On C List of Movie Reviews
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Cube (1997)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
5/16
5/16:
I guess this is what it's like being trapped inside Pinhead's cube.
Hence, think of Cube as Hellraiser inside out. I like the concept, especially the mathematical aspect,
and think it's ingenious. The film was shot inside a single 14 by 14 by 14 feet cube in twenty days with a hand-held
camera.
The characters are named after prisons around the world, which serves as a metaphor, and each of them brings a specific skill,
along with a fatal flaw, to the table to solve the puzzle. To get out of the cube, they overcome their shortcomings by
working together as a team. In a way, they succeed but fail at the end.
As interesting as the movie is, the acting leaves a lot to be desired. Quentin, the black guy, keeps giving a wide-eyed look
to make up for his lack of thespic abilities. The biggest disappointment is the ending. I hate it. There's no way
that Quentin would've figured it out. For his much deserved comeuppance, he should be killed in the next room by picking
the wrong door due to his lack of math skills. On the other hand, I thought the guy with autism would be revealed as the inventor
of the cube which would've been cool and a fitting finish.
All in all, despite the negatives, Cube is an enjoyable, intelligent modern sci-fi thriller that's straight from
The Twilight Zone (actually, the idea orginated in a 1961 episode called "Five Characters in Search of an Exit").