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Richard Roxburgh, Rhys Wakefield, Ioan Gruffudd, Alice Parkinson, Daniel Wyllie ... see more see more... , Christopher Baker , Nicole Downes , Allison Cratchley , Cramer Cain , Andrew Hansen , John Garvin , Sean Dennehy , Nea Diap

The 3-D action-thriller Sanctum, from executive producer James Cameron, follows a team of underwater cave divers on a treacherous expedition to the largest, most beautiful and least accessible cave sy... read more read more...stem on Earth. When a tropical storm forces them deep into the caverns, they must fight raging water, deadly terrain and creeping panic as they search for an unknown escape route to the sea. Master diver Frank McGuire (Richard Roxburgh) has explored the South Pacific's Esa-ala Caves for months. But when his exit is cut off in a flash flood, Frank's team--including 17-year-old son Josh (Rhys Wakefield) and financier Carl Hurley (Ioan Gruffudd)--are forced to radically alter plans. With dwindling supplies, the crew must navigate an underwater labyrinth to make it out. Soon, they are confronted with the unavoidable question: Can they survive, or will they be trapped forever? Shot on location off the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, Sanctum employs 3-D photography techniques Cameron developed to lens Avatar. Designed to operate in extreme environments, the technology used to shoot the action-thriller will bring audiences on a breathless journey across plunging cliffs and into the furthest reaches of our subterranean world. -- (C) Universal

Flixster Users

39% liked it

35,595 ratings

Critics

30% liked it

157 critics

R, 1 hr. 43 min.

Directed by: Alister Grierson

Release Date: February 4, 2011

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DVD Release Date: June 7, 2011

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Flixster Reviews (3,024)

  • Deano78
    April 10, 2012
    Deano78
    A decent survival thriller. Watched it on DVD so don't know how good it is in 3D. The cave looks amazing and steals the show really, otherwise it ends up follow a already well trodden path for this type of film and others little new. I have to say as well why oh why make the Engl... read moreish actor do an awful American accent, why not make his character English and save embarrassment!
  • itsjustme2004
    February 12, 2012
    itsjustme2004
    Not a bad movie, but not great either. I bet it must have been pretty cool in 3D with all the suspended in water dive scenes. Without the 3D aspect, just another cave dive movie with a high body count.
  • helpahorse
    January 28, 2012
    helpahorse
    I watched this film mainly because I liked the Descent and thought that this movie would be something like that.

    The whole plot is shallow as hell. There could have been some sort of depth between the characters like Josh and Frank and maybe that guy and his girlfriend. The ch... read morearacters were all two dimensional. The writing was probably the worst part of the film. It makes the characters do stupid things. I've seen a lot of movies with stupid characters, and these characters are really, really dumb. The girl for example refused to wear a wetsuit when going diving because she's an idiot and doesn't know the definition of hypothermia. All the characters as a whole were dumb when they decided to continue their little expedition when they knew a huge storm was coming and could possibly flood the caves thereby killing everyone. Why are they so stupid? It's like one irrational decision after another. The characters can't think for themselves. *SPOILERS* Ohhh and what was up with everyone drowning each other? The one foreign guy breaks every bone in his body (or so they assume) so they drown the dude! The movie makes it seem like drowning is such a peaceful way to go. It's really not. I mean not that I would know, but I read somewhere that drowning is actually really painful. It doesn't seem peaceful at all, but the movie portrays it as a soothing and calm way to go. Then when the dad gets stabbed in the back, he makes his son drown him to end his suffering...whaaaaaaaat?! That seems so traumatic for a son to kill his own father. What the hell is this? If I was stabbed in the back, I'd much rather bleed to death than to be forcefully held under water by a family member. What is with all the mindless euthanasia in this film? Was there meaning behind it or was it just poor writing? I also liked how like an hour after the boy, Josh, kills his father, he makes it to the outside world and survives. I wonder if he hadn't killed his father, if Josh could've gotten help and gone back to save him. Hmmm....I guess we'll never know. Stupid people.

    The other problem I had with the writing was the fact that everything in the beginning seemed so incredibly happy and fun. The entire atmosphere was just filled with joy. It was so fake and forced. When everything starts out so happy, the audience knows it can only get worse and it does. The movie is not at all predictable, but the way things happen just seem forced. It doesn't flow together as nicely as it could have. The movie just wasn't executed as well as it should've.

    Some of the scenes in the movie showing the huge underwater caves were really, really fake. I was surprised that it looked so terrible. I could tell exactly where the green screen started and ended. It was pretty pathetic. Don't get me wrong, I mean some parts with the water falls and cave tunnels and crap were really pretty and all, but the inconsistency annoyed me. In one scene, you'd see a beautiful underwater cave feature and in the next you'd see a huge almost clay-animated bunch of rock formations in a cave that looked really, really fake. It was rather weird to be honest.

    The acting part of the film was just okay. Considering all the actors were given such flat characters to portray on screen, they did a pretty good job. It's hard to play a character that literally has zero personality traits. The writing and dialogue were the main issue in this movie that made it fail. If the writer had added a little depth, a bit of an understory and given the actors the chance to play realistic people then I think this movie would've been a lot better.

    I didn't absolutely hate it, but it was a little boring to watch. When all the characters are obnoxious as fuck and as dumb as dirt...I can't really enjoy the film. It was just okay.
  • jlewis07
    September 16, 2011
    jlewis07
    A tense and suspensful film with exotic locations and great cinematography, but absolutely dreadful dialogue and mediocre acting. Come for the thrills only, as you will be facepalming when the characters speak.
  • DreamExtractor
    September 10, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Sanctum was a horrible film and a boring one as well. The plot of the film has nothing going for it other than a bunch of people start dying in caves, and I truly was bored out of my mind. The acting was also bad, these guys aren't memorable and you will forget their performanc... read moree almost instantly. The special effects were not that good either, and I find it very rare where I hate the special effects in a film. The only thing this film had going for it was probably the sweet father and son moments in the film, but other than that I hated it.
  • skactopus
    August 12, 2011
    skactopus
    Alister Grierson can't avoid predictability, but with the help of some nice visuals, Sanctum just gets by.

    With a story that mainly focuses in a tight and dark cave, the 105 minute run time isn't exactly brief. There is a slow start to get through and when things finall

    ... read morey pick up, there really isn't much in the way of excitement or amusement. Yes, the film does have its suspenseful moments from time to time, but the fact that there aren't a whole lot of characters to like doesn't help.

    Sanctum may spend a lot of time underground, yet it does please visually; however they only go so far as to helping this film, and this isn't worth watching just because of the eye candy.

    There isn't much to say about the acting. Aside from Richard Roxburgh, who is great, everyone else does what they have to when they have to.

    By the time the mediocre conclusion comes around, Sanctum has already offered everything that it can. This is a tough film to recommend, but go ahead if need be.
  • phubbs1
    July 20, 2011
    phubbs1
    After a slowish start I really got into this caving adventure which did bring out allot of goosebumps on me haha talk about tension and making you nervous whoa!!
    From the moment the team get trapped below it makes you sweat as they try to work out how to get through the maze of t... read moreight tight underwater tunnels, its all very visually murky and suspenseful with plenty of tight spaces and dark caves lit merely from helmet lights or glowsticks. I think the cast were pretty good in this despite what I've read with Roxburgh as the tough father coming across especially well with his gritty performance as he pushes the team forward.

    A Cameron film so you do get flashes of 'The Abyss' yet not as exciting plus Cambo's new pet 3D was in use but I saw this in regular 2D and it works fine so wether 3D makes any difference I'm not sure.

    Its a little bit predictable and corny as each member is lost one by one and the ensuing fight between the last remaining three characters as Gruffudd's character seemingly loses it wasn't really needed, that made it silly when it could of remained sensible. That did come across as though it was added simply to raise the stakes and try and make the film more exciting when really the claustrophobia of their situation was plenty.

    Not sure why its called 'Sanctum', possibly down to Roxburgh's character telling his son that being in these caves was his life, they were his church, maybe. Very realistic and well made and NOT an action film if that's what your thinking or looking for.
  • fb100000145236770
    June 21, 2011
    fb100000145236770
    Boring, badly acted, and just not very good. This movie tries to be numerous different things and it fails at most, if not all of them. Parts are a father/son adventure, parts are claustrophobic horror, and some of it is just people acting stupid and dying in a gory death. "Th... read moree Descent" is a real cave diving movie with thrills. The only thrill this movie gives is the thrill you'll get when you see the credits start to roll. The one big positive, is the movie is good to look at. The scenery is pretty spectacular, and the cave looks cool. Hell, the cave has more personality than most the actors. Get "Descent" or even "The Cave"(which kinda sucks too) instead.
  • DerekA101
    June 13, 2011
    DerekA101
    Sanctum is a little rough around the edges, and suffers from a plight of horrible acting and predictability. The only decent performance was by Richard Roxburgh. I enjoy the man vs nature element, and this film has massive amounts of heart underneath its rough exterior. ... read more The story grows on you, but it doesn't pull you in at the beginning (which might hinder your overall opinion of the film). I wish the writers didn't force a lot of the characters to make blatantly stupid decisions, but other than that it's actually engaging and nice to look at.
  • MovieGeek13
    May 3, 2011
    MovieGeek13
    The concept of Sanctum is an intriguing, albeit unoriginal one - cave divers get stuck in an unexplored cave system and have to find their way out before nature kills them. But it's so badly made that you wish the cave would just collapse and kill all of these cliched, underdevel... read moreoped, and completely unsympathetic characters.
    Whoever wrote the script needs major lessons in writing dialogue. People here just talk for the sake of talking. No important information is being communicated to the viewer. To make matters worse, the dialogue does not set up how dangerous this cave system is supposed to be. They mention it's dangerous, but everyone seems to be on a camping trip, soaking up beers and telling jokes while allowing inexperienced divers in on the mission with them.
    As an action film, the cave looks obviously like a set. The lighting is so poorly done that it makes the interior walls look like foam. Scenes are edited together with such laziness that there is no way to orient space between the actors and their environment, not to mention where the characters are in relation to each other. The pacing is slow and uneven.
    Not to mention the terrible acting. and character arcs that are obvious and tired. Did I mention the clunky dialogue? From the opening five minutes, this movie sinks to the bottom of incompetent filmmaking and never rises an inch.

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Critic Reviews

Rafer Guzman
February 25, 2011
Rafer Guzman, Newsday

Despite the millions clearly poured into it, the film feels cheap and amateurish. See it on IMAX if you wish, but the flaws will only look bigger. Full Review

Peter Travers
February 5, 2011
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Sometimes the sets look like, well, Styrofoam. So do the actors. Full Review

Rick Groen
February 4, 2011
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

Stick that camera down an aquatic cave, wrap a paper-thin plot around it, slap the whole thing up on an IMAX screen and call it a movie. More truth in advertising: Call it a lame movie. Full Review

Andrea Gronvall
February 4, 2011
Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader

After a sluggish half hour, this well-crafted adventure kicks into high gear and never lets up. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
February 4, 2011
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

There's just water, water everywhere - and no one stops to think. Full Review

Laremy Legel
February 4, 2011
Laremy Legel, Film.com

Released over Super Bowl weekend, it makes perfect sense that Sanctum is horrid. What studio expects anyone to go to the theater on Sunday? Full Review

Joe Neumaier
February 4, 2011
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News

If you're able to think of characters as just air bubbles to get past, then dive in, the excitement's fine. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
February 4, 2011
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

"Sanctum" is a movie that tries to make you feel that there's this cool thing going on that everybody knows about except you. Full Review

Kyle Smith
February 4, 2011
Kyle Smith, New York Post

"Sanctum" turns out to be as gripping as plankton. Full Review

Manohla Dargis
February 3, 2011
Manohla Dargis, New York Times

The director Alister Grierson, not grasping that bad dialogue is sometimes best delivered quietly, encourages his actors to shout and thrash about, and so they do, like fish out of water and performer... Full Review

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    • Frank McGuire: There's no god down here. This place doesn't give a rat's ass about you or me or any of us. We're bits of dust passing through.
    • Victoria: Hot bath and a brandy and I'll be fine.
    • Victoria: [rejecting ill-fitting diving suit] I'd rather be cold and alive than warm and dead.
    • Frank McGuire: He fizzed up!
    • Carl Hurley: You are not going to set any records without me.
    • Carl Hurley: I have control. [laughs]
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  • Superman has the "Fortress of Solitude" Batman has the "Batcave" What is the name of the lair of "The Shadow"?  Answer »
  • Superhero Hideouts Sanctum Sanctorum  Answer »
  • Who starred in the last "Inner Sanctum" mystery?   Answer »
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