Cube Zero

R, 97 minutes, DVD Rental

The third installment of the Canadian cult films set around the unwilling participants of an experiment inside a giant cube where each room either leads them toward escape or certain death by various gory means.

The first two films were similar in content and style — people wake up in the cube, move from room to room, gradually dying off, while dealing with conflicting personalities within the group. The claustrophobic atmosphere, paranoia and fights between the characters kept things interesting, but also became old by the end of Cube 2: Hypercube. This film takes a fresh approach, by pulling the audience outside the cube for the first time, and concentrating on the controllers who look upon the unfortunate guinea pigs. Interesting issues arise about authority, power and even a touch of religion, and while dramatic and frightening, is also humorous at points. For the first time, the gory deaths are not the centerpiece, and admirably the movie doesn’t overuse computer special effects. Instead it relies on traditional methods. The filmmaking is well thought out, and the set designs return to the rustic, simple look of the first film, making this a worthy addition to the series.

The DVD has some surprisingly good extras if you are interested in set design and processes put into the making of a film such as this, with storyboard-to-film comparisons, pre-production set designs and a making-of featurette. You can also re-watch the film with the director’s commentary.

This is a nice little DVD that should delight fans of the two prequels.