Sanctum

This movie entertains from start to finish. Are the characters "two dimensional"? To me not in any sense (ha ha, yes the movie is 3D, lousy pun intended).

But seriously, for two hours you are taken on a brutal subterranean adventure. I liked the fact that it IS believable. It isn't just action - it is a true human drama and shows the good and bad that can come from people in a life or death situation. And I didn't think it was predictable (for the most part, anyway). I am guessing that the reviewers just didn't like the characters, but that is no fault of the actors; the characters were quite realistic, which I considered a huge plus, while others might have preferred something else. I do need to give a disclaimer that I did not research the "true" story and watched purely from the perspective that it is 100% fiction, so I'm not saying this is an accurate depiction of real events. But it sure seemed like something that could happen.

It isn't "The Black Swan". It isn't "True Grit". It won't be sweeping the Academy Awards. But was it entertaining and worth the price admission? Without question - I actually found it more enjoyable and gripping than anything I have seen in some time. Highly recommended - give it a fair chance!

Forget the critics, this is an awesome movie. It's fast-paced, action-packed and spectacular. I was tense the whole time and came out feeling like I'd been holding my breath for hours.

Seriously, most critics seem more interested in showing how cynical and cool they are than actually enjoying a great adventure film. I've read lots of reviews, so I'll address a few of the complaints made.

Bad dialogue: It's not Shakespeare, but it sets up the relationships between characters quickly and serves the action well. It also manages to explain the basics of caving and scuba diving (which most of the audience would be unfamiliar with) without seeming too preachy.

Bad acting: I thought everyone was pretty great with what they had to do. Again, it's not bloody Shakespeare.

Predictable: not to me. Yes, they're stuck in a cave so there's only so many things that can happen. But what does happen is really bloody exciting. I guess if you spend your whole life watching movies (as critics do) then any action movie would be predictable after a while.

Unlikeable characters: Um, since when did every character have to be likable? And even if you don't particularly like a character, surely you don't want them to die a horrible death down a cave. The truth is some of the characters you really like, some grow on you and some you almost want to drown with your own bare hands. So a good mix.

Weak roles for women: I disagree. The women are put in freaky situations and react in human ways. Though I didn't quite understand what happened to Victoria - that's one thing the film could have done slightly better.

I've also heard critics complain about too much swearing (seriously, if you've ever spent time around real-life explorers they're generally not too concerned with social niceties, especially in life-or-death situations). And some reviewers complained that there were no monsters in the cave - seriously! That was what was so great about the story - it was extreme but it all could have happened. Man vs nature and vs each other - much more interesting than another monster flick.

Anyway, Sanctum is excellent. Go see it.

A big cave, a big soundtrack, and a big adventure. This movie didn't have or need any cave creatures or supernatural threats. It is exciting and suspenseful as a realistic cave story that is based off of a true story. After a storm blocks the way out for a crew of cave explorers, they must go deeper into unexplored areas of the cave in search of a way out. Water is the big threat in this movie. Not only are there numerous underwater passageways to navigate with limited oxygen, the crew is pushed forward by flood waters rising from the storm. While many cave movies keep things dark and claustrophobic, this movie gives us a cave that is both beautiful and impressive in size. The cast is what they need to be to tell this story. There is a storyline about the strained relationship between a father and his son which gets our feelings involved. To further stir our emotions, the soundtrack is lovely and compliments scenes very well. Sanctum is a solid survival movie that is both interesting and exciting. It deserves more love than it has gotten.

Going into "Sanctum", I was relieved to know there would be zero cave monsters jumping out of the darkness. This was going to be a cave movie for thinkers, trying to get out of a flooding cave, with no clue what lay ahead. "Sanctum" is totally acceptable, if you perceive the film as being documentary-like, and can overlook lack of character development, and simply watch the action. The 3D experience is marginal at best, because everything is so confined and dark. I couldn't tell you one cast members name, just that there was a leader, his son, a financier, a grunt, and a couple of disposable females. Nevertheless, I enjoyed "Sanctum" for what It was, an exciting experience in underground survival. - MERK

Well first of all let me get something straight James Cameron is one of NINE producers, so he didn't have too much to do with it. This movie is maybe the must traumatizing movie I have ever seen! I did cry at one point. I'm not a 3D fan at all. In my opinion the only movies that should be in 3D is animated movies (with a few exceptions such as Avatar). I thought the 3D was okay (better than some movies I've seen), but still unnecessary. This movie was not just traumatizing at one point it was traumatizing during the whole movie! The visuals were fantastic! The effects were great! The acting was exceptional! I liked the movie I guess it was just too traumatizing for me. Final Summary: A good movie with great visuals, effects, and acting, but be warned the Sanctum is extremely traumatizing. If you can handle trauma go see Sanctum because it is a good movie.