in one word-predictable

Rating: 2/10 (13 August 2006)

The Descent is a highly predictable summer horror movie, at best. Sure, there is always the initial shocking event that serves as the backdrop for one or more characters as they face baddies throughout the movie. But this movie serves up the loss of a family in a way that is trite and seems to say, "and this is why she will be the obvious survivor at the end". As for the actual sequence of events in the caves, anyone who has ever seen a horror movie can tell by the cinematography what is about to happen. For instance, when an actress's face fills the entire screen with a look of relief after killing some monster you can bet the farm that when the camera zooms out a little we will be "shocked" to see yet another baddie sneaking in behind her. Perhaps most disappointingly though is the fact that the single most predictable BUT very scary thing that could have happened didn't...the spelunkers among you know...loss of light!! Yes, these women were going to what they thought was a "tourist" cave and brought what appeared to be a year's supply of artificial light sources...battery-powered headlamps and flashlights, cyalume sticks and flares, oh my!! I thought this film could take some tips from "Pitch Black" and use the dark as it's most menacing and terrible element but instead even when the character on screen had no light source there was still ample light to film by...two miles underground!