Rare is the movie in which it's so blatant that the quest for a lower rating has influenced the aesthetic style so much.
The Cave (2005)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:103
Fresh:13
Rotten:90
Average Rating:3.6/10
Consensus: Despite its stylized and impressive sets, this horror-monster movie mish-mash suffers from endless cliches and wildly implausible plotlines.
Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: A sexy bunch of underwater explorers are summoned to Romania's Carpathian Mountains, where scientists have discovered a gigantic cave network containing a lengthy underground river. Cutting-edge... A sexy bunch of underwater explorers are summoned to Romania's Carpathian Mountains, where scientists have discovered a gigantic cave network containing a lengthy underground river. Cutting-edge breathing gear gets unpacked, camaraderie and budding romances develop, and then everyone becomes trapped in the depths, where monsters start picking off cast members, one by one. Escape depends on Jack, played by the dependably steely-eyed Cole Hauser (PAPARAZZI), who picked up a bad monster bite that may have infected his mind. Super-vixen Charlie (Piper Perabo) stands by him and displays a soothing screen presence as the tomboy rock climber in the crew, while Leana Headey plays the sexy Romanian biologist who fears that Jack is turning into a monster himself. Fans of B-movie monster movies should find this a nice cave to visit; there's no skimping on action or impressive set design, and each new cavern is weirder and more claustrophobic than the last. Staggeringly tall cliff faces, dark ominous waters, and a great, nerve-wracking orchestral soundtrack all add up to a fun horror adventure in the classic Saturday matinee sense. Of course, like all good monster movies, it borrows liberally from past classics: think of it as ANACONDA meets ALIEN by way of JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, and if that doesn't sound like a fine way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon, make sure you tread carefully as you exit THE CAVE! [More]
Starring: Cole Hauser, Morris Chestnut, Eddie Cibrian, Daniel Dae Kim
Starring: Cole Hauser, Morris Chestnut, Eddie Cibrian, Daniel Dae Kim, Kieran Darcey-Smith, Rick Ravanello, Marcel Iures, Lena Headey, Piper Perabo
Director: Bruce Hunt
Director: Bruce Hunt
Screenwriter: Michael Steinberg
Producer: Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Andrew Mason, Richard S. Wright, Michael Ohoven
Composer: Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil
Studio: Screen Gems
Reviews for The Cave
The whole thing is pretty dumb, and not tongue-in-cheek enough to make the dumbness fun.
Not a classic by any means, but possibly one you might want to add to your Netflix queue for a rainy day.
The pretty cast gets knocked off in order of attractiveness (the least cute bite it earlier on) and the monsters and action are shot in such a way as to maximize the overall incoherence.
It's dumb folks, yeah it's an “Alien” rip-off, but that's not a terrible thing, it's the complete lack logic and decent dialogue that's the problem.
As the group's flinty leader, Cole Hauser does a passable imitation of a stalagmite.
Man-in-a-rubber-suit monster movie can't even score a proper Columbia release, but gets dumped through Screen Gems. (Even Rob Schneider movies get the torch lady.)
Every one of its surprises are packaged. People get picked off, the screen shakes, monsters roar, the prettiest survive. "The Cave" is hollow.
Has atmosphere to burn (and one lulu of a set-piece involving a rock-climbing Piper Perabo) but [the] mixmaster editing style drains away much of the film's urgency.
Characters leap, dive, climb, swim, lift, and run from one scene to the next. The Cave is the celluloid personification of 'Outside Magazine.'
Spare and single-minded, The Cave is an insistently entertaining piece of pulp.
Latest News for The Cave
November 08, 2006:
We Have a New Sarah Connor!
Remember when we told you that some folks were turning the "Terminator" series into a weekly TV show? Well, they still are -- and they hired a really attractive... More...
August 24, 2006:
Box Office Preview: Invincible Aims for First Place Finish
Another wave of new releases hits the multiplexes across North America this weekend in hopes of capturing the final dollars of the summer movie season. More...
April 25, 2006:
Trailer Bulletin: The Descent
One of the best horror movies I've seen in ten years is finally nearing its U.S. release date -- and here's the trailer to prove it. Neil Marshall's "The Descent" has... More...
April 21, 2006:
Stone Cold Steve Austin, Action Movie Star
A recent press release from the WWE, announcing that they're about to begin production on their third film, doesn't seem all that strange on the surface -- unless you realize... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

