Cube (film series)

CUBE (15)

D: Vincenzo Natali

Trimark/Cineplex Odeon (Mehra Meh & Betty Orr)

Canada 🇨🇦 1997 (released 1998)

90 mins

Science Fiction/Thriller/Horror

W: Vincenzo Natali, Andre Bjelic & Graeme Manson

DP: Derek Rogers

Ed: John Sanders

Mus: Mark Corven

PD: Jasna Stefanovic

Maurice Dean Wint (Quentin), Nicole de Boer (Leaven), Nicky Guadagni (Holloway), David Hewlett (Worth), Wayne Robson (Rennes), Andrew Miller (Kazan), Julian Richings (Alderson)

Six strangers awaken in an interlocking prison of cube-shaped rooms, some of which are booby trapped.

Cube is a geniusly inventive science fiction thriller which makes the most of it's one-set locations with atmospheric photography and taut editing. The film is left open and ambiguous, which make it even better, as some could argue that all the answers would ruin a beautiful thing.

A few black marks are received for some rather tawdry dialogue ("Of course, X plus Y is the power of Z squared. How could I be so foolish?") and a couple of ropey performances, aside from that, it's a brilliant piece of low budget work.

8/10

CUBE 2: HYPERCUBE (15)

D: Andrzej Sekula

Lions Gate (Ernie Barbarash, Peter Block & Suzanne Colvin)

Canada 🇨🇦 2002

95 mins

Science Fiction

W: Sean Hood

DP: Andrzej Sekula

Ed: Mark Sanders

Mus: Norman Orenstein

Kari Matchett (Kate Filmore), Geraint Wynn Davies (Simon Grady), Grace Lynn Kung (Sasha / Alex Trusk), Neil Crone (Jerry Whitehall)

The fantastic 1997 movie Cube didn't need a sequel and, to be honest, this isn't one... It owes more to The Matrix than the original movie, featuring much of the same premise from the first film except this time the interlocking prison-like cubes can now play tricks with time as well as space. Unfortunately, the film has far too many glaring plotholes to be taken seriously and is actually quite insulting to its audience which the writer must think are imbeciles.

3/10

CUBE ZERO (15)

D: Ernie Barbarash

Lions Gate (Suzanne Colvin Goulding & Jon Goulding)

Canada 🇨🇦 2004

97 mins

Science Fiction

W: Ernie Barbarash

DP: François Dagenais

Ed: Mitchell Lackie & Mark Sanders

Mus: Norman Orenstein

Zachary Bennett (Eric Wynn), Stephanie Moore (Cassandra Raines), Martin Roach (Robert P. Haskell), Michael Riley (Jax)

The first Cube movie may have been left with an ambiguous ending and many questions unanswered, but it really didn't need to be elaborated on or explored.

Anyone expecting a genesis tale from this supposed prequel will most definitely be disappointed, as this is nothing of the sort. Instead, this is a virtual retread of the first film, with much of action taking place outside the cubes walls, therefore removing any of the tension and mystery which came with the first film.

The story actually borders on parody come the halfway point and finishes up with an ending which is rather insulting, not just to this movie, but to the original film. Ignore this and the other pathetic attempt for a sequel, just watch the first movie and leave any questions at the door.

3/10