Cube was fantastic. Cube 2: Hypercube was great. Hypercube, to me, was progression. It was a forward-thinking leap from the previous movie, and managed to expand the mystery of the Cube without giving away too much.
Cube Zero gives away too much. A good third of the film is spent focused on two button-pushers. Mistake number one: showing the authority outside the Cube (any more than was revealed in Hypercube.)
Before I start in on this, let me say that there are semblances in this movie of the original that do make up somewhat for all the bad. The introduction of religion, while subtle, is one of the better points, as well.
The writer/director attributes his ideas more to City of Lost Children and Brazil than the previous Cube films. This is a sad comparison to brilliant films. There is a feeble attempt at showing the humanity behind the people who run the Cube, but it never feels fleshed out. It never progresses beyond a few ham-handed realizations that reminisce of the teenagers finding out the plot of Freddy vs. Jason. It feels like a rehash, not even a sequel. The sad attempts at subtle references to communism and democracy and the shear bureaucracy-filing-cabinet feeling of the observation room feels too forced. The ideas are presented, but without the meat to fill its skin.
Overall, Cube Zero feels hollow and unnecessary, but not without traces of the roots that made it a classic in my book.
Cube Zero gives away too much. A good third of the film is spent focused on two button-pushers. Mistake number one: showing the authority outside the Cube (any more than was revealed in Hypercube.)
Before I start in on this, let me say that there are semblances in this movie of the original that do make up somewhat for all the bad. The introduction of religion, while subtle, is one of the better points, as well.
The writer/director attributes his ideas more to City of Lost Children and Brazil than the previous Cube films. This is a sad comparison to brilliant films. There is a feeble attempt at showing the humanity behind the people who run the Cube, but it never feels fleshed out. It never progresses beyond a few ham-handed realizations that reminisce of the teenagers finding out the plot of Freddy vs. Jason. It feels like a rehash, not even a sequel. The sad attempts at subtle references to communism and democracy and the shear bureaucracy-filing-cabinet feeling of the observation room feels too forced. The ideas are presented, but without the meat to fill its skin.
Overall, Cube Zero feels hollow and unnecessary, but not without traces of the roots that made it a classic in my book.