Great concept, boring film

Rating: Null/10 (15 August 2003)

After waiting for so long to see this film, I finally saw it last night on IFC. I hate to say that I was sorely disappointed. The beginning of the movie was excellent. The rooms of the maze were intriguing and created an eerie ambience early in the film. The fact the characters didn't know how or why they got there was a perfect setup for a psychological thriller.

After this encouraging beginning "The Cube" quickly plummets into the realm of trite and predictable. The acting was terrible, the characters were unsympathetic, even the autistic guy. I found myself wondering why I was even sitting there when I could be perusing the latest issue of "Better Homes and Gardens."
But I sat through to the predictable ending, hoping that the film would redeem itself. What could have been a film that kept you wondering for weeks and getting your friends to watch so you could conjecture with them about it turned out to be one of the worst 90 minutes I've wasted in a while. I wish it would have left me wondering who was behind it all, how they chose their prisoners and how they got them there, where The Cube existed physically and all the other questions a skillfully crafted work can leave in your mind. Instead, I feel glad to have the whole experience behind me.