Disappointing – the 3-D effects, the script and the acting. After that, what’s left? “Sanctum” is described as a film ‘from executive producer James Cameron, creator of Titanic and Avatar.’ What that means is, Cameron probably lent writer/director Alister Grierson his name, his expertise in underwater photography and his 3-D digital technology. Nonetheless, I can’t imagine Cameron making a movie this bad. When Grierson isn’t killing off his characters one by one during a cave-exploring expedition gone wrong, he’s filling their mouths with inane dialogue. (‘She’s gone, Josh!’ He’s gone, Dad!’ ‘I’m not wearing the wetsuit off a dead person!’) And beyond a handful of effective underwater scenes, the 3-D photography is distracting with its dark and grainy images.
At the center of “Sanctum” is Frank (Richard Roxburgh), a veteran cave diver. Frank’s son Josh (Rhys Wakefield) obviously has issues with Frank because all he does most of the time is pout. Things start to go wrong in the massive New Guinea cave system they’re exploring when a huge tropical storm hits suddenly, trapping our adventurers in fast-rising water with no way back to the surface. Frank, Josh, Frank’s boss, Carl (Ioan Gruffudd), Carl’s novice-diver girlfriend, Victoria (Alice Parkinson), and Frank’s longtime sidekick George (Dan Wylie) will have to navigate the underwater caves if they hope to escape. By this point, do you care? Avatar this isn’t. I’d wait for “Sanctum” to debut on cable. 2/4/11
1 comment:
When "Sanctum" was first talked about I thought that this was a new 3D blockbuster by James Cameron. Nothing could be further from the truth! This film would have never made it to US screens had it imported on its own merits. If you go to this film thinking that this is the second coming of "Avatar" you will be sadly disappointed. Cameron took some part in producing this movie and more or less lent his name to it. This film has some scenic value but thats all. Skip it!
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