Sanctum (2011)

This movie gets a lot of negative reviews, because i think people expect a wrong kind of movie. Yes the emotional shots linger a bit too long here and some characters you just want to smack in the face for just being a one-dimensional dick but that are honestly the only flaws i can find. Some movies use certain devices to sell a story, like more focus on the action instead of character build up, some use more emotion and less suspensefull scenes, some use it all, and those are mostly classified as a masterpiece. But not every movie has every device covered, and that's ok. This one is propelled by the intense feel of claustophobia, tension, excitement and suspense. Sure it lacks on the other departments a bit but that is not what holds this movie together. What it's not good at, meh, it wasn;t meant to be it;s selling point anyway. But what ths movie does best - it does so with grace, and that is keeping you to the edge of your seat! Highly reccomend people who suffer from claustrophobia or fear of drowning to skip this movie, because every scene only feeds that anxiety. If you don't have these fears yet, believe me, you will get a good taste of it.

First thing I sense and think that a movie will be bad is faces of actors and things they talk etc. Here I see Justin Bieber and I know what follows... Fake cool-dude useless dialogs and... laugh. When they laugh loudly at the beginning I know a film is disaster. I had to fast forward. No real story here, no arc, no script, no plot, no character development. Wooden dialogues and water. No but thanks. I'm out of here. Jaws are still a role model for water movies. Thanks Steven-like in Allen's case you made your first movies classics. Later on just no.

Just saw another movie "As Above, So Below" (2014) that, although different, I couldn't think and compare it with "Sanctum".Well, this (Sanctum) is a proper movie. Good direction, good enough development of the characters, good acting (although a little melodramatic), still more honest in almost every way. Plus it is based on a true story and the man who experienced it is one of the writers of the movie.Sanctum is beautifully photographed. You also get James Cameron as an executive producer so you can expect to have an appeal in a broader audience.Overall: If you are up for a survival film, this it will not disappoint you.

Master diver Frank McGuire (Richard Roxburgh) has bought his son Josh (Rhys Wakefield) along to explore the Espiritu Esa'ala cave system with their wealthy benefactor Carl Hurley (Ioan Gruffudd). It's a dangerous underground expedition that turns disastrous when a tropical storm pours rain down into the cave.The characters are completely forgettable. None of them provide anything compelling. There are a couple of interesting actors here but the rest are mostly unknowns. The action is interesting and looks realistic, but it's mostly all wet. I didn't see this in 3D. Maybe that could have saved this movie.