I caught this film last night on HBO for the first time, having wanted to see it for some time but never got the chance. I've heard that most reviewers panned the film, but I still wanted to see it and judge for myself. My consensus is that, while I'm glad I didn't pay to see it in theaters, I'm still glad I saw it nonetheless.
The movie involves a father-daughter team of archaeologists who have discovered a unique-looking pyramid in the Egyptian desert, and have invited a film crew to document it. Long story short, they all end up exploring the pyramid and find themselves trapped inside, only to discover that they aren't exactly alone in the pyramid and that something is picking them off one by one. There's really not a whole lot to say about the characters themselves as they do their job well enough but are still basic horror movie tropes. You've got the headstrong leader, the cocky nerd who's clear monster-bait, the arrogant woman who's kind of a bitch, the submissive, cowardly guy who grows a pair by the end, and of course, the pretty-yet-smart "last girl". If you've seen any horror movie ever, you can probably guess in what order these people are going to die, nevertheless, the movie never gets stale and keeps you tense the whole time.
Now let's move on to the interesting stuff: the threats. Perhaps the greatest threat in this movie is not the monster but the pyramid itself. I love the way it's designed, with its ominous hieroglyphics, twisting, winding passages and "Saw"-esque death traps. The room with the rising sand honestly made me feel claustrophobic. There's also this mysterious pack of carnivorous sphinx cats living in the pyramid too. Their presence didn't make a lot of sense, but they were still fun to watch.
Now on to the monster itself. The movie does a pretty good job of keeping its main villain hidden for the majority of the time, always keeping you guessing as to what it is. The final reveal of the monster's identity in the film's climax may disappoint some hardcore horror fans, but I was willing to buy it, mainly because it was different. This particular creature had not really been seen in a horror film yet, and so it was nice to see a rather unique villain rather than some faceless ghost or human killer.
So the main thing this movie has going for it is its uniqueness. It gives us a different setting, different threats, and a different monster than most horror movies provide. And while the identity of the monster may make the film less scary, it is still no less tense, and it keeps you watching until the end. Now of course, the movie still does have problems. The CGI does look a bit dated; it's not enough to kill the movie, but it is noticeable, especially on the sphinx cats. Also as I said before, the human characters are really nothing special, just the same cookie-cutter horror protagonists you've seen before. Yet, I could still sympathize and root for them.
In closing, "The Pyramid" is an interesting, if flawed, film that gets more flack than it really deserves. It may not be a cinematic masterpiece, but it's a fun way to kill 90 minutes if you're looking for something fresh with a monster you haven't really seen before in a horror movie. The movie does still preserve a few clichés, but you can tell it's at least trying to do something different. So if you're curious about the movie, give it a watch. You may not be scared out of your mind by it, but you'll have fun!
The movie involves a father-daughter team of archaeologists who have discovered a unique-looking pyramid in the Egyptian desert, and have invited a film crew to document it. Long story short, they all end up exploring the pyramid and find themselves trapped inside, only to discover that they aren't exactly alone in the pyramid and that something is picking them off one by one. There's really not a whole lot to say about the characters themselves as they do their job well enough but are still basic horror movie tropes. You've got the headstrong leader, the cocky nerd who's clear monster-bait, the arrogant woman who's kind of a bitch, the submissive, cowardly guy who grows a pair by the end, and of course, the pretty-yet-smart "last girl". If you've seen any horror movie ever, you can probably guess in what order these people are going to die, nevertheless, the movie never gets stale and keeps you tense the whole time.
Now let's move on to the interesting stuff: the threats. Perhaps the greatest threat in this movie is not the monster but the pyramid itself. I love the way it's designed, with its ominous hieroglyphics, twisting, winding passages and "Saw"-esque death traps. The room with the rising sand honestly made me feel claustrophobic. There's also this mysterious pack of carnivorous sphinx cats living in the pyramid too. Their presence didn't make a lot of sense, but they were still fun to watch.
Now on to the monster itself. The movie does a pretty good job of keeping its main villain hidden for the majority of the time, always keeping you guessing as to what it is. The final reveal of the monster's identity in the film's climax may disappoint some hardcore horror fans, but I was willing to buy it, mainly because it was different. This particular creature had not really been seen in a horror film yet, and so it was nice to see a rather unique villain rather than some faceless ghost or human killer.
So the main thing this movie has going for it is its uniqueness. It gives us a different setting, different threats, and a different monster than most horror movies provide. And while the identity of the monster may make the film less scary, it is still no less tense, and it keeps you watching until the end. Now of course, the movie still does have problems. The CGI does look a bit dated; it's not enough to kill the movie, but it is noticeable, especially on the sphinx cats. Also as I said before, the human characters are really nothing special, just the same cookie-cutter horror protagonists you've seen before. Yet, I could still sympathize and root for them.
In closing, "The Pyramid" is an interesting, if flawed, film that gets more flack than it really deserves. It may not be a cinematic masterpiece, but it's a fun way to kill 90 minutes if you're looking for something fresh with a monster you haven't really seen before in a horror movie. The movie does still preserve a few clichés, but you can tell it's at least trying to do something different. So if you're curious about the movie, give it a watch. You may not be scared out of your mind by it, but you'll have fun!