The Descent (2006)

[Scott]

THE DESCENT (2006) - This is my first review of a film I did not see. It's been rainy here in the Northeast so I decided to go to the theater and watch a film. Before leaving I looked into the reviews of all the films playing at the local theaters and found that the horror film THE DESCENT received some very good reviews with one reviewer stating that it is the best horror film in the last 7 years. Then I watched the trailer and it looked interesting.  The film has been at the theater since August 4th this summer and I have heard nothing of it till now. Well....I finally get to the theater and ask for a ticket for the 3:40pm showing of THE DESCENT and the girl says "It's been cancelled", then I said "Why? Because of the rain", and she said "The Projector is broke".

The Descent Trailer	Small | Large

[Ash]

The Descent was actually released in the U.K. and other countries well over a year ago.
We only got it recently here in the U.S.
I haven't seen it myself but I have also been told by friends that it's pretty intense.

[Scott]

The director and writer of THE DESCENT also wrote DOG SOLDIERS.

[Neville]

"Dogs and soldiers" was OK, but believe when i say "The Descent" is one of the best horror movies of the recent years. And don't wait for the DVD, it's awesome to watch on the big screen. Just imagine how the claustrophobia gets multiplied...

[Shadowphile]

Seems to me like a rip-off of The Cave....

[Neville]

Believe me, it's far better than "The Cave".

[Scott]

Went to the theater today to see this film and the projector apparently works now.

THE DESCENT is a very good horror film. The writer/director didn't stray far from DOG SOLDIERS except to say that it takes place in a cave instead of a cabin. Of course there are some differences like the female cast and the creatures that dwell in the cave. The actors are British again like in DOG SOLDIERS and they like to curse a lot like in DOG SOLDIERS. What sets this apart is the cave enviroment itself which makes this film more effective than DOG SOLDIERS. A must see for everyone here on the messageboard. I think you will all like THE DESCENT.

By the way speaking of cursing and slang by British actor films. I have found it distracting for some reason. Some examples are DOG SOLDIERS, THE TRANSPORTER, and even a film that I liked called SHAUN OF THE DEAD. Some how I have trouble getting past this, but I liked both THE DESENT and SHAUN OF THE DEAD.

[Amanda]

I love Dog Soldiers.  I was really looking forward to the Descent, and although it was pretty good, I was just so highly annoyed by the "GURL power!!" vibe of it, it took out some enjoyment.  

I think I liked The Cave just a smidge better.  

Maybe I'll get the DVD of the Descent and watch the other ending.  Anyone know what the other ending is?  It has to be better....

[BoyScoutKevin]

Amanda, go to www.imdb.com and under "Alternate Versions" for"Descent," you'll find a description of both endings. They are the same, except the U.S. version ends one or two minutes before the U.K. version. The U.S. version ends the way it does, because American test audiences found the other version too dark.

[Jim H]

The Descent and the Cave were released at almost the exact same time.  Within a month of each other's release.  It's just a big coincedence.  The Descent is a vastly superior film, one of the best horror films I've seen in years.  It's a big improvement in every area (except maybe humor, but it doesn't try for it much) over Dog Soldiers.

BTW, one thing I did notice is the way the action and violent shots were shown was very reminiscent, to me, of the Hills Have Eyes remake.  Similar in tone in some ways too.

The Descent is a superior film though.