The Cave is - yes, you've guessed it - about a cave in the Carpathian Mountains and, given it's a horror film, concerns nasty goings on below the surface. Those into this kind of thing will recall that there was another along the same lines that came out a few weeks ago called The Descent, which was made on a shoestring, compared to the money lavished on The Cave. And some (most) would say that the cheaper alternative is by far the better film.

The Cave is derivative of so much in this genre, most notably Alien. Here, a group of US explorers unwisely poke their noses underground and head down into a maze of tunnels under a church. Of course, they should have left well alone since, as you can imagine, in the cavernous shadows, scary beasties stir when they realise their world is being invaded.

To adopt a line from The Sweeney, these critters are none too happy, especially since they haven't had any dinner.

The Cave may well suit pre-teens, unable to get into the meatier gore of The Descent. It has a few scary moments, but parasitic organisms lurking in shadows don't do it anymore. What the film needs is an imagination transplant.