Cube 2: Hypercube (2002)

Pretty Good

Just perfect...

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Hyper is a prefix meaning "over". It has a common meaning of the extreme of a thing. So, if "Cube" was good then "Hypercube" should be great. Right? Wrong.Everything was wrong with this. All of the things that made "Cube" endearing were totally lacking in "Hypercube". This time there were ten people in the cube except they only focused on six of them. There was the misplaced alpha male, Simon (Geraint Wyn Davies), who is only there to create conflict. The ultra-protective nurturing doctor, Kate (Kari Matchett), who's there to help everybody. Two handicapped persons, Sasha (Grace Lynn Kung) and Mrs. Paley (Barbara Gordon), both whom were typical burdens until their function was revealed. Two engineer types, Max (Matthew Ferguson) and Jerry (Neil Crone), both whom were unwitting participants in the creation of the cube. I think that covers the very same characters that were in the first version. There were a few other ancillary characters thrown in there but their purposes were insignificant and more-or-less a diversion. Ten cube captives in all and ten terrible actors.The cube itself was a suped up version of its predecessor and it wasn't any better. It was like the classic car that's stripped of its original parts and replaced with a bunch of gaudy upgrades. It may look shinier and newer but it doesn't hold the same value. This cube was a CGI nightmare. Now it moved silently and had a bunch of cartoonish ways of killing the cube members. I know that CGI was still a relatively new toy in 2002 but it cheapened the movie and made it less likable.Even the story was a sham. They tried to give us a little more information while still leaving us guessing. It did nothing to enhance the plot.If I were to run down a checklist grading this movie here's what it would look like:Acting: exaggerated version of all the characters in part one, all more terrible.Story: More convoluted than the first. The cube: Hyperized. In attempts to make it more uncrackable they made it more absurd.My math isn't good enough to get me out of a cube but I know when things don't add up. Poor acting, poor story and a cheap set equals bad movie.

I admit to being a huge fan of the CUBE trilogy. The first film is obviously the best, vicious and exciting in its simplicity, while the third, CUBE ZERO, is an interesting idea that takes the form of a prequel. CUBE 2: HYPERCUBE is a straightforward sequel to the first film, with significant changes that make a difference.Although a number of characters are once again trapped inside a cube, the emphasis this time around isn't on solving puzzles and avoiding traps. Instead the characters must figure out a way to escape from their prison and to avoid the impending death which follows them at all times. There's lots of tension and interplay between the various characters, as before, and I liked the acting from the unknown cast which carries the story along.There are some good twists here, especially with the climax that heads into the fourth dimension, although with a little blood and death for people who like that kind of thing. The special effects are very average on a low budget but as usual it's the ideas which make this film work. It's not on the level of CUBE but I do appreciate the fact that they did something different instead of just doing a slavish copy for a sequel.

The main problem with this movie is, that there is really no sensible way to make a sequel to Cube. But they probably got more money to do a sequel and who would say no to that? So what could they do? Of course! Build a larger Cube! Genius! And time shenanigans for some reason. Genius? And, of course, the government is behind it all. Super Genius! But the movie itself isn't that terrible I find, it has some enjoyable scenes and the cube is still terrifying enough to keep you interested. Like I already said, the movie is far from horrible or unwatchable, but there is just no point to a Cube sequel to exist in the first place. I have yet to watch the prequel, but that seems to be even more pointless than this film.

After waking up, a group of people find themselves locked in what appears to be some kind of cubed maze with seemingly no way out. With no idea on why they are there, or how they got there, they must all work together to try and find a way out, but as strange things start to happen, they all start becoming more & more desperate.OK no beating about the bush here - Cube 2: Hypercube is the biggest load of dross and is arguably one of the worst movies you'll watch. The first film was interesting and had a very original idea and storyline and it's actually a film that, while seemingly complex to understand at times, you followed.Cube 2, however, is the complete opposite of Cube with no real story. The first film dealt with mathematical logic, but this one is a bit like the cubed version of Donnie Darko and deals with alternate realities and parallel universes. It's an interesting idea but unfortunately it's very poorly executed as it just leaves you wondering what is going on with it posing more questions and not delivering any answers.The whole movie just seems to get made up as it goes along as the story is just a mess and not one part logically follows on from the other. Some of the effects are pretty neat and well done, but that is really all that is good about this movie.Honestly, do not waste your time with this one.