Cube 2: Hypercube (2002) - 4/10
Eight strangers wake up in a series of interconnected cubes lined with boobytraps.
This ensemble includes Geraint Wyn Davies, Grace Lynn Kung, and Kari Matchett as the captives trying to escape the cubes. The group, who have no memory of how they ended up in their predicament, race to decode numbered clues as they try to find the exit. However, they quickly begin encountering a series of traps which contradict the laws of physics...
Cube 2: Hypercube was directed by Andrzej Sekula, and written by Ernie Barbarash, Sean Hood, and Lauren McLaughlin. Sekula is most well known as the cinematographer who shot Pulp Fiction (1994), while Hood - who originated the story - is most well known for co-writing Halloween: Resurrection (2002). How does the blending of these unusual resumes payoff in Cube 2?
No well. The original Cube was a bleak film that was mostly grounded, with the captees having to avoid realistic traps like aerosols, fire, and razor wire. Cube 2 turns to the science fiction, with the characters main foe being computer graphics. Though I agree the movie needed to change up something to differentiate it from the first, the computer graphics - while good for the time - fail to create any type of suspense or tension. There were a couple moments where I felt I was finally starting to buy into the movie, only to be taken out of it again by the film's lackluster threat.
There are other traps in the film, but for the most part every cube the characters visit is safe, with the main threat being the computer graphics stalking them. In addition to a lack of trap variety, the setting is extremely bland. The original movie changed things up by lighting each cube in a different color, but Cube 2 has every room lit with 4000K white light. This decision killed any hopes this movie had of having atmosphere.
The final and most severe sin of Cube 2 is the writing. The movie takes a long time to get going, with a half hour passing before the first death. The characters are very poorly written as well, and it takes them forever to even begin asking themselves why they've been abducted. When they finally do, some of the conclusions they come to are completely illogical, as are many of the actions the characters eventually take. Two characters in particular are so over-the-top that you can only roll your eyes when they monologue, which unfortunately is often. This film also has some of the most wooden performances I've seen in a long time, but considering the material, it's hard to hold it against the performers.
Overall, Cube 2: Hypercube is a dud. Yes, I probably could've figured that out when I saw the title was "Cube 2: Hypercube". But considering how much I enjoyed its cult classic predecessor, I rolled the dice with my 90 minutes of time anyway. My recommendation is that you don't. Budget information could not be found for Cube 2, but it earned $3.5M.
