Review of Sanctum (2011) by Manny C — 19 Jun 2011

James Cameron's name may be attached to this flick, but don't expect anything on the level of Avatar, or even True Lies. The promotion for this crapfest about cave divers in Papua, New Guinea would have had you believe James Cameron might have directed this swill, but Cameron only serves as an executive producer, merely because Sanctum was made using the very 3D equipment Cameron used to make Avatar.

Sanctum is in fact directed by Alister Grierson, and together with screenwriters John Garvin and Andrew Wight, these hacks have come up with something truly horrendous. The film focuses on the unexplored caves of Papua. But there's no location shooting, the film was shot on sets and exteriors in Australia, and it shows. You can practically see the Styrofoam. Even the actors look like they're faking it. Richard Roxburgh is all ham as Frank, the leader of this team of adventurers. Rhys Wakefield is Josh, Frank's teenage son, whining about not getting enough attention from his father. Then there's Carl, played by the talented, but wasted Ioan Gruffudd, and finally the resident babe, played by Alice Parkinson.

A massive storm throws these adventurers into danger. These events are apparently based on an actual expedition that screenwriter Wight led, one in which everyone involved actually survived. In true Hollywood fashion, Sanctum aims to kill of everyone it possibly can. When characters do bite the dust, it's a relief, at least it was for me. There's no kick to this movie, no excitement. One of the worst of 2011.