Product: The Descent (Original Unrated Cut) [Blu-ray] (2006)
Rating: 3.0
"Six Chicks with Picks"
Six women go spelunking...and find flesh-eating beasties.Such is the basic gist of THE DESCENT. The film is very-well done; the cast of relative unknowns are all believable and relatable, and writer/director Neil Marshall certainly knows what he's doing. The atmosphere is prevalent and truly frightening; while the film isn't necessarily claustrophobic (maybe it is; I've never been very claustrophobic myself), it is certainly a "close" picture, thrusting you right in there with the characters as they go through this living hell. You're on the edge of your seat the whole picture, never quite knowing what'll happen next, and it all leads up to a truly haunting finale.Then why the three stars? Because it bugs the hell out of me whenever a movie shirks its potential greatness to become something less than what it is. There is tremendous talent behind this film--the cast, the cinematography, the writing, the directing--which makes its shortcoming all the more regrettable. The film's first half is fantastic--part Tarantino, part "Alien." The cave system itself is terrifying, and the audience is frightened right alongside the cast. And then...it becomes something of a zombie film set underground. Not to say these creatures are zombies; but that's what they come off as--flesh-eating, fast-moving, blind (yet somehow with functioning eyes?) zombies. It's a terrible shame; if there weren't so many of the creatures, or if the emphasis wasn't so fully upon them in the second half, their presence could be justified (if if there existence never truly is; there are a few hints as to their origins, but honestly, the film would have been more believable if the creatures' origins were left completely unspoken).Thus, THE DESCENT is a great film that winds up being only a mediocre one. It's still a must-see for horror fans, as the first half of the movie especially is truly outstanding. Certainly it's worth watching to reassure yourself that there is true talent working in the horror industry today, with a writer/director (and cast) who knows how to relate to you, to entertain you, and to terrify you.