The Cave

Passable Horror Yarn, 12 March 2007

Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom


*** This review may contain spoilers ***


Caving dramas offer the same possibilities as those involving submarines - closed quarters, hidden dangers, claustrophobic tension and an alien environment.This is a frustrating film that almost gets it right, but ultimately suffers from uncertain direction and a poor sense of identity.

The basic plot is that a group of scientist / cavers explore an uncharted cave ,are confronted by supernatural creatures, and some of them escape.The challenge is how to flesh that out within the context of the setting.

Admirably, it tries to avoid the clichés of the genre.The gorgeous Lena Headley provides some female class to proceedings, but she doesn't get her kit off and does not whimper and simper. Macho bravado is also well tempered whilst offering several scenes of "derring do". But somehow it does not come off. As a caving and diving enthusiast I found myself bored in too many scenes.

The straight scientific and exploring motives for the expedition are soon ditched, never to return.A quasi historical / religious element floats in and out of the plotting pretty randomly. The rockfall / peril / risky escape scenes are inevitably chaotic and with everyone in wet suits immediate identification is difficult. And in the final reel the film reverts to a pretty routine "escape from disaster" format which switches plotting again.

To be fair, the supernatural monsters are very well done, and the attack scenes both frightening and compelling. But ultimately it forms part of several ingredients which should mix together, but somehow don't.

This film was contemporaneous to the much derided "Descent" which also flirted with nasty things in uncharted caves. Ironically the less ambitious "Descent" probably works better because of its limitations and delivers more consistently on its fewer objectives.

Offering good production values, and a serviceable cast, this is by no means a bad movie. However despite its grand designs, it never really moves out of the mundane, apart from the monster scenes.