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Special Features
Deleted Scenes
Sanctum: The Real Story
Feature Commentary with Director Alister Grierson, Actor Rhys Wakefield, and Co-Writer/Producer Andrew Wight
Sanctum: The Real Story
Feature Commentary with Director Alister Grierson, Actor Rhys Wakefield, and Co-Writer/Producer Andrew Wight
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
If there's an undersea adventure with high-tech equipment, macho posturing, and lots of underwater photography, you know James Cameron must be swimming around the vicinity. Add the fact that Sanctum was released to theaters in 3-D, and it's clinched. Cameron served as executive producer to this crazy tale of a cave-diving expedition forced to improvise when a typhoon inundates their New Guinea location. (The film, shot in Australia, is allegedly based on a true event by co-screenwriter Andrew Wight, but it might be safe to conclude that the original incident was a jumping-off point for the high melodrama on display here.) A globetrotting billionaire (Ioan Gruffudd, of Fantastic Four) is underwriting this exploration of a hidden cave maze, which explains why he gets to bring his girlfriend (Alice Parkinson) along. As a measure of their thrill-seeking habits, we are told they met on an Everest climb. The cave-diving boss is a crusty old pro (Richard Roxburgh), who is rough on his underlings and even rougher on his teenage son (Rhys Wakefield); naturally, the cataclysm that follows will be an occasion for some extreme father-son fence mending. As cornball as these elements are, and as generally toneless as director Alister Grierson's ear is with the dialogue scenes, Sanctum does work up some bona fide thrills: the sheer power of water is unleashed at a few memorable spots, as is the panic of losing an oxygen tank at a crucial moment. It's also pretty brutal, with a steep body count and a few grotesque bits of bodily injury. It ought to be easy to dismiss Sanctum as a silly piece of boy's adventure, but--curse you, Cameron!--one must admit that the thing is awfully effective. --Robert Horton
Product Description
From executive producer James Cameron (Avatar) comes a thrilling underwater adventure based on true events. Master diver Frank McGuire leads a team-including his 17-year-old son-to explore the largest, most beautiful and least accessible cave system on Earth. But when a tropical storm cuts off their only escape route, the team must work together to find their way through an uncharted and dangerous underwater labyrinth to make it out alive. With time running out, can they survive, or will they be trapped forever?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
55 of 61 people found the following review helpful
By Jason
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
Based on a real life, near death caving experience, Sanctum is a thriller that squeezes claustrophobic audiences into tight, dark spaces, and forces all viewers to imagine and evaluate their personal fortitude if put in a precarious situation.
Frank McGuire (Richard Roxburgh), a professional cave diver compared to Jacques Cousteau and Neil Armstrong, is on a caving/cave-diving expedition with his highly trained team and his mercurial son Josh (Rhys Wakefield). Exploring the Esaala Caves in Papua New Guinea, the team has to traverse thousands of meters of virgin caves in order to ultimately find a connection to the sea. The eccentric financier, Carl (Ioan Gruffudd), with experience sky diving, caving, and cave diving, stalag-might have a problem with an imminent typhoon that threatens the expedition. The team is in over their heads when Mother Nature expedites the timeline; and they must navigate an underwater labyrinth in order to survive.
Similar to a real surfer watching Point Break, a rock climber watching Cliffhanger, or a skydiver watching...Point Break, there are plenty of technicalities to nitpick. The point, however, is entertainment, not a documentary. While utterly predictable during most moments, the movie nonetheless whitens knuckles and squeezes air from lungs. Beautifully rendered and lit, the cinematography had to naturally extend a little creative license in order to capture some of the brilliant underwater scenes. Particularly thrilling were the wide-angle cave diving shots and the crystal clear caverns. If pristine, unexplored worlds, alien to the average human eye were intended, then kudos are warranted.
While I enjoyed the script (regardless of predictability), the dialogue was weak at times. The worst moment was during a particularly harrowing moment, when water was flooding a portion of the cave system, young Josh declares to his father, "The cave is flooding." Department of Redundancy Department calling. The lines not withstanding, the emotional stress on the key players is appropriate but tired. Of course the father and son butt heads. Yep, the son transforms during the film and accepts responsibility. Does someone make an honorable sacrifice to aid the team? Guaranteed. I suppose some spokes are necessary for the wheel.
Ultimately I enjoyed Sanctum. As a scuba diver the underwater scenes excited me, but I'm quite sure avid cave divers won't be using in for PR purposes.
Jason
Frank McGuire (Richard Roxburgh), a professional cave diver compared to Jacques Cousteau and Neil Armstrong, is on a caving/cave-diving expedition with his highly trained team and his mercurial son Josh (Rhys Wakefield). Exploring the Esaala Caves in Papua New Guinea, the team has to traverse thousands of meters of virgin caves in order to ultimately find a connection to the sea. The eccentric financier, Carl (Ioan Gruffudd), with experience sky diving, caving, and cave diving, stalag-might have a problem with an imminent typhoon that threatens the expedition. The team is in over their heads when Mother Nature expedites the timeline; and they must navigate an underwater labyrinth in order to survive.
Similar to a real surfer watching Point Break, a rock climber watching Cliffhanger, or a skydiver watching...Point Break, there are plenty of technicalities to nitpick. The point, however, is entertainment, not a documentary. While utterly predictable during most moments, the movie nonetheless whitens knuckles and squeezes air from lungs. Beautifully rendered and lit, the cinematography had to naturally extend a little creative license in order to capture some of the brilliant underwater scenes. Particularly thrilling were the wide-angle cave diving shots and the crystal clear caverns. If pristine, unexplored worlds, alien to the average human eye were intended, then kudos are warranted.
While I enjoyed the script (regardless of predictability), the dialogue was weak at times. The worst moment was during a particularly harrowing moment, when water was flooding a portion of the cave system, young Josh declares to his father, "The cave is flooding." Department of Redundancy Department calling. The lines not withstanding, the emotional stress on the key players is appropriate but tired. Of course the father and son butt heads. Yep, the son transforms during the film and accepts responsibility. Does someone make an honorable sacrifice to aid the team? Guaranteed. I suppose some spokes are necessary for the wheel.
Ultimately I enjoyed Sanctum. As a scuba diver the underwater scenes excited me, but I'm quite sure avid cave divers won't be using in for PR purposes.
Jason
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By KAREN
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Although some people called this movie crap I just can't imagine why. I even hesitated on purchasing this due to the reviews. Maybe they did not see the 3D version? This movie in 3D is the highest quality 3D I've seen - wow ever actually! It beats all these 3D movies - Avatar, Thor, Narnia, etc. The quality of the 3D has the birds flying out of your TV and the water flowing from your TV.. truly amazing! I thought the story was right on, they did what they had to do to survive. I'm a certified scuba diver and trust me, they followed all the protocols of survival. It was crazy to buddy breathe with a full facemask, that was a desperate attempt for survival for sure, but in the end the outcome was spot on. Great show thru & thru. I even watched it back to back because the 3D graphics were so good I wanted to take it all in again! EXCELLENT choice, great movie!
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By NVPAT
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
This movie was very exciting. The 3D effects were great. I was holding my breath in the under water scenes, it was that realistic. I will be watching it again which is not what I usually do with movies.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sanctum
I purchased this movie because it is a James Cameron film.
It is a pretty good adventure film - but hardly "the next Avatar. Read more
It is a pretty good adventure film - but hardly "the next Avatar. Read more
Published 12 days ago by Alfred N Norgard
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Service
I have no complaints about this purchase at all. I love the movie and it came flawless and I didn't have to wait long!
Published 20 days ago by Janis Harley
2.0 out of 5 stars
Prett Pretty
Excellent cinematography but lousy story and dialogue. If this is a true story, they (writers Wight and Garvin) truly destroyed it.
Published 23 days ago by X
5.0 out of 5 stars
CAVE EXPLORERS
GOOD WRITING GOOD STORY AND UNBELIEVABLE CAVES. TOTALLY IN AWE OF THESE HEROIC PEOPLE WHO RISK THEIR LIVES TO FINE OUT WHATS WITHIN OUR EARTH. AMAZING.
Published 24 days ago by Carolyn G. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great 3D — Good, if predictable, story.
There's no doubt that Cameron is the king of 3D and, having had a near-drowning experience while rafting in W VA, I can tell you that this movie had me holding my breath and very... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dr. Rocky J. Reuter
4.0 out of 5 stars
not 3D
I did not see this movie in 3D yet, it had me on the edge of my seat afraid of small cornered spaces! Especially an under water cave!? Good Lord! Of all the insane nerve!! Read more
Published 1 month ago by danette
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very entertaining and thought provoking
I have heard a lot of negative reviews on this movie, but I cannot say enough good about it. The cinematography was excellent and the underwater scenes spectacular. Read more
Published 1 month ago by B. Penrod
3.0 out of 5 stars
Sanctum
Great scenery, beautiful locations, a packed with action and thrills.
A twist between every corner. James Cameron pulls off another great thriller
A twist between every corner. James Cameron pulls off another great thriller
Published 2 months ago by Ken
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent movie
excellent movie. The scenery is wonderful. Lots of suspense . Little cussing and no unnecessary violence. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Marci Saavedra
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sanctum
Loved this movie in 3D.... Thought it was spectacular. The scenery was as if I were there, underwater and in the caves. I also thought the story line was awesome.
Published 3 months ago by Albeeal
