"I want to go back to the blue room

If you haven't seen the original Cube yet, I suggest you go now and watch it! If you like it, you should skip Cube 2: Hypercube and go straight to this prequel.

I won't pretend that this film comes close to Cube, but at least it's far better than Cube 2. It has a plot and a sense. It's not quite as dark, angst-ridden and thought-provoking as the original, but then no pre-/sequel could be.

Cube Zero is set partially inside and partially outside the cube, a machine, where people move from cuboid room to cuboid room in order to find a way out, whilst trying to avoid those rooms which have deadly traps in them. The traps in this film are ace and I'd thought I'd seen the best ones in Cube.

Something that this film has to get credit for is the fact that whilst it is a prequel and expands the storyline of the original, it does not take away anything. The story of Cube and it's mystery are preserved. In effect Cube Zero does not explain why, but rather enlarges on the how.

The biggest challenge for this film was to create an early version of the cube structure (because it's a prequel) and suppress the need to make it more spectacular than the the original. Something that is very difficult for producers, but Cube Zero manages to pull it off.

All in all, a good B-movie with interesting plotlines and ideas, which present an acceptable follow-up to the classic Cube. Three stars.

: 09 May 2005 19:42 |  Comments (2) |  Report a problem