Descent, The (2005, GBR) C-99m. SCOPE ** D: Neil Marshall. Starring Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, MyAnna Buring, Nora-Jane Noone, Oliver Milburne. A year after losing her husband and daughter in a freak accident, Macdonald teams up with her girlfriend-clique again to go on an adventure tour through a subterranean cave system. When they are cut off from the exit, they must search for a way out - and find hideous cannibalistic creatures instead. Highly touted horror shocker takes long to establish its premise and even longer for the monsters to show up. The action is well-filmed, and gorehounds will get their share of blood and gore; what's missing is the ability to make the viewer care about the characters and this hurts the movie considerably. And what is the point of it all? Written by director Marshall (DOG SOLDIERS).


© Ron Altman