Since U Didn't Axe Me: "Cube Zero" (2004) Review

Taking place before the original film, "Cube Zero" follows a worker who watches over the unfortunate participants inside the cube. When a woman whom he recognizes appears in the cube, he becomes determined to find a way to save her. "Cube Zero" takes a different perspective on things, and manages to emerge as a mildly entertaining film. Let's take a look and see its fresh ideas are able to keep the viewer interested.

Released in 2004, "Cube Zero" is the prequel to 1997's "Cube." Written and directed by Ernie Barbarash, this film attempts to fill in the gaps left empty in the first movie--it's a so-so attempt, but a commendable one. Of the three films, "Cube Zero" lands in second place just below the initial "Cube."

Starring Zachary Bennett (Wynn), David Huband (Dodd), Stephanie Moore (Cassandra Rains), Martin Roach (Haskell), Terri Hawkes (Jellico), and Michael Riley (Jax), "Cube Zero" actually has an alright cast with characters! The screenwriter actually figured out that characters need some dimension to them! The cast isn't amazing, but at least the suspense of "Cube" is back.

The main character, Wynn, is likable enough with coming off as annoying, and his counterpart, Dodd plays off of him well. Rains, Haskell, and Jellico have more conventional roles, but there's more mystery behind them. The weirdest character is Jax, who's sort of a James Bond type of villain. At first, he comes off as being cheesy, but by the end, he's quite entertaining.

I have to give credit to Ernie Barbarash, who wrote and directed this film. This is a standalone story with nice twists and enough action sequences to move the film along at a fast pace. That's a big thing that was missing from "Cube 2." Moreover, it seems the filmmakers allocated their budget well this time around, the sets are reminiscent of the original, and the traps are very grotesque--that's good! The special effects in the movie actually worked out nicely!

Sure there's some bad "dream state" visual elements--there's fuzzy lens effects used, but the overall VFX in the film actually look a lot better than both of the previous "Cube" movies. It feels like a higher-end SyFy Channel film with a decent script.

I'd say give "Cube Zero" a watch if you enjoyed the first one. It's definitely not Oscar-worthy or anything, but for a sci-fi thriller fan, it's worth a watch.

It's on NetFlix right now!

The Good