The Details

Sanctum

Richard Roxburgh, Rhys Wakefield, Ioan Gruffudd

Directed by Alister Grierson

Rated R

Beyond the Weekly

Sanctum

IMDb: Sanctum

Rotten Tomatoes: Sanctum

If your movie’s biggest selling point is that it uses the same cameras as Avatar, then perhaps your priorities are a little out of whack. The James Cameron-produced thriller Sanctum was indeed filmed with the same equipment as Cameron’s mega-grossing epic, and as such its 3D effects are more impressive than average. But they’re not nearly enough of a draw to make up for the cardboard characters, lame dialogue and subpar acting. And when much of the movie involves characters crammed together in tight spaces, it’s not like 3D adds a whole lot to the experience. The story of a group of explorers trapped in an underground cave system has occasional moments of excitement, and some of its visuals are striking. The thrill and wonder wears off quickly, though, with the story becoming repetitive and the sappy father-son bonding between the two main characters ringing false. Maybe the cameras from Avatar will do something amazing with their next movie.