With projects like Aliens of the Deep and Ghosts of the Abyss, James Cameron long ago set anchor as a deep water enthusiast. These exploratory ventures have proven perfect not just for satisfying his adventurous spirit, but for perfecting the IMAX 3D technology that he's become synonymous with. While Cameron didn't direct Sanctum, he served as exec-producer on it, handing the the reigns over to one of his disciples, Alister Grierson. The underwater cave diving adventure could've used Cameron's veteran hand, as weak performances and murky use of 3D leave the film all wet.
I can think of few fates worse than being stuck in a dark, endless cave system. The only thing that could make it worse is for it to flood, and that's exactly what happens to veteran explorer Frank McGuire(Richard Roxburgh). We're introduced to him, his mostly nameless crew, and his son Josh(Rhys Wakefield) in a sloppy opening sequence so flat it closely resembles those terrible short films you might see at Epcot Center. Y'know, the ones with names like "Cave Explorer" or "Jungle Adventure". Frank and Josh are at odds, and the script by John Garvin and Andrew Wight waste no time making sure we know exactly why. Frank has spent more time below ground than he has with is own family, and Josh feels daddy-deprived. The two scowl and bark at each other like a couple of chained up pitbulls.
While exploring a massive new cave system somewhere in the South Pacific, a freak storm hits and suddenly the entire cave is awash. A few of the crew escape, but Frank, Josh, and their obnoxious benefactor Carl(Ioan Gruffudd) are stuck with a few others with little chance to escape. Their only hope is to explore the cave's every nook and cranny, all while avoiding the natural dangers around every corner and fighting the growing panic inside themselves.
Co-writer Andrew Wight developed the story based on his own experiences over two decades ago, when he and a team of explorers experienced a similar situation. Whether or not he and his son engaged in the types of cornball arguments Frank and Josh do throughout is a question I'd like to ask, because it quickly grew tiresome to the point where I was hoping one of them would take a dive and not come up for air. The rest of the cast, a lot of which are local Australian "talents", would be perfect for some nature doc on The Discovery Channel, but they leave a lot to be desired otherwise. They muddle through a mostly thrill-deprived adventure waiting for their ultimate fate. The only one who seems to be having any fun at all is Gruffudd, and that's not until the film's final act when characters start getting desperate. If the rest of the movie was as impactful as the final 20 minutes, I'd be heaping all types of praise.
To be fair, this is a film that's less about the people and more about how it looks. Utilizing Cameron's advanced Fusion Camera System, there are moments when Sanctum is absolutely breathtaking to behold. Being a claustrophobe with an equal fear of deep water, there are a few moments where I caught myself holding my breath just like the people in the film were. It's an appropriately oppressive sensation, but unfortunately those moments are few and far between. I'm not the flat out hater of 3D that some people are, but I'm not convinced it works well for a movie like this, where natural light is intentionally limited and the surroundings barely stretch a few feet apart. If 3D is going to be effective, it needs wide open spaces and brilliant color palettes to thrive. Just look at Cameron's Avatar for a prime example of this.
Sanctum could've been a fantastic movie that showed again showed off his brilliance not just as a filmmaker but as a developer of talent. Instead, this is one underwater tale of survival that could seriously use a little more depth.
