In 1988, a team of 15 explorers descended approximately 80 kilometers into a gigantic and elaborate network of uncharted caves in southern Australia with the aim of filming a documentary. Above ground, a brutal storm broke out, triggering a series of landslides that sealed off all possible exits from the caverns, effectively trapping the explorers. Over the course of the following 48 hours, water levels continued to rise inside the cave, and the members of the expedition scrambled to find an exit–but to no avail. Eventually, the storm ended, rescue teams arrived, and everyone was safely evacuated.
When 3D adventure-drama ‘Sanctum’ opens with the onscreen claim ‘Inspired by a true story,’ audiences should be aware that a few liberties have been taken–after all, the film is only ‘inspired by’ rather than ‘based on’ actual events. The exact date isn’t set, although judging by the seemingly state-of-the-art technology on display, it’s a long way from the late 1980s. The number of explorers is conveniently whittled down to a more digestible quintet of primary characters, and the action–besides being shifted from the Australian desert to an island off the coast of Papua New Guinea–has been greatly expanded for maximum dramatic effect, as well as the body count. It’s safe to say that, had the actual incident unfolded according to Sanctum’s depiction, chances are that co-writer Andrew Wight, a survivor of the 1988 expedition, wouldn’t have been around today to contribute to the screenplay.
But then again, this isn’t a documentary. For that, watch “Nullarbor Dreaming,” the result of Wight and co.’s brush with death. By being mainstream popcorn fare, ‘Sanctum’s only concern is to entertain, and if that means killing off the majority of its cast without the slightest sense of hesitation or remorse, so be it. Wight and co-writer John Garvin have taken the real-life story of a team explorers stuck in a cave and turned it into an epic fight for survival against increasingly overwhelming odds, with characters struggling to escape a water-logged subterranean death-trap. Which would have been fine, if it wasn’t so unrealistic–probably due to a clunky screenplay and jarringly awful performances that make the film’s onslaught of extreme life-threatening situations hard to take seriously.
Wight was there, so only he knows for sure if at any point he or any of his presumably grizzled colleagues growled lines such as, “This cave will kill you in a heartbeat,” and “There are no rescue missions down here, only body recoveries.” But even if they did, someone should have alerted the screenwriter just how corny that type of dialogue sounds onscreen. And it’s particularly bad when paired with the forced performances delivered by most of the main cast members. As the expedition’s adrenaline-junkie financier, Ioan Gruffud stands out for his entirely unlikable and violently irritating character, while the film’s female lead, Alice Parkinson, does little more than scream, complain, and slow everyone else down. Making a departure from the villainous roles he’s become known for, Richard Roxburgh is the only cast member approaching believability–a noble attempt constantly thwarted by Rhys Wakefield, who plays Roxburgh’s onscreen son, and, distractingly, always seems to be on the verge of breaking out into laughter.
Produced by James Cameron–who, based on his sci-fi epic “The Abyss,” documentaries “Ghosts of the Abyss,” and “Aliens of the Deep,” and, of course, “Titanic,” seems to have a thing for sub-aquatic calamity–‘Sanctum’ features many of the director’s hallmarks, but little of his well-documented technical proficiency. Although crisp, the 3D is still murky and, more than anything, seems unnecessary, and is only briefly emphasized by the filmmakers–which is a relief for viewers who wouldn’t want to spend two hours having rocks and water thrown at them.
For all its faults, though, ‘Sanctum’ is undeniably entertaining, especially when the characters do less talking and more diving/screaming/dying. Scenes of drowning, tightening confinement, and slow suffocation–of which there are many–are all expertly and effectively handled by director Alister Grierson, and, at times, make for extremely uncomfortable viewing. There is, however, a certain lack of attention to detail that can make things confusing for viewers not familiar with the process of, and equipment required for, research spelunking expeditions. However, it’s not extreme enough to alienate audience members–that’s left to the bad acting and the cheesy “There’s-no-God-down-here!”-type dialogue.
Which is a shame, considering that a shift in tone and increase in character development could have made ‘Sanctum’ the heart-pounding adventure drama it so obviously wants to be. Unfortunately, the characters only come second to whatever grisly fates the majority of them are destined to meet for the sake of entertainment. This is the type of film where the credits roll the second the action is over, instead of sticking around a few minutes to build a satisfying resolution. In the end, Sanctum is a harrowing experience– but a strangely forgettable one.
