Cube

Rating:
Summary: An Old Story With New Charm
Review: ...I am surprised not one mentioned the Twilight Zone episode "Five Characters In Search of an Exit". Maybe this is obvious, and maybe some other reviewers mentioned it, but it should be noted that this film is a long version of that episode.

The difference is essentially the object in which they try to escape, a cube that these characters found themselves in. Five characters who dont know each other, dont know why they are there, and have no reasonable exit for the place they find themselves stuck in. Yes, "Cube" is as existential as that. The cube as the metaphor for existence, while the characters ponder in various states of disarray why they were chosen to be there. This would be a highly egocentric point of view to think they were "chosen", would it not? It would appear from their lifes work that they chose, and even designed their lives to be there. Isn't that the metaphor? To be in a cubed room with 6 doors, all of which lead to another room of the same type? When life is running in circles, everything is the same. There are smags and snares that will kill you, but if you know WHAT to be aware of, you can avoid it.

The five characters each have distinct personality traits and skills are utitlized to help them towards an exit. They eventually stumble on math theories based on numbers between doorways. They soon discover that these numbers are equations based on Cartesian geometry that can help one to understatd the design of the entire cube. This eventually only proves to be half right, while the larger scope is to break down a 9 digit number into factorials. If we recall Abbot's "Flatland", we can appreciate this in the sense of perception. That when the world is flat, everything is 2 dimensional. That is what the world of Cartesian geometry implies. To move forward, one needs to begin to think in three-dimensions and understand the whole from all points of view, and not just front/back. Once our young heroine discovers this, she has the ability to know where the exit is.

The film in general is predictable, because the point was less to find out the exit of the cube and more to explore the existential questions of existence. Whether this be through logic, emotion or the senses, the characters begin to unravel and show their own true colors, and their own meanings. Its a sort of logotherapy set in a world by Samuel Beckett.

"Cube" offers many philosphical debates for the viewer who is interested in taking the time to examine its message, but if you are looking for home-spun entertainment, then you will be let down. If not from its heavy-handed philosophy, then by its monotony. I did not like the film entirely because it put the viewer in a double bind: to expect the audience to accept the alien world we are tossed in, yet if you did not enjoy the film because there was nothing to relate to, then you would be missing the point. But I expected that.

Rating:
Summary: Innovation is now spelt C U B E....
Review: Some will hate it, more will love it, and many have never even heard of this movie about survival horror called Cube. It may be a low-buget, underground cult classic, but it is without a doubt one of the most innovative movies ever made. If the opening scene doesn't grab your attention, then don't even bother watching the rest of the movie, cause it's not for you. But if you want to follow this cast of characters further into the Cube, prepare for a roller coaster of human emotion.

I don't care what anyone says, the acting in this movie is top notch. That's right, TOP NOTCH. Each member of this no-name cast portrays his or her character in such a way that you are always second guessing their motives. It isn't until the end, whether it be of the movie or their lives, that we see who they really are. Anyone who has enough knowledge of movies and acting can respect the performances given, anyone who doesn't, cannot. This is what drives the spirit of Cube, combined with numerous death traps, which totally kick [bottom].

Rating:
Summary: Originality Rules
Review: This is one of those frustratingly imperfect films. It's frustrating because it could have been a classic.

The premise drives the whole movie, and because it's so original, and the plot twists so intelligent, you tend to overlook the atrocious acting. I can't believe that they let the actor who plays Quentin be in this film. He almost singlehandedly ruins it with melodramatic ruminations pockmarked with wide eyes and cheesy vocalizations.

Fortunately, though, other characters take over the story late in the film. The whole prime numbers/prime powers thing is priceless. It's confusing enough to drive the suspense, but intelligent enough to make the whole thing work. And the philosophical, existential echoes throughout the film stay with you after the credits roll.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but Flawed
Review: Cube has one of the most unique ideas i've seen for a sci-fi movie, and the bold freshness of that keeps its head above water in some of the slower areas and bad acting parts. Six people awaken in nothing more than a "Cube" room with seemingly endless paths and traps awaiting them, a very interesting concept holds Cube together as glue when the story gets out of control I would've also liked it if they had given a reason to where and why these people were in the Cube.

Rating:
Summary: True Sci-Fi fans should stay away!
Review: I watched this movie with a few friends a while back. The DVD is fine, but let's get to the movie itself:

The premise is intriguing, and it has the promise of a Twilight Zone-like story. Unfortunately, the movie quickly becomes laughable. Maurice Dean Wit, playing Quentin, seems like he took acting lessons in the William Shatner school. Indeed, the other actors don't do much better.

For all of the film's production values, I couldn't help but think that I was watching a television Movie of the Week.

I'm not going to talk about the plot. I wouldn't want to give away anything to someone who will actually buy this garbage. But if what you're looking for is good science fiction, buy 'Gattaca' instead. If what you're looking for is a sophmoric romp that would like to be challenging, buy this DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Cool premise but-Junk.
Review: Cube was dissapointing. Great idea, poor execution. It started out intriguing but fizzled swiftly due to bad acting, bad direction, and horrible pacing. Too bad, the trailer was pretty spiffy.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating horror
Review: This movie has a lot of things going for it.

First, it's really intense, with pull-out-all-the-stops gore and great effects. The plot progresses with startling twists of character and piles of unanswered speculation. Some reviewers have criticized the film for having two-dimensional personalities. This doesn't apply to "Cube": for though fear and paranoia make characters simpler, the dynamic of all the characters was serviceable at worst, realistic at best.

Character droning is not applicable to horror films except in particularly bad cases of it (See "Bats" or "Supernova").

Two, it is philosophically relevant, on par with Sartre's "No Exit". Cube presents insights into social and ethical philosophy through the voices of the characters, and takes a long and hard look at human nature through their actions and their gradual disintegration.

I liked this movie a lot. If the creative death scenes don't creep the hell out of you, the ideas that come up most certainly will.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Sci Fi Fil with all the elements
Review: I First saw Cube on the Sci Fi Channel and let me say that it was a good Sci fi but it also made me feel paranoid like what if someday a person creates something like The Cube and everyday people are put in it to see how they would survive. I Would recommend this film to any sci fi fanatic out there

Rating:
Summary: Somewhat fun, but very transparent
Review: This is an allegory of such pathetic transparency that I was totally un-wowed by it. As other reviewers have noted, each chacter plays an archetype of a common personality. One reviewer pointed out that the Cube itself is also a role in the allegory. Duh! This was made extremely explicit in the movie.

Here we have a movie designed to impress people with how philosophical and radical the filmakers are. Of course to make sure everyone was duly impressed with how smart they are, they removed any hint of subtlety. The acting is so-so, but the set (singular) is pretty well put together.

The mathematics of the movie could have used some extra work. How is it that de Boer's character was able to identify 3-digit prime numbers, but it was somehow impossible for her to factorize 3-digit numbers? Pretty much the same skills are need unless she was attempting something like a Fermat pseudoprimality test. That would be somewhat hard to do in one's head in general.

Pedantry aside, this is still an enjoyable movie, but not the "great" cinema that other reviewers would have you believe.

Rating:
Summary: An Allegory? yes. But much, much more
Review: There was a reviewer who said many of these synopses miss the point and for the most part I agree with him. He argued that the characters were allegories for six common types of people: the militiristic, conceited leader, the book smart nerd who lacks common sense, the nihilist, the paranoid care giver, the innocent, somewhat ignorant, child, and the hardened criminal who cares only about himself. Like I said, he's right, but I think he oversimplifies the issue. The cube itself is an allegory. An allegory of the world we live in (yes, I realize that it was meant to look like someone's concept of hell, but who can prove that the Earth we reside on isn't someone's concept of hell?). This brings me to my most important metaphysical point. A lot of people--both reviewers in this forum as well as friends I've discussed this film with--get hung up on the fact that we never learn who constructed this cube and let this hang up negatively affect their opinion of this flick. I say that's silly because it shouldn't matter who constructed it. Nevermind the fact that the dialogue dismisses the concern by saying, let's remember that the cube is an allegory of the earth. And the characters in the film ask the same questions that philosophers have been asking for centuries: who created this? what is the point? how do we succeed and ascend? what ethical code do we need to obey? But just as all of these philosophers can't answer these questions, either can the characters. And if they could answer the questions, the allegory would be ruined, and the movie would fail.

But that's enough philosophical babble. Let's consider the film itself. Many say these characters aren't developed. I don't agree. Each character has their own personality and each character is affected differently by the cube. One goes completely insane, one gets angry and determined, another is resolved to solve the riddle, and another is convinced it can't be solved. Are these characters 3 dimensional; maybe not. But that doesn't matter. We see as much of these people as they could ever be expected to reveal of themselves in front of perfect strangers in a situation such as this. Another common complaint is the dialogue, the writing. Dialogue is a tricky thing, but it was written very well here and I don't understand the complaint.

Where the movie fails for me is the ending. I don't see it's point. All of the metaphyisical and allegorical objectives of the flick were already achieved. It had already shown us that we need to work together, rather than against each other, if there's any hope to saving the human race. It had shown us that we need to look for and find the intrinsic value of person we meet, rather than assuming some are worse than others. All the ending does is succumb to traditional horror methods, and weakens the overall effect of the movie.

Technically speaking, the camara angles do a remarkable job of further developing the cube's claustophobic effects. The sound design and music are chilling and flawless. The lighting is kind of hokie and some the shot frames a little cliched--though others are inventive.

If not for the end, I'd say this is a four (simply because I almost never give fives) considering the budget they had to work with.