These days if the words ‘James Cameron’ and ‘3-D’ are put on a poster it increases the level of anticipation for a film. When it’s advertised with a deadly serious voice over as Sanctum has been, those words are sure to entice audiences in their droves. A pity that’s the case as Sanctum is a poor effort with Cameron only among many of its producers. A name and gimmick not always equals high quality as this silly fluff proves.
Frank (Richard Roxburgh) is an expert deep sea diver sent on a deadly expedition. Joined by his son Josh (Rhys Wakefield) and shady financier Carl (Ioan Gruffudd), they journey to New Guinea to explore its wondrous cave system. A tropical storm suddenly hits and traps them in an underground labyrinth, they must band together in order to survive. Faced with deadly floods and treacherous companions, they have their work cut out if they want to make it out alive.
Sanctum’s best quality is the 3-D cinematography which is amazing. Much better than recent efforts, it brings the viewer right into the frame of the deadly tunnels the characters face. That’s about the only good thing one can say about this absolutely appalling movie. How James Cameron can lend his name to this is a mystery as the dismal script and dreadful acting makes this one of the worst films ever to utilise expensive 3-D technology.
There’s no sense of effort having gone into the script, as if writing something original and exciting was too hard. Perhaps sensing this, the performers camp it up for all its worth with the clichéd dialogue and cardboard cut-out feel of their roles painful to witness. The disaster-movie like way their characters are killed off is predictable, with copious amounts of shouting and swearing no substitute for genuine characterisation.
Sanctum descends the depths of banality with seaming ease. A nautical disaster the likes of which haven’t been seen since Cameron’s Titanic film, this 3-D epic is an abysmal waste of time proving the old saying ‘no matter how hard you try you just can’t polish rubbish’.
Movie Review Rating 1 /10
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
Sanctum released in Australia on Thursday 03 February 2011.
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