Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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14 of 16 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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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Okay, but not scary at all, May 29, 2008
When I first read the description for this movie, I thought, "Oh cool, this looks like it will be scary!". Unfortunately, this was not a very scary or very good horror movie.
Victoria is a young American woman who is a somewhat high-strung and nervous person on several prescription medications. She has come to Paris, France to visit her sister studying abroad at the university. She meets her sister's friends and attends a rave party that takes place beneath the city, in a maze of underground catacombs, where she is later told a story about an insane madman that supposedly lives in the catacombs and kills party goers that get lost in the tunnels.
What I liked about the movie was the tense and dark atmosphere of the catacombs beneath Paris and I found myself thinking a few times, "Wow, that is freaky I wouldn't want to be stuck alone down there!". The various tunnels were eerie, dark, and ominous looking and heightened the fear, but the character, Victoria, got on my nerves a lot. I almost wished she'd get the axe just to stop her screaming and sobbing as she ran through the tunnels. Her caterwauling really detracted from a scary and suspenseful atmosphere and made me want to laugh a few times.
But, despite the cool scenery, not much happens. She does get attacked by "something" human with heavy breathing, and like I said before, she screams quite a bit but not much else happens except for her aimless running throughout the catacombs. Except for the brief scenes where she encounters the madman from the story and the ending, it was dull and tame as a horror movie.
Oh, about the ending, there is a twist at the end that I did *not* see coming and some people may hate it. I know I was a bit perturbed and annoyed at the twist. If you want a better horror movie about people running through dark underground places, try The Descent instead. This one was not that good at all.
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2 of 2 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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