Brilliant concept but... (Spoilers 2nd para)

Rating: 6/10 (7 January 2006)

Definitely a budget release, set in a series of identical cubic rooms identified only by a series of numbers and the colour of the lighting, the set budget must have been one of the lowest of all time, but it works. The feeling of claustrophobia engendered by the seemingly endless series of cubes becomes quite palpable. There are, of course, traps to be avoided, or the film would have become very boring very quickly, and the idea is that all the characters need to combine their skills in order to find their way out. The idea is unusual and bursts with promise (If you can endure the characters occasionally becoming uncharacteristically verbose), then it begins to unravel...
It won't be long before the word 'Rubic's' springs to mind. Certainly you'll catch on much faster than the characters involved, and since the idea is that the characters should assist one another you are soon left wondering what skill the very first victim of the cube might have had, since he dies before meeting any of the other participants, and although it isn't stipulated how long the survivors slept for, it seems unlikely that they were in the cube for more than maybe a day, so why, having reached the exit, does one of them panic because he's suddenly scared of the outside and wants to remain where he feels safe? (Safe? With no food or water?... Duh.). Since no tools or weapons were allowed in the cube, where does the crazy cop suddenly get his spike from? If the entrances make so much noise, how does he sneak in to a cube without anyone noticing? and how does he get the young girl out? Then there's the ending...
It's really a little depressing that such an involving and well thought out movie can be spoilt by a mind-bendingly idiotic conclusion, but unfortunately that's it. If you switch off when the designer-guy starts to panic at the exit and make up your own ending, you'll enjoy it SO much more...