"Subterano" is so poorly and cheaply done AND so derivative that I ought to hate it outright. Threadbare plots, cardboard characters, unconvincing special effects (I especially hate the robot!!), and annoying, clichéd dialog punish the viewer in every new scene. It's as if "The Matrix" had a stroke and this is all it was able to do now instead of the brain blasting set pieces of its glory days. I would guess that the people trying to ape the Matrix in "Subterano" had 10% of the Wachowski Brothers' talent pool and 5% of their budget and resources.
However I feel so sorry for the Aussie actors trying to carry this piece of junk that I have to add another couple of stars to it just because they are obviously trying hard. DeNiro and Olivier and Russell Crowe working in concert couldn't save this one, though, and consequently you can see the actors getting a little shrill sometimes, trying to make their lines work when there is no way for that to happen. I wish all of them the best of luck and hope they found paying work after this.
To put this in perspective, this wouldn't be out of place on a Sci Fi movie channel marathon among such sausage products as "DinoCroc", "Boa Vs Python", and "Death Octopus III" (OK, I made that last one up, but you know what I mean). I can't imagine anyone feeling that this was worth the money or time to watch it unless they were either a)die-hard fans of cheesy sci fi films or b) die hard patrons of the Australian film industry. Don't laugh - I am sure they exist, and there are plenty of great, under-appreciated film gems out of OZ that deserve wider exposure and commercial success in the US.
This isn't one of then, though. If you don't fall into either of those camps, you should avoid "Subterano".
However I feel so sorry for the Aussie actors trying to carry this piece of junk that I have to add another couple of stars to it just because they are obviously trying hard. DeNiro and Olivier and Russell Crowe working in concert couldn't save this one, though, and consequently you can see the actors getting a little shrill sometimes, trying to make their lines work when there is no way for that to happen. I wish all of them the best of luck and hope they found paying work after this.
To put this in perspective, this wouldn't be out of place on a Sci Fi movie channel marathon among such sausage products as "DinoCroc", "Boa Vs Python", and "Death Octopus III" (OK, I made that last one up, but you know what I mean). I can't imagine anyone feeling that this was worth the money or time to watch it unless they were either a)die-hard fans of cheesy sci fi films or b) die hard patrons of the Australian film industry. Don't laugh - I am sure they exist, and there are plenty of great, under-appreciated film gems out of OZ that deserve wider exposure and commercial success in the US.
This isn't one of then, though. If you don't fall into either of those camps, you should avoid "Subterano".