Last summer’s hit “The Shallows” proved that, despite the seemingly monthly arrival of “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel, moviegoers’ appetite for the fearsome creatures remains unabated*. Johannes Roberts’ thriller doubles down on* its recent predecessor by placing not one but two attractive women in danger.

The central characters are Lisa (Mandy Moore) and Kate (Claire Holt), sisters vacationing together in Mexico. It turns out that Kate was a last-minute substitute* for Lisa’s boyfriend, who dumped her just before the trip because he found her too boring. When the two women meet a pair of hunky* locals who invite them to go shark-cage diving, Lisa resists at the beginning. But Kate points out that the adventure is just the thing to prove to Lisa’s ex that she’s exciting after all.

The boat skippered* by Captain Taylor (Matthew Modine) looks like a bucket of bolts and the rusty* cage in which they’ll be dropped into the water looks like it’s held together with duct tape*. But they’re only going down five meters and, despite the operation’s seemingly ramshackle* nature, the diving equipment, including full-face masks equipped with radio communication, looks state-of-the-art*.

It isn’t hard to guess what happens next. The cable snaps*, sending the cage to the bottom of the ocean floor even as great white sharks begin showing up in large numbers. The women’s air is quickly running out, but if they try to make a break for it they run the risk of either getting eaten or dying from the bends* if they rise to the surface too quickly. They’re only able to communicate with the captain by briefly leaving the cage and going up a few feet. When the dangers of nitrogen narcosis are added to the mix, it almost seems like overkill.

Admittedly, the film’s dialogue and characterizations are not its strong suit, as evidenced by such moments as when Lisa and Kate take the opportunity to work out some sibling issues during their ordeal*. And the endless series of near misses by the sharks certainly qualifies them as the most inept* predators on the planet, although the CGI-rendered sharks are surprisingly convincing.

(SD-Agencies)