19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
(2.5 STARS) Terror Underneath Paris: A Much Better Film Buried Here, January 18, 2008
"Catacombs" (produced by Lions Gate Films / Twisted Pictures) stars Shannyn Sossamon as Victoria, slightly nervous American girl who has just arrived in Paris. Victoria visits her fun-loving sister Carolyn (Alecia Moore aka Pink) who with her friends in Paris drags timid Victoria down to the illegal party (like a rock concert) secretly thrown in Paris catacombs.
This is where the remains of seven-million people sleep in the maze of tunnels and graves, a creepy subterranean network that spans nearly 200 miles in length. For Victoria, however, things get serious when she gets lost there and runs into something very strange. Victoria must find out a way to get out of this place, but what can she do alone in the dark?
The story of "Catacombs" fairly looks like the 2004 horror film "Creep" (starring Franka Potente) or the 2005 thriller "The Descent" (far scarier than the other two). The difference is the nice choice of the location. The realistic production designs (the "Paris catacombs" were actually constructed in the soundstage in Romania) are fantastic, but sadly director Tomm Coker and David Elliot fail to use the claustrophobic atmosphere to the full.
For Victoria screams a lot and runs around in the maze, but the film itself is hardly scary. The pretty simple story, which has a potential of becoming a more gripping thriller, suddenly stops going further until the very ending which you will either love or hate.
I don't know why, but Shannyn Sossamon keeps appearing in horror films - "The Order" "Devour" and ... "One Missed Call." I don't think her acting here is bad though it is not great either. My impression may have something to do with the character she plays because you may (and I did) find the character of Victoria a bit annoying. Yes, fear brings out the worst in people, but does that have to be shown in this way? Alecia Moore fares better as her sister, who plays a key role in the film, but the time allotted to her character is not very long.
Frankly I was disappointed with "Catacombs" because I expected more from the film; something original and new. In fact the film has one, but you have to wait for that very long. The film, which as far as I know was not shown in theaters in USA, is not a terrible disaster, but could be much better if shorter and tighter.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Catacombs - Watchable But Not Very Good, October 8, 2008
Catacombs is a movie that can be enjoyed as mindless entertainment but will not satisfy hardcore horror fans. In some senses, the movie has an entertaining quality to it. But the typical mistakes of B-horror will drive you crazy if you can't help but pick your horror movies apart. We all want to be frightened by horror, but we need that scare to be believable in order to buy into it. This movie is only believable in the sense that the characters, like people we all know, are very, very dumb.
This movie is very similar to
The Blair Witch Project. There are no special effects to speak of. There's a lot of screaming, running, darkness and flashing lights to distract you. Yet not a lot happens. It's not really scary per se. The film does build up some angst with those techniques, but only if you are easily startled or have weak nerves. If you liked
The Blair Witch Project, you may really enjoy this. If you thought that was silly, just move on.
If you've read the synopsis you know that the film takes place in the underground catacombs of Paris. They really do exist, although not in the way they are depicted in the movie. The set is well put together considering the budget. And they are in Paris after all! Yet despite the beautiful location, the film is visually mediocre with no special cinematography to speak of. A shot of the Eiffel Tower fully lit is the best you'll get.
The script makes a little bit of sense when you get to the end. Yet the way the plot is resolved leaves the character's actions making no sense. Still, I would say most people will find the *twist* at the end to be predictable, though there are many possible endings based upon the way the first half is set up.
The consistency of the locale is never really maintained. Even though they are in Paris, we see writing on the wall in English. Not to mention people give speeches in English, the French talk to each other in English, and then the main character ... meets a guy who speaks only French. What? If they were going to translate everything into English, that would have been one thing. But the inconsistency, while not a deal breaker, is a sign of a mediocre script.
I like Shannyn Sossamon as Victoria. I think she has some talent, though I don't think she is at her best here. It's hard to think of that as a positive but it might be all things considered.
Plenty of the acting is mediocre to bad, but most of the movie is so focused on the Victoria character that it isn't as big of a liability. Even at 50%, she carries this movie. When you have terrible lines to deliver, it doesn't make acting any easier. The supporting cast is generally just OK. I don't think that Pink is as bad as people say, but she's not exactly great either. The lines are especially weak in the final sequence where everything gets explained.
When you do reach the conclusion, there are many questions left unanswered. Granted the cast is disposed of quite easily. But it's never clear how our heroine, who is lost for most of the movie, finally gets out of the catacombs.
Conclusion
If you are looking for mindless horror for a Friday night, this might do the trick. This is no masterpiece, but it's better than many B-horror movies. However, it's still a B-horror movie. There is very little in terms of unintended humor. The saving grace is that is over quick.
If you are picky about the details in your horror movies, don't expect too much from this one. This is more of a thriller than a pure horror movie, but at times it tries to be both. Rent this before buying the DVD.
This might be a three star movie for those who seek mindless diversion. For me it just misses the cut. And while it wasn't the worst I've seen, I would not seek it out for another viewing.
Enjoy.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Check Out Catacombs, February 20, 2008
I liked this film because of its atmosphere, both visual and sonic. The story reminds me of old Universal Horror Film stories.. Young girl visits a relative in Europe, goes to a party and ends up fighting Monsters that stand on two legs; and meeting a swell guy. . AND it's not campy, it holds it head up high as it is a great indi-horror film with great moody horror sets and Catacomb Rave Parties scenes with GREAT lighting and editing. It never feels cheap. And it looks fun.
PS- DVD is non-progressive and picture is not great. But this is not a problem as it has a grainy look. I wlll watch in many times again.
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