Cube 2 - Hypercube

Rating:
Summary: people know jack
Review: Straight to video sequels that come years after the original are almost never a good sign, but in the case of Cube 2 it just meant the geeks were taking the time to work out all the story's kinks and build a new arena. The result: A hypercube--wherein you take a normal cube and add a theoretical 4th dimension. So impossible to physically create that a place called the "mercury room" is created to somehow transport people there. The story once again revolves around a group of people bumping into each other and trying to discover why they're all there, but this time to a greater end. And how cool is this "hypercube?" Well, since it can't exist in physical space, it can be composed of a virtually infinite number of rooms, all taking place at different times and with different time signatures. So you can go through the door in one room only to run into a character from the past or future in the next one. Or a person in one room could be moving (and thus aging) extremely fast while someone following from the last is left in their dust. Rooms pass through each other and inflict their time on anyone left in their path. So in theory someone could either be aged to death or regressed back to infancy. This makes for some tense scenes and emotional breakdowns between the characters. The only area where Cube 2 lacks is special effects and that may have been easily corrected if the creators ideas didn't go beyond their means. I also have to admit the direction could have been better (and even may have hurt the effects) had a more geeky director had been tapped. Otherwise, though, overall Cube 2 is on par with the original, making up for it's weaknesses in some excellent concept. And this time it's the Cube that implodes in the end, not the story.

Rating:
Summary: Not for fans of CUBE
Review: Okay, this review is meant specifically for fans of the original. If you haven't seen it or if you did and hated it, then you might actually enjoy Cube 2.

This movie is terrible for a long list of reasons, but mostly because it seems to break all of the rules established in the first movie.

The original Cube had these merits: 1 - It was a great exploration of human nature. 2 - The purpose and meaning of the Cube was never explained and left to the viewer to find out. 3 - There were a variety of metaphorical (And possibly religious) undertones that led the movie to be interpreted in many ways. 4 - The special effects were limited and used effectively. 5 - It was creepy and suspenseful the whole way through. 6 - The characters were deep and rich with emotional and psychological development. 7 - The actors were good. 8 - The direction was amazing, and the set design / costumes were amazing; they worked flawlessly together to add to the mood. 9 - The ending was ambiguous, but not disappointing. 10 - The movie was satisfying on its own. THERE WAS NO NEED FOR A SEQUEL.

Every single one of those merits is either non-existent or even destroyed in Cube 2.

The acting? Don't get me started. These are people who seem like they were rejected as extras on a Sci-Fi channel movie. And it doesn't help that the characters they play have absolutely no depth at all. The greatest character arc lays in Simon, who begins as an irritable bully and ends up... uh... as a psychopathic bully. There are 10 characters who are trapped in the cube (Not 8), but they collectively seem to share two, maybe three brain cells.

The set design? Boring as hell. They try to stylize it and make some funky doors, but it ends up looking user-friendly; the original Cube looked like something out of Hell, but the Hypercube almost looks inviting.

The script? Nonsense. Okay, there were some lines in the first one which weren't exactly thrilling ("Holy Cats!" comes to mind), but Cube 2 has some of the worst dialogue I've ever heard in my life - and it's consistently terrible throughout. Plus, the logic of the Hypercube is laughable at best.

The special effects are terrible. They are lame CGI which looks so unrealistic that it isn't menacing, it's cartoony. Plus, they use CGI too much.

Now, all of those complaints knock this down to a 3-star movie. So, why do I revoke the final two stars? Because of one simple reason: The filmmakers (Who aren't the ones that made the original, by the way) tried to create rationale behind the Hypercube.

Even though they never explain it fully, they tried to give you the impression that there is a specific, definite purpose behind the Hypercube, and possibly the original Cube. And all of the characters have some kind of reason for being in the Hypercube because they are connected with the company that made it. This ruins everything about the movie - it is no longer suspenseful, it is no longer intriguing and mysterious, it's just boring.

I can't seem to stop ranting about this movie... it's so terrible and it's an outrage that they even made it. I'm just confused about why I wanted to see it...

VIOLENT CONTENT - Eh. CGI blood. A few cheesy-looking corpses. People punch each other sometimes.

LANGUAGE CONTENT - They randomly drop the "F word" a few times. That's about all I remember.

NUDITY / SEXUAL CONTENT - In one of the movies stupidest and most illogical scenes, two characters get stranded alone and say, "I know we're trapped in a death machine, but... let's have sex." There's some brief flashes of flesh.

Rating:
Summary: Oh, What A Disappointment !
Review: Yes I Admit I'm A Fun Of The Cube - I Saw It In The Theater, And On Cables, And On DVD, And It Was Great Every time.

So I Write This Review Only For Those Who Saw The Real Cube (Sorry I Can't Be Objective About This).

Let Me Start By Saying There Are Very Few Good Things In Life That Can Make You Fell Good, And One Of Them Was "The CUBE".

But Why This World Can Be So Cruel, To Unleash On Us This So Called Cube 2 Sequel ? Is It To Teach Us Something about The Fact That Happiness is So Slickery, And We Must Suffer Until We Will Be Rewarded ?

I Can't Explain How Sick I Was To Watch This Movie - This Guys Just Butchered Every Good Thing That Was In The First One !

Yes It Is Now 16:9 And 5.1 And Not 4:3 And 2 - But This Technical Mumbo Jumbo Doesn't Say Nothing For Most People (Beside Those Who Have 16:9 And 5.1 And Like To Brag About It).

And Yes, I Hated The White Rooms And The Amateur 3D Graphics.

And Finally I Must End With This: Long Leave The CUBE (From 97).
Throw The Hypercube To The Fourth Dimension, And Hope It Wont Come Back !

Rating:
Summary: Hypercube Falls Apart without the Logics
Review: Original "Cube" can boast of its talented Canadian director Vincenzo Natali, who surprised us film fans with its simple but effective rules; solve the mystry of cubic rooms, or you get killed. Mr. Natali then went on to make another stylish thriller "Cypher" starring Jeremy Northam and Lucy Liu (which is far better, wait and see it!), and the sequel is taken over by Andrzei Sekula, who is best known for his works as a cinematographer for "Pulp Fiction."

So far, it's ok. But what is lacking in the sequel (or remake, it seems closer to) is the original's simple rules or logics. This time you get eight people locked in a cluster of cubic rooms. They try to figure out how to get out of the place (again, why not), but here's another problem for them. This newer version, it seems, has eloved into a more sinister one, manipulating even the fourth-dimentional aspect of the space. But wait, I have a question. Do you really understand that fourth dimention, which is usually referred to as time?

Frankly, I don't know. To make matters worse, the filmmakers don't know. So, from the middle of the film, where the new concept is introduced, the story goes awry, not knowing how to get out of the mess gracefully. The idea of "parallel reality" is at first intriguing, but soon you will realize that they actually don't know what they are doing. The final solution is a real cop-out, which is little better than a lucky guess.

Thanks to the director, the newer "Cube" has more visually interesting sets; the rooms looks clearer with more light, making a good contrast with the former dark ones (so, the cast and crew had to wear sunglasses during the rehearsal, because of too much lighting). However, the incoherent story damages every visual achievement, and some impressive CGIs.

About acting, I only say that it's unfair to accuse the actors who probably signed in this one, not knowing what the film would be. I find, nevertheless, some of them really, really, embarrasing, and when they are gone, I felt very happy. Sure, there were some comic moments in the original, but not as obvious and irritating as Mrs. P. for whose dog I feel sorry. Strangely Kari Matchett, perhaps the best player in the cast, can also be seen in Natali's "Cypher." What made her appear both of them?

"Cube -- Hypercube" is not scary, or even thrilling, because it does everything it should not do. You will be informed about the background of the secret of this deadly "Cube," which we don't want to know. You get "love scene," which we don't need to see. Leave those parts alone, make the whole thing more logical, and give us more thrill, please, not that hackneyed "call from General." That's all predictable.

Rating:
Summary: DON'T READ THOSE LOW-RATING REVIEWS...
Review: This is not a movie reviewing site!!! Not a single one of these folks "made sure to focus their comments on the DVD edition" of Cube 2, so let's be honest here. If you're reading this, it's because you're already a BIG fan of the CUBE series, and you want to know if it's worth 'buying them' on DVD or not. Point. Last thing you want is someone re-categorizing it to the "psychological thrillers" genre, trying to prove the "sequels-stink-theory" or simply telling you it's a bad movie.

Cube 2: Hypercube (the DVD edition) deserves a 4 star rating because, although, overall it has pretty good audio (Dolby Digital, not Ultra Stereo) and video (presented in Widescreen format) quality (thing it's predecessor DVD edition kind of lacked), it falls somewhat short in the special features it's predecessor has: comparative & alternate storyboards, production design schematic set design, special F/X artwork and even easter eggs! (haven't found any on Cube 2 so far). Lions Gate Home Entertainment hasn't announced a "SIGNATURE SERIES" edition of Cube 2 yet.(They did release a subtitled VHS edition, however, and you will find some additional material on the official Cube 2 website.

Now, Cube 2: Hypercube (the motion picture) deserves a 4.5 star rating because it not just DELIVERS, it EXPANDS. Point. Acting far surpasses the one in CUBE and I'm still trying to figure out that 'even-more-shocking-than-the-first-Cube-ending'. (or Cube 3 tier, for that matter...)

Rating:
Summary: 2 Cube or not 2 Cube, that is the question
Review: If you love science, (mostly physics) the CUBE 2 is the movie for you...
I love the way time folds in on itself and space warps around everyone in the rooms.

Where else can you come face to face with yourself?

I did find the white rooms a little benine, other than that, it's a great movie for the science-minded person.

Rating:
Summary: Chilling and provocative
Review: I never saw the original, but I love Cube 2. This movie stunned me. It is the kind of movie that makes you think and question everything around you. This movie after I first saw it, stayed in my head for days. You feel as if it could happen to you, as if a hypercube does in fact exist, and you could be its next victim. I would recommend this film to creative, deep, individuals or to physics students everywhere.

Rating:
Summary: Good... but something just seems to be missing.
Review: I really liked the whole concept behind Cube 2. The whole idea of multiple dimensions and parallel universes was quite cool, although I think the thing that made Cube 1 better was that it was more credible; more possible.
One big flaw with Cube 2 is that they used all the same types of character profiles as in Cube 1. Also there was nothing in this movie that really had me sitting on the edge of my seat in suspence like the sound activated room in Cube 1 did.
I kind of liked the ending of this one though because it leaves you waiting for Cube 3, but it would have been nice to have a little more information about what this device was; like, perhaps, a revelation earlier in the movie that there actually was a device in the first place would have been good. As it is, it seems a little like it was something the writers just chucked in there at the last minute to shabbily create some kind of cliff-hanger.
All in all though, if you're a fan of Cube 1, I would recommend getting Cube 2 because it does have something to offer to the overall storyline behind the Cube series. And for what it's worth, the ending achieved it's objective: I am eagerly awaiting Cube 3.

Rating:
Summary: The First One Was Great, But The Sequel, Like Most....
Review: I am a huge fan of the original Cube movie. When I found out they had made a sequel, I rented it as soon as a copy was available. Very quickly into the movie I was thinking, alright... its much like the first movie, maybe it will be just as good if not better. It certainly has a better production value.

This movie just didn't pull it off. The first one was all about people, not the characters. It had no star or hero. It was simply a story about the interaction of humans with eachother in a stressful situation.

This movie is all about the conspiracy theory, X-files style, and its weak. Go watch The Original Cube, and watch some old X-files episodes. You'll be much happier in the end.

Rating:
Summary: much like the first, imagination will set this movie free
Review: If you liked the first one, it may have been because of what you couldn't see. The absence of any knowledge about the experimentors made you literally create your own villain(s). It was brilliant idea mixed with some good effects and acting, and it worked out well, so this time we get a little more info on our villains which is why I think some reviewers are not liking Cube II. Remember, the first wasn't a flashy movie either, but a fantastic story with good elements that was done on a cheap budget and turned a penny, hence sequel.

Cube II could not have been done any better, they had to radically change the idea for an interesting plot which they successfully did with Hypercube; a four dimensional cube with a possible 60 million rooms and no one knows if the fourth dimension is time or alternate realities, but there are doubles, triples and quadruples of the same person running around rooms that change by spatially folding into and out-of one another. Cool, eh? Right, the killing devices were not of the same calibre as in the first, but I'm not convinced about the need for them, as I will spoil later. There were devices, but they seemed to come about as properties of the hypercube, instead of actual killing machines. It's really up to you, which is the beauty of it.

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