How did this film get a 6.7?

Rating: 3/10 (6 June 2009)

I'd give this film at best a 5, and more like a 3. I usually like Nick Cage and he's a great actor, but he was wasted on this role. The main problem with the film is that it has what I call a "30 Second Solution". In other words, there's a shortcut to the ending that doesn't require the story in-between. The best example, without giving away the plot of this film, is Lord of the Rings. The 30 second solution is Frodo flies one of the giant eagles over Mt Doom and drops in the ring. 30 second solution. This film has a similarly simple finality.
The script has many problems that I won't detail as they would be real spoilers. Suffice to say that their is no heroic character in this tale because there is nothing to save.
I thought all of the acting performances were lackluster. I wasn't convinced by anyone, not even the characters that were meant to be frightening. The part of the sister was just bizarre.
I have a big problem with the darkness of the film. I understand that the director wanted to get across the heaviness of the theme, but some of the scenes are so poorly lit you almost miss the action. I found myself begging silently for some light.
Apologies to those who worked hard on this film, because your talents were wasted. In short, the special effects are weak, the script is severely flawed and the acting is mediocre.