REVIEW: 'Sanctum 3D'

A 3D action-thriller, executive produced by James Cameron (Avatar), following an underwater cave diving team on an expedition to the least accessible cave system on Earth. Now playing nationwide. Click here for session info.
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You have to be a little leery of a movie that’s major selling point is the executive producer – essentially the guy who ponies up the cash – even if it is James Cameron. The opening stanzas here do nothing to alleviate those fears – the dialogue is terrible, clumsily setting up the father-son relationship that becomes the heart of the story and missing the mark at its attempts at Aussie larrikin humour.

Once events inevitably start going wrong, though, business picks up. For the best part, the actors shut their mouths and the story becomes far more action based. The giant cave becomes quite the surreal setting, enhanced by the low-key lighting of head mounted torches and underwater photography, while the diving gear is treated in a way that gives the costumes a vaguely sci-fi feel. It makes for an interesting aesthetic in which to play out an escape storyline with horror overtones. There’s a brutally pragmatic logic at work in the name of survival, which makes for some jarring death scenes.

It’s just a pity you have to wade through so much introductory garbage to get to the good bits. It’s not often you’ll see this recommended in a film review, but if you turn up half an hour late this will probably leave a much better impression.

• Watch trailer for Sanctum 3D
• More on Sanctum 3D