Cube 2: Hypercube takes the basic premise of the original and tries to shake things up by making the cube itself much more complicated while also hinting more at who is behind it all. While this is not a bad direction for a sequel, I think it drops the ball in its execution. I was actually having a pretty good time for about the first hour. I appreciated the different design of the cube (even though the reliance of special effects hurt this one) and I enjoyed how they added some sci-fi elements into the mix. I also enjoyed the characters despite the fact that they were all similar templates to people in the first (the quiet person who has a secret, the guy who takes charge but is a little unhinged).

However, it soon became very clear that Cube 2 misses the mark on what made the first one so good. In the original, all the characters had a simple goal (to reach the edge of the cube) that was the driving force behind the film. However, thanks to the complexity of this cube, the characters don't really have a goal and spend the movie wandering around while spouting scientific stuff. It throws a lot of cool elements at the wall (alternate dimensions, time manipulation) and I was hopeful that it would all come together cohesively but I soon realized this movie just isn't very well thought out. Basically, just a bunch of weird stuff happens without rhyme or reason. There is no puzzle for the characters to solve which was such a huge component of the original.

Finally, the film attempts to hint at some answers but the reveals all end up feeling a little flat for me. The ending does contain some crazy visuals but the way it ends isn't nearly as satisfying as the first. This movie is fine if you want to just see people walking around as weird things happen but as a follow up to Cube, this is a huge step down.

HoopTober #3

2002 | Cube | Isolation Horror