THE CAVE

By: BRIAN THOMAS
Review Date: Thursday, January 05, 2006

There are some movies that are better on DVD, often because the film just plays better in a more intimate venue. That's not quite the case with THE CAVE it's still not very good no matter how you see it. However, the DVD makes for a better experience than simply watching the film due to its bonus features.

The story is set for the most part in a newly discovered (or re-discovered, as a prologue tips us to the fact that the cave has been visited before) system of underground caverns in Romania. Brothers Jack (Cole Hauser of PITCH BLACK) and Tyler (Eddie Cibrian of TV's INVASION), along with their crew of specialty divers, are hired by a team of scientists to help them map the caves, which were found under the ruins of a medieval church. The scientists are excited by the fact that the cave appears to be an enclosed ecosystem full of previously undiscovered species of plants and animals. The cave divers are excited because the expedition gives them a chance to bicker about their uninteresting personal differences. Okay, basically Jack is overbearing and Tyler is rebellious and foolhardy. Now you can fast-forward through those scenes. After Jack is bitten while struggling with one of those previously undiscovered species, the positions of the brothers begins to shift Jack begins to exhibit more and more seemingly irrational behavior, and Tyler rises to the occasion by becoming a hero.

The cave-mapping mission becomes more imperative when an exploding air tank causes a cave-in that traps them all, forcing them to try to find a new exit. Yes, throughout the movie we see the divers going over waterfalls and crashing into rocks, but for some reason no other air tanks ever explode. Oh, did I forget to mention the monsters? Yeah, there are slimy amphibious flying monsters the caves that keep trying to kill people or drag them off, succeeding often enough to seriously deplete the cast as we head into the third act.

The movie isn't a total stinker. The creatures designed by Patrick Tatopoulos (GODZILLA) are suitably creepy, there are a few exciting sequences (especially the one where Piper Perabo (COYOTE UGLY) tries to climb to safety), and the real Romanian cave locations are impressive. However, it's got dull characters and it spends so much time underground that the scenery (or lack of same) becomes tedious. Also, it makes it difficult to figure out where anybody is a sequence shot in ice caves seems to be right next to a hellish fire pit.


On the filmmaker commentrak, various production personnel explain how shooting in the caves with available light was accomplished, and relate a few interesting anecdotes. But things get more interesting on the commentrak devoted to the writers. Mike Steinberg and Tegan West, a producer (THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY) and a character actor who came up with the idea for the picture after reading a magazine story about a real cave in Romania (not the one eventually used in the movie) that was discovered with an ecosystem that had been closed for millions of years. The tracks were recorded just before the film opened in theaters, but Steinberg and West anticipate a cool reaction, knowing the film to be a disappointment compared to what they'd intended on the page, but appreciative of whatever strengths the picture has. We often see movies that don't quite work, but don't often get to learn just how things got that way. Here, the writers provide a fascinating illustration of how missed opportunities, bad decisions, and plain bad luck can derail what a lot of people thought was a great idea for a monster film. The writers thought they'd written a classic horror tale, but the producers were aiming more towards B-movie thrills, and somehow they wound up with neither.

The disc also offers some behind-the-scenes featurettes, but only the one on the cave itself is worthwhile.

Copyright © 2005 Brian Thomas, author of the massive book VideoHound's DRAGON: ASIAN ACTION & CULT FLICKS.
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