At first, this movie seems to have been made to show off the beauty that is underwater, a beauty which, more often than not, includes visions of the lovely Jessica Alba swimming by. By the end of the movie, there has been a shift in dynamics, it moves from a travelogue featuring Jessica Alba, to a film that has a surprisingly effective conflict and a build of genuine suspense. However, the film suffers from being overlong and having a weak script. Still, there is a sense of fun and adventure that doesn't rely on loads of CG effects that is refreshing.
The film opens with a plane crash, for unknown reasons, with unknown characters. But we know it will be important later, as the credits sequence lingers on the undersea wreckage. The sharks swimming around it signaling the trouble that will come of it later. We then begin our introductions to our cast of characters. We have the idealistic treasure hunter Jared (Paul Walker), his even more idealistic girlfriend Sam (Jessica Alba), his dopey friend Bryce (Scott Caan), and the girl he just met Amanda (Ashley Scott). On the other side of the fence is his competition, diver Bates (Josh Brolin) and a night club owner called Primo (Tyson Beckford).
The story, such as it is, follows Jared as he works at fixing up his boat and searching for sunken ships filled with treasure, which apparently can be a rather lucrative venture. He has a loving, and absolutely stunning, girlfriend, who may be even more of an idealist always encouraging him. Then his buddy shows up with a new woman in tow. They head out on his boat for a little diving. During the dive that crashed plane from the beginning is found, and it has a payload that is worth a lot of money, but could also attract a lot of attention. At the same time, a potentially huge shipwreck discovery.
Of course, they can't celebrate for long, it is time for the moral dilemma. Should they start digging up the ship? Should they retrieve the illegal payload of the plane? Should they report the plane wreckage? Oh, what a quandary. The thought process, or lack thereof, that goes into their actions isn't the best laid of plans. But, without these wonderful thoughts we wouldn't have the high action climax involving boat races, car chases, underwater shootouts, and, of course, the big twist.
It was slow going until about the halfway point, when some more bad guys jumped in and joined the fray. The action picked up, and the immediacy of the characters actions becomes more important and dire. Leading to a resolution that works in the "happy ending" sort of way.
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