? Clashes with Gene? His reliance on Emery, the Cajun background, stopping with the community, the celebration? On the rig, his help with the explosion? The deaths of the men? The confrontation with the shark? With the criminals? His being injured, the guns, the dangers to Kelli? Rescuing Hank? Emery and his not being able to swim, rescuing him? The final confrontation? The background of the police, the reward, the rescue?

8. The background characters, the tourists, the ecology tours, the police?

9. The action adventure, staging of action sequences? The expected conventions of this kind of genre? Popular entertainment?