Some definitive comments about Cube

Rating: Null/10 (26 November 2000)

A few points about this movie that no one has mentioned (at least not in the dozens of user comments I've read).
By now you know the basic plot. Six people find themselves in a maze of interlocking cubes with no explanation. They must work together to solve the clues that are left for them, avoid deadly traps, and find a way out.
This film is not low budget. It is practically no budget. It was made for a tiny fraction of what most Hollywood blockbuster sci-fi films are, so to criticize the film quality, visual effects, etc. is really specious and indicative of a rather shallow perspective. In fact, and no one has mentioned this, most of the visual effects, props, and extra production were DONATED for this film. When was the last time you heard of that? Yes the traps are less than mind blowing at times, but that is not the point. They are a device for the plot, to focus on them is to miss the entire point of what the film is about.
Yes, some of the performances are less than stellar. But nothing worse than what Costner typically turns in, and his salary is several times the entire budget of this film, so get over it. Most of these actors are in their early twenties (as is the most of the crew) and still learning their craft. Get past it. The filmmakers made a conscious decision to paint the characters as stereotypes initially, and then turn those stereotypes 180 degrees. They were not entirely successful in realizing this development, but they admit that themselves in the DVD commentary. Again, get past it.
For those of you who are ticked off because none of your questions were answered, is this really what you want out of all the films you see? Every film should pose a puzzle, solve everything in a neat, tidy package so you can nod your head and walk out of the theatre without a second thought? Sorry, occasionally films are made for the purposes of making you ponder and consider the issues they raise, not just to provide you easily digested film fodder. Wake up your brain, it won't hurt so much. This movie is not about who made the cube (we all did) or why the people are in it (who knows?), it's about whether we can break from the shackles of endless human stupidity and apathy that have created the society we live in.
Yes, the ending is a little trite. As I've said, the film does not succeed in all areas. You try realizing such an original concept on almost no budget, filming in confined spaces with an inexperience cast and crew and do the whole production in 20 days. If you can put the film in perspective, you'll be able to appreciate the intent if not the realization entirely.
And, finally, the math does make some sense, although budget constraints caused them to use some number plates in the wrong places. In the commentary, the filmmakers are clear that their intent was to give the viewer the idea of the solution, but not to get bogged down in mathematical details. The overall solution makes sense (and was developed with a mathematics professor on hand), it just isn't completely laid out in the dialog. Again, if your sole basis of evaluation is on technical completeness, you are missing the point of the film.
In sum, this is worth seeing. It is not a great film, but it is thought-provoking and a welcome respite from the "let's send a bunch of Texans into space to blow a meteorite" tripe that passes for science fiction film these days.
And, if I've offended any of the intellectually challenged amongst you, well you probably don't know it anyway.
dr. beat