Cube 2: Hypercube / Cube Zero
Review by Peter Syslo

I decided to combine these two films in one single review because they are highly similar to one another and they are also highly similar to the original CUBE. In a way, these two films are almost “remakes” of the original, rather than sequels (actually CUBE ZERO is a prequel) – yes, they are that similar. However, I feel that both of these films deserve mention and to put it quite simply: I enjoyed them. It is strange because I thought that the premise would get a little tired by the third film, but, to my surprise, it was still as exciting as the first time that I watched a CUBE film. I don’t know what it is, but I really “dig” these movies; it may be because of the good suspense or because the films are like an addictive puzzle. Whatever it is, it kept me sitting through three films with basically the same story and I like d it each time.

CUBE 2: HYPERCUBE (2002 - Canada ) is directed by Andrzej Sekula and is written by Sean Hood, Ernie Barbarash, and Lauren McLaughlin. The movie stars Kari Matchett, Geraint Wyn Davies, Grace Lynn Kung, Matthew Ferguson, Neil Crone, Barbara Gordon, and Lindsey Connell.

CUBE 2 is about a group of strangers who each wake up in a cube-shaped room. Like in the original CUBE, the rooms are interconnected, there are death traps in “random” rooms, and the strangers join forces to find their way out of the “cube” prison. Again, human nature gets the better of the strangers and they are at odds with one another, making the whole escape attempt even more dangerous (seriously, you want to yell at these people to, “shut up and get out of there”). In this film, though, the ending is a bit of a surprise and it provides a hazy explanation for the whole “cube” prison.

CUBE 2 is a decent follow up to CUBE, even though they are both basically the same film. Now, what I mean by that is that the basic outline of the story is the same, only with slightly different characters, different traps, and different mathematical explanations for the cube rooms. The death scenes are as inventive as in the first film and the fear of dying in such a gruesome manner (blades, etc.) really does invest a person in the story, as with the SAW movies. The cube itself is enhanced to a “hypercube”, which apparently is a theoretical, geometrical construct; it is basically described as being a cube within a cube and it crosses dimensional barriers. That being said, the visuals and effects are a little more slick in this one (this had a much bigger budget, as well) and the cube rooms are actually a little brighter, providing slight relief from the dungeon-esque feel of the cube prison.

Still, I did like the original a little more; CUBE is definitely the best out of the three films. CUBE 2 is very enjoyable and it has that tension/suspense that keeps you guessing up until the end, but I feel that it is missing a little bit of the spirit or boldness of the original. I feel that the original took a lot of chances and was very edgy – this one didn’t “wow” me as much. Also, there are a few instances of “broken” continuity or just plain confusion which left me going, “what happened?”. For example, a woman and man are, all of a sudden, having sex in one of the rooms and then they are killed by a trap. A few scenes like that seemed a bit out of place, with no explanation that was relative to the storyline. All in all, though, I have to say that I was entertained by CUBE 2 and it was another dose of the good elements of CU BE.

CUBE ZERO (2004 - Canada ) is the third film and it is a prequel to CUBE. It is written and directed by Ernie Barbarash and it stars Zachary Bennett, David Huband, Stephanie Moore, Martin Roach, Terri Hawkes, Richard McMillan, Mike Nahrgang, Tony Munch, and Michael Riley.

CUBE ZERO, again, has basically the same premise of the first two films, but there is a huge twist because you get to see some of the story from outside of the cube prison. You have the group of strangers that are inside, trying to escape, but you also have people that are monitoring the action from a control room, on the outside. Also, you get to learn more about the how and why of the cube, in the ending of the film. Some of this information was alluded to in CUBE 2, but CUBE ZERO gives a more concrete explanation of things.

Even though some of the action was taken outside of the cube, it didn’t seem to ruin the suspense or the effectiveness of the film. The traps were still as scary as ever (an opening shot of a prisoner being “melted” by acid, one room releasing a flesh-eating virus) and the mathematical theory behind the cube was still engaging. The bottom line is that I still wanted to see the people find the exit and escape. This is the third film in, I watched these over the span of a few days, and I still was satisfied with the experience. It is formulaic, but it works and it is an example of why the SAW films continue to be entertaining (or any horror franchise for that matter – think about it - FRIDAY, NIGHTMARE, HALLOWEEN – all of the sequels are pretty much the same basic format of the original, gi ve or take). One could say that these films may be repetitive, but I think that they are very entertaining and they are interesting and original sci-fi/horror. I still think that CUBE was the best of the three, but CUBE ZERO and CUBE 2 are decent companion films and provide the same thrills that made the original great.

Cutting to the chase: CUBE 2 and CUBE ZERO are both decent sci-fi/horror films. CUBE is still the best, but these two gave me more of what I liked about the original and they did it in such a way that always kept me interested. I actually liked the little bit of story expansion, regarding the history and use of the cube prison; sometimes too much back story hurts the mystique of the film, but it didn’t, in these cases. These two movies boil down to survival stories, where the tension is so high that you can’t wait for the heroes to escape the despair of the cube. Again, if you like the SAW films, “Lost”, THE MATRIX, etc. you may like these films. If you didn’t like the original, or you don’t care for sequels, you may want to pass on them. I don’t know if I could recommend seeing the three films in a triple feature (because they are so similar); but, if there is nothing to watch on T.V. and you are looking for something smart, edgy, and suspenseful the CUBE films are worth looking into.