Rating:  

James Cameron, Sanctum Australia, Great Wight Productions/Osford Films, Relativity Media, Wayfare Entertainment and Universal Pictures.

Written by: John Garvin and Andrew Wight, story by Andrew Wight.

During one sequence in “Sanctum”, a highly skilled and retired deep sea explorer warns an inexperienced deep sea diver of the dangers of ‘The Bends’, the condition of decompression sickness which results in gaseous bubbles arising within tissues of the body. “You’ll fizz up…” he warns her. So just imagine what might happen a few minutes later. Not to ruin any shocking developments in the movie or anything, but…um…yeah, the guy fizzes up.

Of course he does.

And that in a nutshell describes “Sanctum”. A decompressed and amateurish underwater thriller that telegraphs nearly all of its twists and turns. Drenched in gaping plot and logic holes too big to overlook, the film suffocates under the pressure of atrocious acting, baffling editing and direction, and laughable, stilted dialogue that makes the entire endeavor an exercise in futility.

Oh, and it’s in 3-D and apparently features the creme de la creme of 3-D technology. One better? This is the same 3-D technology crafted by James Cameron for use with his groundbreaking 2009 film, “Avatar”! I can only presume that Cameron got tired of the equipment sitting around collecting dust and felt it necessary to loan it out to director Alister Grierson for use in this, his second film. And most importantly, Universal Pictures wants you to know that the creator of “Titanic” and “Avatar”, James Cameron, serves as the Executive Producer of “Sanctum”. Yes, that James Cameron. The King of the World James Cameron. In the opening title card, Cameron comically places his own name above everything else in the credits. Not James Cameron Productions or James Cameron Studios or anything like that…just James Cameron. He truly has no shame.

Oh yeah, that movie? I almost forgot about it. “Sanctum” is apparently based on a true story involving diver Andrew Wight, who while cave diving in Australia in 1988, found himself and his crew trapped deep in an underground cave system that no one could get to. Forced to find his own way out, Wight has brought his story to the big screen and remarkably, “Sanctum” has so little to do with Wight’s real-life experiences, you wonder why Wight deviated so sharply from the incredible truths of what he endured. Where’s that movie I wonder? How this film can be based on a true story, I’ll never understand. But, details aren’t all that important I suppose.

At En Sala, located in the South Pacific, irascible Frank McGuire (Richard Roxburgh) leads a group of highly skilled deep sea divers and cave dwellers who are on an expedition to uncover and find one of the last undiscovered underwater cave systems left on Earth. His girlfriend and assistant diver, Judes (Allison Cratchley), has been in and out of the water for 17 straight days. Exhausted, she nonetheless finds it impossible to stand up to Frank’s uncaring and aloof persistence. So, as weak and tired as she is, she goes back in the water to finally locate the cave opening Frank has been trying to find for weeks. Naturally, things take a tragic turn and the crew are left shaken when Frank returns alone. Frank is ready to call off the excursion but the project’s financier, Carl (Ioan Gruffudd) and his girlfriend, Victoria (Alice Parkinson), have arrived on site and are eager to keep searching. Additionally, Frank’s 17-year old son, Josh (Rhys Wakefield), who has little respect for his detached and distant father, is there to join in on the search for the “other side” of the cave opening.

A storm of historic proportions is heading to the island and the divers find themselves in a race against time and Mother Nature to try and find the entry way leading to the next phase of their adventure. Instead of aborting the mission for a few days to wait out the storm, Frank insists on pushing on and beating the storm. After some resistance, the crew agree in lockstep to Beat! That!! Storm!!!, including Carl, who forces Victoria into a panic-inducing and perilous mission, and even Josh, who whines to everyone about his father’s cold and soulless disposition. Josh becomes so unbearable at times that people beg Frank to be nice to him, often begging Frank to “go easy on the boy!” Frank responds by easily putting down Josh and fellow crew members for questioning his parenting and demands that they all press on. I cannot think of a more unlikable group of people to observe and/or experience a deep sea underwater adventure with.

Luckily for us (!), things start to go terrible for these characters and without spoiling a lot about “Sanctum”, let me offer this. One thing I will always remember from “Sanctum” is this important life lesson: If someone is seriously ill or near death and any significant amount of water is nearby, tell them how much you love them, make sure they understand that they will be okay, and then drown them. It is simply the most humane way to end someone’s suffering. And, as you will learn if you endure this debacle of a film, there are multiple ways and means to provide this most loving of gestures.

This movie is as unnecessary as they come. The 3-D technology, as impressive as it may have been in “Avatar”, is so poorly used here that I retain my lack of interest in seeing any film in 3-D for the foreseeable future. Director Alister Grierson has no sense of framing a shot, directing proper emotion from his actors, and seemingly lacks the ability to effectively set any mood or atmosphere. There are moments here where people find themselves in peril and I had simply no idea how or why or what was happening. Of course, I never cared in the first place.

I have 11 more months of films to watch in 2011, but rest assured that “Sanctum” is, without a doubt, going to be one of the worst films to play at a theater near you this year. From start to finish, from grisly death sequences to tender drownings, “Sanctum” is an embarrassment in virtually every conceivable way.

Should I See It?

You are a James Cameron completest and must watch anything that he directs, producers, or champions.

You have an interest in seeing the underwater sets and the visuals obtained by shooting in a real underwater cave setting.

Fans of bad movies will have plenty of content here for a late night DVD party, creative drinking game, or Mystery Science Theater-type of event. Although I was not amused, I imagine years from now, I might find this funny. Maybe.

You are still in the camp of 3-D movies being AWESOME! You’re wrong, but that remains your view.

Read the above. This is one of the most ill-conceived and poorly assembled films of recent memory. That James Cameron stamped his name on it is baffling, even for him.

Another pointless use of 3-D. There is not one moment that is distinctively improved by being shot in this format. Another absolute gouging of the moviegoing public’s wallets and pocketbooks.

The acting is awful and the characters are so unlikable that you could care less about anything bad or perilous which befalls these dimwitted people.

I love movies that feature others dying for the ultimate benefit of a father and a son reconciling their years of anger and distrust with one another. Because, you see, that is truly how the world works, right?