Writer: Syahida Kamarudin

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Watch this if you liked: "The Descent", "The Cave", "The Abyss"

If it was based on pure acting and scripts alone, "Sanctum" would not be worth more than 2 stars. The over-the-top performance and melodramatic script are the two things that would kill the movie if not for the marvelous effect and breathtaking cinematography. Andrew Wight might have been a wonderful diver, but a good story-teller he is not.

"Sanctum" is based on Wight's own near-death experience in leading a group of divers into a system of underwater caves. The based-on-true-story tag itself is a good way to attract the audience to see the movie, other than the name James Cameron as the executive producer (Cameron employs the same 3D photography techniques he developed for "Avatar" and makes it an interesting watch). Each and every scene is done so beautifully, the visuals are stunning and it makes even dying underwater looks like an art.

However, there's not much to say about the acting. Ioan Gruffudd plays the jerk like any normal jerk, Rhys Wakefield plays the rebellious son like any normal rebellious son, Richard Roxburgh (no matter how sexy his voice is) plays a know-it-all like any diving expert and Alice Parkinson plays an annoying woman character like any other annoying women in the history of film-making. They are all textbook characters that have not much character development and dialogues that make you snort and wish that the cave monsters from "The Descent" will come out and eat them all.

One thing for sure, this movie is not recommended for those who have severe claustrophobia and it might make those - who would think twice about taking diving lessons, stop trying once and for all.

Cinema Online, 11 February 2011