Ok if a bit mindless.
Added 10/28/2009
I would agree with much of what others have already written. The sets are terrific. The acting is OK - after all the actors are really just doing what the director tells them to do. The problem with the film is that if you start actually thinking while watching it, then it falls apart. There are far too many instances of Hollywood-heroics (something that some writer, or director thinks will look good from a cinematic perspective but which actually make no sense at all). The story line has been done many times - a monster(s) eating up a small group of people who try desperately to escape that fate. It's a theme that allows of almost endless variations and I have no quibble with that. But if you're looking for great originality this is not the movie for you. Take it for what it is - late night escapist fare - and settle back with a big bowl of homemade popcorn. Don't think too hard and it's kind of a fun ride.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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I keep coming back to THE CAVE
Added 7/2/2009
This film has polarized viewers, to say the least...
Lovers of horror and scary-scifi are lured into THE CAVE by its simple title, which promises us claustrophobic thrills. The premise hooks us because it is so PRIMAL: we're afraid of such places - and to make matters worse, frightening creatures are lurking in the shadows and beneath the waters that flow through the cave system. The situation provides a strong engine for such a story.
But "situation" is not enough - it should serve as a springboard for memorable, sympathetic characters to say and do interesting things throughout a strong chain of scenes. And that's the problem - THE CAVE seems somewhat lost and confused, sort of like the characters themselves. This is regrettable because, as an audience, we're all geared up: we've suspended our disbelief and we've entered THE CAVE as willing participants. But we don't bond with the characters in this crucible situation the way we do in a movie like Jaws or Alien. They don't unfold to us in a way that draws us in, making us feel what they feel, charming us with their personalities - at least not as strongly as in the greater films cited. I attribute this fault to the script more than the actors. Stronger material might have allowed an actor like Daniel Dae Kim to strut his stuff (whose star rose with the TV show LOST, precisely because its material was so character-driven and excellent), but, alas, that doesn't really happen for any character in this piece.
Still, there are multiple dimensions to a film, and I give a lot of credit to its makers for crafting a gorgeous film. Its look, feel, sounds, and creatures are all outstanding. As a purely right-brained exercise, this movie is fun for the senses. It may not be cinematic filet-mignon, but sometimes one is hungry for McDonald's and can find much satisfaction in a Big Mac. I know I can.
As Stephen King has said, we're all connoisseurs of trash. You've got yours and I've got mine. And so I won't judge this film too harshly. It's a film I bought and have kept in my collection. And something causes me to revisit it now and again, especially when I'm not sure what else to watch. It's fun and it entertains on enough levels for me, at least. Enough that I keep coming back to THE CAVE.
If you haven't seen it yet, I'd encourage you to give it a spin (especially genre fans). It just might exceed your expectations - or not. In any event, I'll part with these words: "Enter at your own risk." ;)
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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A DECENT MONSTER FILM 7 OUT OF 10
Added 6/10/2009
Whoever has seen this film and The Descent can't help but compare the two films. After all they both take place in caves, and monsters in the caves like to eat people. Both films were made the same year and came out the same year. Unfortunately, The Cave cannot match the horror masterpiece that is The Descent. Still, this film won't ruin your day and does offer a good time to just sit back. It's a good popcorn film.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: When a team in Romania finds a church with a cave hidden beneath it, the team disappears. Shoot forward thirty years later, and another team excavates it. A team of the world's best divers and cave climbers are assembled to explore this cave that lies two miles underground and is several miles long. At first things seem okay, until one of the group members disappears and the entrance to the cave collapses. Now the team must survive the monsters that inhabit this cave and find a way out before they become dinner.
MUSIC: The musical score is well done and it does fit the atmosphere of the film quite well.
ACTION: This film is surprisingly violent for a PG-13 film, I'm surprised it's not R-rated. The film can be quite bloody at times with people being eaten. Sure it will never be as gory as The Descent, but it's still bloody. This film has fantastic set pieces that are stunningly beautiful. The designs of the cave that is explored are some of the best set pieces I've seen. I also liked how the creatures were designed and they didn't look like fake CGI. This is where the film shines.
ACTING: This area is not so good, and the dialogue isn't any better. The actors weren't exactly bad, but they could have been way better, like how the actresses in The Descent made it seem real and frightening. This is a low point for the film.
OVERALL: Rental. It's a decent as a whole, but The Descent would be a much better purchase. This serves as really nothing more than popcorn entertainment in the dark, and it does succeed at being that. It won't ruin your day, but you have better options.
THE GOOD: Fantastic set pieces, cool monster designs and creature attacks, and good music.
THE BAD: Unoriginal storyline, starts off slow, a lousy ending, and the acting and dialogue isn't that good.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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The movie itself was fine. The seller on the other hand was not honest about how he labeled this movie. He said it was new, it was not. No wrapping, inside the cover was a blockbuster sticker. WAS NOT NEW AS LISTED. Dishonest seller.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Prehistoric Horror In The Form Of A Mutating Parasite
Added 3/18/2009
Thanks to satellites, practically every inch of our planet's surface has been explored. However, the earth is hollow and many of its caverns have remained unexplored. (They are as remote to us as the craters on the moon.) Who knows what dangerous life forms have been evolving in them since the beginning of time.
In the remote mountains of Romanian, a chapel was built on top of the entrance to a cave system. Engravings of winged serpents (dinosaurs?) adorn its walls. Thirty years ago, an envoy of men drove through the chapel's barricades, ignored its warnings, and violated its inner sanctity. An earthquake destroyed the chapel, causing the men to fall into the cave where prehistoric creatures were waiting.
Fast forward to the present. A team of professional "cave divers" have decided to explore a river running through a cavern that connects to the cave beneath the destroyed chapel. One diver is attacked by a creature, his air tank explodes, and there is a cave in, trapping all of the divers miles beneath the surface.
The divers must battle scorpions, eels with razor-sharp teeth, and hideous winged creatures as they search for an exit. Worst of all, there is a parasite that mutates its host, turning it into a creature that can survive inside the dark caves.
"The Cave" is one of the best in the subterranean horror genre. This science fiction horror gem is action packed from beginning to end. The body count is high. There is gore, but not enough to make you feel noxious. The cast consists of attractive young stars who know how to act. There is plenty of nail-biting suspense as the characters are constantly pursued through the caves. Will they escape? I won't tell, but the film has a nice surprise ending that demands a sequel.
I watched "The Cave" along with three other films that are part of what I call the subterranean horror genre - films dealing with caves, caverns, mines, etc. The other three are: "The Cavern," "The Descent," and "Caved In: Prehistoric Terror." The best is "The Descent," which is pure horror involving six trapped girls who discover blood-thirsty, evolutionary freaks. "The Cave" is a great blend of science fiction, horror, and action adventure. "The Cavern" is a good low budget art film dealing with the horror of being trapped in a cave, alone with a monster. "Caved In: Prehistoric Terror" is good Sci-Fi cable fare that is horror befitting the entire family.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Ok if a bit mindless.
Added 10/28/2009
I would agree with much of what others have already written. The sets are terrific. The acting is OK - after all the actors are really just doing what the director tells them to do. The problem with the film is that if you start actually thinking while watching it, then it falls apart. There are far too many instances of Hollywood-heroics (something that some writer, or director thinks will look good from a cinematic perspective but which actually make no sense at all). The story line has been done many times - a monster(s) eating up a small group of people who try desperately to escape that fate. It's a theme that allows of almost endless variations and I have no quibble with that. But if you're looking for great originality this is not the movie for you. Take it for what it is - late night escapist fare - and settle back with a big bowl of homemade popcorn. Don't think too hard and it's kind of a fun ride.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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I keep coming back to THE CAVE
Added 7/2/2009
This film has polarized viewers, to say the least...
Lovers of horror and scary-scifi are lured into THE CAVE by its simple title, which promises us claustrophobic thrills. The premise hooks us because it is so PRIMAL: we're afraid of such places - and to make matters worse, frightening creatures are lurking in the shadows and beneath the waters that flow through the cave system. The situation provides a strong engine for such a story.
But "situation" is not enough - it should serve as a springboard for memorable, sympathetic characters to say and do interesting things throughout a strong chain of scenes. And that's the problem - THE CAVE seems somewhat lost and confused, sort of like the characters themselves. This is regrettable because, as an audience, we're all geared up: we've suspended our disbelief and we've entered THE CAVE as willing participants. But we don't bond with the characters in this crucible situation the way we do in a movie like Jaws or Alien. They don't unfold to us in a way that draws us in, making us feel what they feel, charming us with their personalities - at least not as strongly as in the greater films cited. I attribute this fault to the script more than the actors. Stronger material might have allowed an actor like Daniel Dae Kim to strut his stuff (whose star rose with the TV show LOST, precisely because its material was so character-driven and excellent), but, alas, that doesn't really happen for any character in this piece.
Still, there are multiple dimensions to a film, and I give a lot of credit to its makers for crafting a gorgeous film. Its look, feel, sounds, and creatures are all outstanding. As a purely right-brained exercise, this movie is fun for the senses. It may not be cinematic filet-mignon, but sometimes one is hungry for McDonald's and can find much satisfaction in a Big Mac. I know I can.
As Stephen King has said, we're all connoisseurs of trash. You've got yours and I've got mine. And so I won't judge this film too harshly. It's a film I bought and have kept in my collection. And something causes me to revisit it now and again, especially when I'm not sure what else to watch. It's fun and it entertains on enough levels for me, at least. Enough that I keep coming back to THE CAVE.
If you haven't seen it yet, I'd encourage you to give it a spin (especially genre fans). It just might exceed your expectations - or not. In any event, I'll part with these words: "Enter at your own risk." ;)
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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A DECENT MONSTER FILM 7 OUT OF 10
Added 6/10/2009
Whoever has seen this film and The Descent can't help but compare the two films. After all they both take place in caves, and monsters in the caves like to eat people. Both films were made the same year and came out the same year. Unfortunately, The Cave cannot match the horror masterpiece that is The Descent. Still, this film won't ruin your day and does offer a good time to just sit back. It's a good popcorn film.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: When a team in Romania finds a church with a cave hidden beneath it, the team disappears. Shoot forward thirty years later, and another team excavates it. A team of the world's best divers and cave climbers are assembled to explore this cave that lies two miles underground and is several miles long. At first things seem okay, until one of the group members disappears and the entrance to the cave collapses. Now the team must survive the monsters that inhabit this cave and find a way out before they become dinner.
MUSIC: The musical score is well done and it does fit the atmosphere of the film quite well.
ACTION: This film is surprisingly violent for a PG-13 film, I'm surprised it's not R-rated. The film can be quite bloody at times with people being eaten. Sure it will never be as gory as The Descent, but it's still bloody. This film has fantastic set pieces that are stunningly beautiful. The designs of the cave that is explored are some of the best set pieces I've seen. I also liked how the creatures were designed and they didn't look like fake CGI. This is where the film shines.
ACTING: This area is not so good, and the dialogue isn't any better. The actors weren't exactly bad, but they could have been way better, like how the actresses in The Descent made it seem real and frightening. This is a low point for the film.
OVERALL: Rental. It's a decent as a whole, but The Descent would be a much better purchase. This serves as really nothing more than popcorn entertainment in the dark, and it does succeed at being that. It won't ruin your day, but you have better options.
THE GOOD: Fantastic set pieces, cool monster designs and creature attacks, and good music.
THE BAD: Unoriginal storyline, starts off slow, a lousy ending, and the acting and dialogue isn't that good.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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