Cubo 2: Hipercubo

This movie is ugly and unnecessarily messed up, sometimes it's so bad that it's funny, but in general it's too messed up to make any real sense. The ending is difficult to understand and even once understood it still makes no sense.

I admit to being a huge fan of the CUBE trilogy. The first film is obviously the best, vicious and exciting in its simplicity, while the third, CUBE ZERO, is an interesting idea that takes the form of a prequel. CUBE 2: HYPERCUBE is a straightforward sequel to the first film, with significant changes that make a difference.

Although a number of characters are once again trapped inside a cube, the emphasis this time around isn't on solving puzzles and avoiding traps. Instead the characters must figure out a way to escape from their prison and to avoid the impending death which follows them at all times. There's lots of tension and interplay between the various characters, as before, and I liked the acting from the unknown cast which carries the story along.

There are some good twists here, especially with the climax that heads into the fourth dimension, although with a little blood and death for people who like that kind of thing. The special effects are very average on a low budget but as usual it's the ideas which make this film work. It's not on the level of CUBE but I do appreciate the fact that they did something different instead of just doing a slavish copy for a sequel.

I've never really thought about it this way, but I suppose in most cases, it's an honor to have a sequel. Although no one liked the sequel, I'm sure Jonathon Lynn is proud that The Whole Nine Yards got a sequel somehow. And that seems like the case with Cube 2: Hypercube, a sequel to the cult hit Cube. But then one wonders how there can be a sequel to a movie that was basically all filmed in one 14x14x14 set? Well, Cube 2 is the answer-but not really the best one. It shows what Cube would have been if it had had a bigger budget, but it also showed what it didn't want to become.

Strangers are thrown together into a series of interconnecting cubes yet again, but this time they're more high-tech. They're not different colors, and there's no booby traps. Instead, some rooms have a cube that attacks you (don't ask), some have gravity reversed, and time means nothing. There seems to be no pattern, like in the first one, so how are these people supposed to get out?

This is all one big rehash of the first. There's the wandering around, talking about the past, and speculation of why they're in the cube. I guess that's for people who see sequels before the originals. The characters are all more broadly drawn, the dialogue is cheesier, and it looks faker. In the first, you barely knew anything about the giant cube they were in. Here, it seems like everyone was involved somehow. The ending, which was vague in the first, explained some more, which I was angry yet happy about. It's hard to explain. But then they left it in the air yet again. Maybe it's for the prequel, Cube Zero (due out sometime this year) to describe.

But one positive difference between the two is that this one seemed to be overall scarier. It's not claustrophobia, but the idea of anything happening in a hypercube. Because they don't exist, everything goes wild here, allowing for some things to happen. It's all quite creepy. And although the random crazy psycho killer is more random here than the first, I liked him more, and he was great as he was going through the hypercube. Cube was an original, interesting, and disorienting movie. Cube 2 is the exact same thing, except not as good.

My rating: 6/10

Rated R for language, some violence and brief nudity.

Well, I guess it's an OK movie so long as you pretend the first Cube doesn't exist. Interesting characters, interesting plot, and lots of panic and violence... gotta love that.

But... the question must be asked: How can you have a sequel to Cube? Cube was a deeply philosophical movie that had nothing to do with conspiracies or governments or Izod or anything nonsense like that. It wasn't some government project - it just was. It was a means of putting the various kinds of "humanity" to the test.

Hypercube obviously missed that. It missed the deeper meaning of Cube because whoever wrote it was too superficial to see past the glossy exterior to its true meaning. In making Hypercube, they insult Cube, as well as all its fans who understood it for what it really was.

Cube was a philosophical statement. Hypercube is a pointless sci-fi thriller. As a sci-fi thriller, it's not bad - but when you watch it, disassociate it with its predecessor, or else you'll absolutely hate it.

This hyper-lame sequel to the genuinely original CUBE fails to engage its viewers on every level. The dialogue is annoying, the (over)acting horrific, the F/X are not nearly as charming as in the original, the characters are undeveloped, and the ending is a complete cop out.

Poor writing is the main thing I blame for HYPERCUBE's weaknesses, but I suspect that another issue enhancing the crappiness is the fact that none of the original creative crew played a part in this poor-man's sequel.

If you enjoyed the first CUBE enough to buy it, rent HYPERCUBE. If you're merely a casual CUBE fan, skip HYPERCUBE entirely. Take my word: you won't miss anything.