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SANCTUM 3D (15) Verdict: HHIII AFTER the record-breaking success of Avatar, it's a major surprise that James Cameron should be lending his name so heavily as a mere co-producer to an underwater thriller ominously taglined: "The only way out is down."
Eye candy comes in the shape of Allison Cratchley as Judes and Alice Parksinon as Victoria. Weakly scored, Sanctum's claim to fame is that it was shot in Australia using the Avatar cameras and, yes, the 3D element is better than post-production movies like The Green Hornet. Some of the early helicopter shots above ground are reminiscent of Pandora's own jungles but, underwater, this is clichd and predictable.
SANCTUM 3D (15) Verdict: HHIII AFTER the record-breaking success of Avatar, it's a major surprise that James Cameron should be lending his name so heavily as a mere co-producer to an underwater thriller ominously taglined: "The only way out is down."
With eight other producers involved, there must be a collective share of the blame, but with Cameron's name on the film it's his reputation at stake.
He's much more interested in diving than the general population.
The fact that Sanctum features some of the worst acting in memory is probably because the actors were fed up with being wet all of the time.
And having to cope with such a clunky script.
Andrew Wight is a respected documentary filmmaker who has been caught up in a flood himself.
But his attempts to transfer that experience into a script falls well short of what it takes to turn a movie into a suspense-filled thriller.
Like Avatar, the dialogue begins with some perfunctory swearing as a team of divers prepare to explore a cave system in Papua New Guinea which is home to 'one million years of rain'.
Even by this point we don't care about the characters, less so after they start to be ditched one by one by little-known director Alister Grierson.
Richard Roxburgh is so gruff as the experienced leader Frank he should have been called 'Barker'.
His son Josh is played by Rhys Wake-field, once better known as Lucas Holden in the soap Home and Away.
Trying to offer shades of tension a la King Kong, Ioan Gruffudd's financier Carl is underdeveloped.
Eye candy comes in the shape of Allison Cratchley as Judes and Alice Parksinon as Victoria. Weakly scored, Sanctum's claim to fame is that it was shot in Australia using the Avatar cameras and, yes, the 3D element is better than post-production movies like The Green Hornet. Some of the early helicopter shots above ground are reminiscent of Pandora's own jungles but, underwater, this is clichd and predictable.
Website: www.sanctummovie.com GRAHAM YOUNG
Caption: Underground: Rhys Wakefield as Josh in Sanctum.
(Copyright 2011 Birmingham Post and Mail Ltd.)