OK horror thriller

Rating: 6/10 (23 December 2006)

The maker of DOG SOLDIERS is back with THE DESCENT, about a group of 20-something gals who go spelunking only to run into bloodthirsty cave creatures. Sound familiar? It should. The same plot was used for THE CAVE, although that group was coed. And like THE CAVE, THE DESCENT is only partially successful. The spelunking sequences are tense and scary, but once the monsters appear, all the tension and scariness blow out the window. The monsters can actually be seen as interfering with the plot, as the group has become trapped far underground and must find its way back to the surface. Furthermore, once glimpsed, the monsters are just plain silly. However, I will give the filmmakers kudos for the gore level, which quickly escalates once the monsters appear. There's also a "rebirthing" scene involving the lead character that was virtually duplicated in the more recent APOCALYPTO (THE DESCENT is a 2005 production, so it is anyone's guess why the delay in getting it to the U.S.). See THE DESCENT (and THE CAVE, for that matter) for the spelunking scenes. Skip the rest. Even the "surprise" ending is boring, although it may be a bit jarring for the unintiated.