Post by StevePulaski on Feb 22, 2011 15:54:57 GMT -5
The gloomy, underwater adventure that is Sanctum.
Rating: ★★
From directing an ass kicking machine, to a creepy yet classic Alien, to a sinking ship, to the underwater world of Pandora, and now to a grotesque, subterranean cave it is clear James Cameron has worked in a widespread field. Out of all of those films that I've seen, Sanctum is probably the worst of the bunch. Sanctum is a gloomy, and unappealing film as it is lifeless in the screenplay, lighting, and acting field.
Just because James Cameron's name is plastered on the poster and this is being marketed as "A film by James Cameron" does not put the blame entirely on him. That would be like me blaming Ethan Smith for producing Diary of a Wimpy Kid since it was a bad film. Does that make sense? James Cameron didn't write, direct, or star in this film. Leave the guy alone. He is rich on Avatar money, bitch.
The plot: Five spelunkers are conducting a cave exploration in Papua New Guinea. The cave is underwater and very dangerous. The first flaw I noticed is that the brainiacs bring along a beginning climber whose presence on the trip makes no sense. That would be like bringing me on a mission to redirect a missile the size of Montana from hitting the USA in under an hour. If that was the case for me, there would be a good chunk of the US missing.
Anyhow, a cyclone hits the in-depths of the cave and the five spelunkers are fighting for their life in the underground cave. They're one way of escape has now been barricaded, and chance of survival is very slim. They try against all odds to escape, but the chances are slim.
The plot sounds entertaining, the atmosphere sounds dark, and the action sounds good. It probably all "sounded" good on paper until storyboards and eventually filming took place. Then it all fell apart. The acting is the first thing that made me lose interest. These "experts" aren't who they think they are. The lead actor Richard Roxburgh, who plays Frank McGuire, was by far my favorite character. I knew from the very start he'd be the highlight of the film.
The 3D in the film is ho-hum at best. This is the kind of thing that does not need to be in 3D. It isn't worth the extra money and the tension headache. I never deduct points or add points because of the 3D, but if it becomes a standard like it's starting to I might start. I can guarantee at the rate we're going lots of films will be in "The Avoid Files" section.
Sanctum made me lost in a few parts, and sometimes it took me a little while before I caught up with the storyline. I felt like I was the one being lost in a cave rather than the actors. It's like in Dream a Little Dream, the film barely explains the plot and most of it is left for the audience to assume. Or maybe the smeared 3D glasses I received were the reason I was lost. Whatever the case may be, even the problem resolved probably wouldn't improve Sanctum too much.
Starring: Richard Roxburgh, Rhys Wakefield, Alice Parkinson, Dan Wyllie, and Ioan Gruffudd. Directed by: Alister Grierson.