Movies Reviews
By Ronald Wilkinson Aug 5, 2006, 5:51 GMT
Movie Review (2): The Descent
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Older Talkback
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Why don't you enlighten us on the technical shortcomings of this film regarding the whitewater rafting and the caving scenes. Since I've been rafting many times and the depiction on-screen seems true to form, I'm curious to read your problems with it, plus its spelulking transgressions. I think this movie got under your skin for some reason, otherwise I can't explain why something so well made and above the fold (you know, the USUAL horror crap) got a bad review.
Not a bad film. Essentially 'Pitch Black' in a cave.
I cannot believe you were backward enough to use 'penis envy' in a review.
You didn't watch the film very carefully. Sarah had a daughter, not a son. And, Sarah grabbed Juno's ice-pick during one of the struggles with the creatures. I thought the characters were pretty well developed and the cave-diving scenes were much more realistic than any other 'cave movie' I've ever seen. The tension was almost unbearable. The only thing that really sucked was that they changed the ending to suit American audiences. The original ending was much darker and resolved some open plot-threads about Sarah's sanity. But, still, one of the best horror films in recent years.
SomeGuy, 'Essential Pitch Black in a Cave'.
The only thing that makes them similar is the dark. Pitch Black is not even in the same league as The Descent. One of the best horror films i have seen for years.
My, what a fine and varied response. Technical problems--the rafting scene is unrealistically short and obviously set-up so the fans can watch. The actual path of the raft has nothing to do with the rapids shown, the scenes are substituted. With regard to the rock climbing, the ice tool is a joke, obviously chosen for its appearance as a weapon. The climb across the top of the chasm has the women holding onto (into?) the crack with a bare hand, which is difficult/impossible. The correct technique is a series of chocks placed in the overhead crack by a climber in a seat harness transfering from chock to chock.
Let's see, did I miss anything? Oh yes, the obvious penis-envy of the co-lead. It is not necessary for an athletic and achieving woman to be angry. Successful women do not go through life with chips on their shoulders as does Juno. To put her in that frame of mind smacks of some insult to her sexuality.
well lets justr have more all female casts where all the men are killed off in the beginning and we can kill all the EVIL men since that is what life is all about so get used to it. Since it is a female empowerment movie correct.
The movie did remind me of pitch black too. But the person giving the review does not seem qualified to do so . How could you mistake her daughter for a son? I thought it was a good film and very realistic in terms of reactions to fear and tests of character in the midst of a such a life threatening fight for survival.
Juno decided not to bring the guide book that had the cave-maps. Ooops!
Actually, she left the guidebook because they were in a different cave system. The cave they were in was (they thought) unexplored and a good deal of time was spent making that fact clear.
For you to make this and other obvious mistakes tells me that you didn't pay very close attention to the entire movie. You only focused on those parts you considered bad. NOT the best plan of action when trying to review movies.
I was reasonably certain that Sarah's husband was having an affair with Juno, which is why Juno went out and got away from when Sarah was recovering. Sarah only finds out when she recovers the necklace and notices the inscription, though it was fairly obvious from the first part where he's taking care of her when she comes out of the river and the time where she says 'we all lost something in that accident' or something to that effect.
the only problem I had with the beginning was that they do the same stupid thing they do in a lot of movies--someone wakes up in a hospital with tubes running into them, and what happens? they wake up, rip all the tubes out and go wandering down the hall. sure, that's a normal response! also, i think that her ribs should have been messed up, since she had her seatbelt on underneath her arm, which would've put all the pressure on her lower ribs during the crash. that would make it pretty hard to sit up.
i'm just nitpicking though, it was far better than 99% of 'scary' movies. the only bad thing was having to go to the bathroom during the movie, and all the water dripping sure didn't help.
oh, and who the hell walks up behind someone who's just killed some weird being? and i'm pretty sure i wouldn't expect someone to carry me around after my NECK HAD BEEN SPIKED THROUGH.
I think most of us agree that this was a very solid motion picture and quite empowering for women without any of the usual stereotypes. My only complaint was that everyone, well, just about everyone, spoke with an English or Scottish accent, and that made the characters hard to differentiate for the American audience, not to mention that the producers appeared to NOT want to sterotype their characters; even these women's clothing gave you no clue as to who was who. Because of this, it was hard to care about any particular character, with the exception of the woman who had lost her family. But what really intrigues me about The Descent is that it was totally ignored by the press; the press preferring to review any other film but The Descent, not to mention the Snakes-on-a-Plane jugglenaut--simply because of it's title--will roll over this movie, leaving it for road kill.
this movie was ok but what dissapionted me was the creatures were to human like i wish they looked more animal like so it would be a lot more scarier. and another thing the ending really sucked when juno appeared, what now shes one of the creatures or she killed all those things i highly dought it. overall rating a 5 out of ten.
Hi, I really enjoyed the film; to me, one of the best horror films of the latest years. I'm just curious, I wanted to ask Troy about the original ending; if my memory serves me right, Sarah didn´t make it. She actually stayed in the cave watching her daugther, and you obviously know that they were coming to get Sarah...anyway which other version Troy talks about?
'when juno appeared, what now shes one of the creatures or she killed all those things i highly dought it.'
Erm. Sigh. Yes. Juno is now one of them. Yes. Only, no.
As the others have pointed out: Sarah had a daughter, not a son, and Juno purposely didn't bring the map, since she purposely took them to an unexplored cave. Yeah, I just had to say it because I am lame.
As for the original ending! Here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wP7zx8ecqY
I was going to spend my time correcting all your misatkes, but I see everyone else has done that already. So, I will say your review sucks, maybe you should watch a movie before you review it.
Worst movie ever.
So. Um. How long have you hated women? because you obviously have issues with females.
Take it from a climber who has both aid and free climbed for fifteens years. The chasm crossing scene was spot on given the equipment they had. They didn't have enough cams to aid the roof crack and chocks are useless on an even sided crack with no narrows particularly on a roof crack. Even if it did narrow one swing after a fall could slide it out. Remember they weren't expecting to have to do anything close to this in the cave they were supposed to be in. Nor did they have time, not knowing how long it would take to find a way out, to drill and set hangers the whole way. The actual climbing though was a bit foolish in the fact that you would certainly get a toe jam in there as well. Swinging around on a fist jam, no tape even, you'd be hurting real quick. She really should have taken the hammer-drill off her waist too.
If you check out caving forums you'd also see it's not unusual for noobs to bring axes. Again, this was their first time caving. There are also permanent ice chutes in some Appalacian caves where you actually need an ice axe. They might have done better to justify having them with a mention of this.
Where they went off moreso gear-wise was the fact they didn't have gloves on constantly as cavers do and they were dressed in shorts. Most cavers wear denim or other tougher clothing to protect their skin. Again this depends on how easy the original cave they were supposed to be in was though, either way, I'd think it would be too cold for spandex in an Appalacian cave. It was refreshing that they did wear their helmets near-constantly though.
The movie as a whole? I thought it was great. The original ending really leaves the entire movie up for interpretation and makes you question a lot of what you saw.
You don't watch movies very closely, do you?
Sarah had a daughter, not a son, and Juno's tool was a climbing pick, not an ice pick. Nice try, though.
This movie was great, I really enjoyed watching it and I think it especially stands out from other cave failures, like, umm, The Cave. Like everyone else said, Sarah had a daughter, not a son.
And ice picks are used in caves as well as they prove to be just as efficient, even if there is usually not a whole lot of...ice.
As somebody else said, Juno didn't 'forget to bring the map', she neglected to bring it because she was steering them wrong. On purpose.
Please watch the movie before you review it, thanks.
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