Customer Reviews

Descent

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Luke Perry as doctor of natural science saves the day in `Descent,' low-budget rip-off of `The Core.' Maybe `The Core' was not the greatest sci-fi action adventure film in the world, but compared with this amazingly boring and confusing clone, it starts to look like a Robert Wise classic.

After the terrible introductory chapter, in which a poor guy experiences something very nasty because of a well - yes, a well that looks exactly like the one in `The Ring' - we are told that because of the stupid government experience, a tectonic plate shift occurs (whatever they are), resulting in earthquake and eruption of dormant volcano. To stop inevitable global catastrophic disaster, scientists in a huge machine with a big drill are sent deep into the Earth.

The only thing I liked about `Descent' is that they don't have to go to the inner core of the Earth as in the Hilary Swank film. In order to `fix' the big tear made in the surface of the Earth, the crew has only to reach as deep as 25 miles below.

It is shocking and even astonishing to see `Descent' steals everything from `The Core' and other sci-fi films concerning natural disaster like meteorite falling. Rivalry between the scientist team; untrustworthy military; and ex-lovers meeting each other again, etc. The special effects of the film are at best several huge cracks painted on the buildings and some blocks falling from there. Most of the disasters like destruction of city are not shown visually, but told by one TV reporters reading unexciting news. But when a dark-lit warehouse and poorly-designed set are substituted for the computer room of the US military, nothing is surprising.

The main cast including Luke Perry and Rick Roberts are not particularly bad, but there is nothing recommendable about the acting either. Michael Dorn plays the general, who represents the arrogance of the military, but his role (and acting) is just unmemorable.

`Decent' literally keeps going down from the beginning to the end with no saving grace. Even by the standard of made-for-TV B-films, the script and effects are not acceptable.

From the word go, this movie shows all of the signs of a film we have already seen 100 times before. Although I haven't watched 'The Core' all of the way through, I think the story of it (in some ways) is similar to that of 'The Descent'.

We are introduced for only a matter of minutes into a situation, where a group of 'heroes' (once again) have to drill down to the center of the earth, to save the world from a global threat.

Not only is the story line vague as to how the problem at the center of the Earth is caused, but the acting skill could have been matched by 10 year old drama students.

In the film, a random university professor (Luke Perry), who (for some reason, rather than thousands of other top secret, more qualified scientists) is called to save the world by the President of the USA. Needless to say, I already knew what I was in for.

Throughout the film there are many cheesy lines and jokes, which are so predictable that I was laughing not out of entertainment, or enjoyment, but out of disbelief as to how awful what my eyes were seeing was.

Michael Dorn plays a mysterious army General, with obviously something to hide, right from the start.

I'm not sure how writers get the go ahead for movies like this, I really don't. But surely the budget for this film, which I will take a guess at being in the region of only about $1 to 2 million (any more would be a painful waste of money), would have been better spent on something actually worthwhile. But to be honest, after watching this movie, even a 2 million dollar house made out of potatoes is a better use of money, than this absolute abomination.

Go and see this if you want to roll on the floor laughing at how poor it is for 90minutes.

Pure. Cheese. Very predictable.

This mildly entertaining ripoff of THE CORE was made for the Sci-Fi Channel, and although not a great film, it manages to entertain and involve the audience in its rather preposterous storyline. Much of it is derivative and predictable, but supporting performances from Michael Dorn, Mimi Kuzyk and Adam Frost make up for the lackluster leading performances of Luke Perry, Rick Roberts and Brandi Marie Ward. The CGI effects are acceptable, and overall, it's not bad for a disaster ripoff.

An interesting premise....but haven't I seen it before?

I think they should have called this movie THE MOLE. Yep, that would have made all the difference. Instead, we have a plot about some idiot scientist(s) who get funding from the military so they can experiment with a new energy source....or something like that. My eyes glazed over the minute Luke Perry started spouting mumbo-jumbo pseudo-scientist jargon. For a start, I've never quite seen Luke Perry as the scientist type but bless him, he keeps playing those parts. As for Michael Dorn playing a cigar chomping military villain....sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. I loved that the world might end at any moment but this military idiot wanted the mole for military might. That's looking ahead.
This is one of those movies where there is never quite enough of anything: suspense, excitement, plot, actors you'd actually like to watch. Well, I do like Mimi Kuzyk, she was okay. And the two obligatory science geeks serving as comic relief. "Are you guys sure you know what you're doing?" "That's never stopped us before." Same goes for the filmmakers.

A group of outdoors females meet at a park in North Carolina to go spelunking in some unknown underground caverns. These 'girls' were a freaky group and not too bright, using profanity with almost every breath. It appeared to be a primitive Luray caverns located in Virginia with the long stalegtites from the top of the caves. This one, however, has never been developed for the tourist trade and was inaccessible to the normal person. It was not like any guide book.

So, what's the story now? It was an ego trip, no risk what's the point in going inside where the dark plays tricks on you. They wore miner's caps with the lights on. The leader would not admit that she was wrong, and so they had to fight the demons from Hell. The egotistical, sadistic leader will bring everything down on their heads.

There was crude dialogue with profanity; no place to be polite as the women were separated. You just can't put your trust in a know-it-all who'll lead you astray into danger. One of the characters was a Lizza Minelli lookalike with lots of false eyelashes. She was the first victim after they were aware of the naked albino gholie following them. The cranberry pond turned into the killing pool. And then there were three as they fought the Cro-magnon man-beasts who were blind but always went for the juglar vein in the neck.

There proved to be a serendiptious way out. There was a mercy killing, and one had to use a primitive ax-tool to protect herself. They were involved in a fierce fight for self preservation, and the leader became a real cave woman; she got what was coming to her. The one survivor had to climb a mountain of bones to the surface, and drove the van with the Michigan license plates down the muddy curving lane like a bat out of Hell. The ending was very scary.