Product Details

• Actors: Piper Perabo, Morris Chestnut, Cole Hauser, Eddie Cibrian, Lena Headey
• Directors: Bruce Hunt
• Writers: Michael Steinberg, Tegan West
• Producers: Andrew Mason, Gary Lucchesi, James McQuaide, Judd Malkin, Marco Mehlitz
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, French
• Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
  PLEASE NOTE: Some Region 1 DVDs may contain Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called "region-free" DVD players. For more information on RCE, click here.
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• DVD Release Date: January 3, 2006
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (127 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000BUNZY2
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,842 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Cave (Widescreen Edition)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

While it might give spelunkers a few helpful hints about using their equipment, The Cave is strictly routine as an Alien-styled monster show. The film's major achievement is its impressive setting -- not a real cave under the Carpathian mountains (where the ill-fated characters are exploring "the Amazon of underground rivers") but a lavishly convincing cave set built on a Romanian soundstage. This gives first-time director Brad Hunt (a second- and third-unit director on the Matrix trilogy) the movie's only claim to originality, as the cavernous interiors become a death trap for most of the nine-person team (led by Cole Hauser, and including Morris Chestnut, Daniel Dae Kim from TV's Lost, and Coyote Ugly's Piper Perabo) that's exploring the maze-like cave for reasons never fully explained (maybe they just wanted to test out their fancy gear). They're not alone down there, and creature-feature specialist Patrick Tatopoulos borrows from the H.R. Giger design-book with some gnarly critters that, in turn, borrow elements from The Thing to foment suspicion and anxiety among the dwindling crew of survivors. It's all familiar to genre buffs, but there's just enough in The Cave to satisfy the curiosity of its intended audience. Dumped into theaters for a marginal release in late summer 2005, it's precisely the kind of horror flick that finds a second life on DVD. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

A sexy bunch of underwater explorers are summoned to Romania's Carpathian Mountains, where scientists have discovered a gigantic cave network containing a lengthy underground river. Cutting-edge breathing gear gets unpacked, camaraderie and budding romances develop, and then everyone becomes trapped in the depths, where monsters start picking off cast members, one by one. Escape depends on Jack, played by the dependably steely-eyed Cole Hauser (PAPARAZZI), who picked up a bad monster bite that may have infected his mind. Super-vixen Charlie (Piper Perabo) stands by him and displays a soothing screen presence as the tomboy rock climber in the crew, while Leana Headey plays the sexy Romanian biologist who fears that Jack is turning into a monster himself. Fans of B-movie monster movies should find this a nice cave to visit; there's no skimping on action or impressive set design, and each new cavern is weirder and more claustrophobic than the last. Staggeringly tall cliff faces, dark ominous waters, and a great, nerve-wracking orchestral soundtrack all add up to a fun horror adventure in the classic Saturday matinee sense. Of course, like all good monster movies, it borrows liberally from past classics: think of it as ANACONDA meets ALIEN by way of JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, and if that doesn't sound like a fine way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon, make sure you tread carefully as you exit THE CAVE!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

97 of 110 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The best meets the worst, August 28, 2005

By	J. J. Chiappelli "jjcx" (Pasadena, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The good news: this movie features some of the best sets I've ever seen in a movie. The set design, the props, the colors---everything that is visual about this movie is top-notch. This is the definition of eye-candy, right here. Beautiful. Brilliant images fill the screen from start to finish. And since not many movies are set underwater or within caves, many of the sets look exotic and otherworldly, which is all the more reason the visuals are so appealing.

The bad news: everything else.

"The Cave" is a subpar action-horror with a bunch of slimy, fanged monsters stalking and/or eating a group of young, attractive explorers. It features pretty much all of the cliches you'd expect from an action-horror and doesn't really try to break the mold. This wouldn't be a problem, necessarily, if the script and acting and direction were at least done well. Unfortunately, they aren't.

There are only two good actors in the whole movie: Cole Hauser and Daniel Dae Kim. The latter is on screen for about ten minutes, total, and for six of those minutes he just runs around screaming. Not a great opportunity to show off talent. Hauser does a decent job, but the character he has to play is ludicrous and his lines are laughable, so you don't really notice his performance half the time.

Everybody else is forgettable. The female lead, in particular, is bland.

The screenplay is aggravating. We are told, in the beginning of the movie, that these characters are professionals and scientists, but they speak like losers. For example, when they first go into The Cave, Blonde Girl screams, "Totally awesome!" While this is certainly the sentiment that comes to mind when seeing the set, you might think that a scientist would be able to say something a bit more intelligent. Unfortunately, the dialogue stays around that same level of sophistication throughout.

Needless to say, the characters are all flat and uninteresting. But you probably guessed that already.

But even with a bad script, bad acting, and a cliched plot, this movie could still have mustered at least a three star rating if it wasn't for the gaping plot holes and inconsistencies. Dr. Old Guy and Dr. Hot Chick examine two slides of cells collected within The Cave and discover a parasite within them. Then they find one of the monsters' claws and cut it open. Within three seconds, they are able to conclude that the claw is infected with the parasite, too. Huh? They don't need a microscope or anything? Okay, whatever....

Dr. Hot Chick explains that they are dealing with a species that evolved in total isolation. Uh, okay, don't know how she surmised all of that from exactly ten seconds of observing a claw, but then why would the monster be a parasite? Isn't it a little bit contradictory for a parasite to live in an environment where there isn't much life to leech off of?

And if the animals are predators, then why are they also parasites? Shouldn't they just be eating the humans instead of infecting them and transforming them? Do the monsters act like vampires and get to choose who transforms and who just turns into food? And if they don't, then how have the monsters lived for so long in The Cave? After a bazillion years in isolation, shouldn't everything be infected, and consequently they would've died from starvation? Or are they cannibals? And if they are cannibals, then why are they hunting the humans, specifically?

The monsters just plain don't make any sense. Sure, this isn't one of those newfangled "thinking" movies, but you would think that a couple of simple things could be sorted out before the filmmakers set out to film this crap.

It all leads up to an ending which is among the lamest and least explicable endings I've ever seen. I won't ruin it, but let me just say this: I thought the movie already couldn't get any more incomprehensible, and then I saw the ending. Now my brain hurts.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what Science Fiction is supposed to be.........., January 9, 2006

By	Mark Marchand (TX) - See all my reviews

Let me start out by saying that I'm about as big a sci-fi fan that you will find anywhere and I've seen them all. With that in mind I'm little confused on what basis some of these other reviewers are using in order to review this film... as in regard to the poor reviews.

I guess I'm old school when it comes to Sci-Fi action with likes of cult Sci-Fi classics such as Forbidden Planet, the Thing, Alien, Mimic, Leviathon, the Relic, Pitch Black, etc. Following in that category I personally believed this to be one of the best Sci-Fi action-thrillers to come along in many years and trust me...I've seen some very bad ones.

First thing to consider with the Cave is it's very original considering over the past 50 years just about every type of plot & senerio has been done, re-done, and done again with a different twist. If you are an old school Sci-Fi fan you can see how the Cave might have been influenced by some classics of the past, but it undoubtedly stands on it's own merit. I don't want to get too in-depth on this review because I would hate to play spoiler and give away to much of the premise as I could easily do. I'll just conclude by saying that if you are partial to comedy movies then you might not care for this film.... If you are partial to love storys and/or "girlie" type movies you might not care for this film.... If you are partial to deep psychological thrillers then you might not enjoy this film....If you are partial to hardcore gore slasher flicks then you might not care for this film... If you believe yourself to be a big fan of Sci-Fi thrillers then you will LOVE the Cave.

To the Sci-Fi fan out there an important thing to keep in mind in regard to this film is that this type of movie as well as those listed above appeal to a very limited viewing audience. I just so happen to fall right into it. Most Sci-Fi films that have become "cult" classics where originally received very poorly from moviegoers....perfect examples would be the Thing with Kurt Russell & Pitch Black with Vin Diesel. Both recieved weak reviews and since have garnished cult status and will continue through generations. Among many apsects that gave this movie high marks with me is an assumed conclusion by the viewer within the last few minutes that suddenly & unexpectedly changes then leaves the ending open to the possibility to a sequel.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Cave, December 23, 2005

By	Edward D. Jacknitsky "txjack2000" (Central Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I saw the previews for this low budget horror/thriller and saw it at the theater. I thought it was decent. Was it an oscar winner? No, but really, was it supposed to be?

As for a couple of hour diversion, The Cave was fine. I came in with fairly low expectations and walked away feeling satisfied. I don't understand all the negativity towards it.

If you buy the DVD, don't expect a megabuck blockbuster flick. It is a fairly low buget movie that put most of its money into really classy sets. Aliens, it ain't, but for spending a fun night in front of the TV, The Cave meets the bill. There are many, many horror movies that are really terrible. I just don't think The Cave fits that bill.