Cube²: Hypercube (2002)

Eight strangers awaken with no memory, in a puzzling cube-shaped room where the laws of physics do not always apply.

Director:

Andrzej Sekula

Writers:

Sean Hood (story), Sean Hood (screenplay)

Stars:

Kari Matchett, Geraint Wyn Davies, Grace Lynn Kung

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Kari Matchett	...	Kate Filmore
Geraint Wyn Davies	...	Simon Grady
Grace Lynn Kung	...	Sasha
Matthew Ferguson	...	Max Reisler
Neil Crone	...	Jerry Whitehall
Barbara Gordon	...	Mrs. Paley
Lindsey Connell	...	Julia
Greer Kent	...	Becky Young
Bruce Gray	...	Colonel Thomas H. Maguire
Philip Akin	...	The General
Paul Robbins	...	Tracton
Andrew Scorer	...	Dr. Phil Rosenzweig

Storyline

Eight strangers find themselves waking up in a strange cube-shaped room with no recollection of how they came to be there. Soon discovering that they're in a strange fourth dimension where our laws of physics don't apply, they have to unravel the secrets of the "hypercube" in order to survive...

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Plot Keywords:

hypercube | overhead camera shot | writing on skin | falling up | calculus equation | 

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Taglines:

There is more to fear than you can see.

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some violence and brief nudity

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 April 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cube²: Hypercube

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ghost Logic,Lions Gate Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While the characters are recalling the last things they remember before being in the Cube, Geraint Wyn Davies' character, Simon, states he was in New Haven. When the screen divides into different views, the shot on the right/upper right of the screen is an alternate take from another Lions Gate film Davies had a role in, American Psycho II: All American Girl (2002). The similar shot in American Psycho II can be seen shortly after 1 hour 6 minutes into that film.

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Goofs

Julia takes off her shoes and carries them with her for the rest of the film, but sometimes she has them in her hand as she climbs from room to room and sometimes she does not.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Colonel Thomas H. Maguire: [Maguire opens the portal to a new room, but ignores the room to look at the sides of the portal] Numbers. Where's the goddamn numbers?
[the portal closes before he can decide what to do]
Colonel Thomas H. Maguire: Oh God, oh God. There has to be something.
[He opens the briefcase, but it does not hold whatever he was looking for]
Colonel Thomas H. Maguire: Oh, shit. Goddamn it! Goddamn it! I mean, they're my numbers! Damn. Don't I at least get a shot at my numbers, you stupid fucks? I want a chance! God. I want a chance. God. I want a ...

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Connections

References Star Trek (1966)

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Soundtracks

I No You
Written and performed by Kas Dunn
Published by Eat Entertainment

User Reviews

I expected so much after Cube. Luckily, Hypercube isn't bad.

First off, don't bother seeing this until you've seen Cube. You wouldn't miss much if you did, but you won't appreciate & enjoy it nearly as much. I heard this was more of a remake than a sequel, but actually it's a straight-out sequel.

Again, a seemingly random group of people are abducted and imprisoned in a possibly enormous matrix of anonymous Cube-shaped rooms, with doors in all six surfaces, and a number of fiendish & deadly booby traps (and scary noises). Hypercube (moving on from Cube) adds gravity, time and parallel universe traps into the mix.

It's good because: it's broadly similar to Cube, which was excellent. You're not immediately sure who will be standing at the end. The special effects are a bit 'clean' looking, but very smart. And there are some funny moments in this one.

But it's not brilliant because: the plot is a little too clear (and simple), whereas Cube really worked because it was unexplained and ambiguous. The characters seemed to fit the same sort of roles as in the first movie. And there's a fair bit of hammy over-acting, deliberate comedy, and a curious lack of desperation & fear (whereas Cube was superb in all these respects).

There are a lot of well-intentioned sequels which (by their very nature) cannot string you along with the same 'fear of the unknown' in the original, and this is the case here. I also believe that having access to a bigger budget for a sequel is often a bad thing, since it's easier to go for flashy special effects at the expense of story, acting & dramatic tension - as in this case. (brilliant opening credits though)

But Hypercube - although not as good as Cube - does work as 'next step' sort of sequel. I was just surprised I laughed so often, without it ruining the film for me.

If they make a third one (the ending does indicate that they could), they should spend the vast part of the budget on a really good concept/script & director, get really-good-but-unknown STAGE actors (Hypercube came across as more of a soap-opera level of acting), and go back to the ingeniously wicked & creative traps a la Cube - because the CGI route does not look like a road worth following any further..