The original "Cube" was released in 1997, became a sleeper hit and earned a sizable cult following. Now comes the inevitable sequel, released directly to video in the U.S. Unsurprisingly, "Cube 2: Hypercube" isn't as good as the original, but it tells an ambiguous-but-intriguing story in its own right, with tight direction of a fairly imaginative script. Kudos must be extended to the producers for attempting more than a simple rehash of the first film. The initial premise of "Cube" - several strangers awake to find themselves trapped in a massive structure with booby-trapped rooms, and must their individual talents to work together to get out - is still present, but a lot of new and imaginative concepts are introduced, including a (somewhat) clearer explanation for the purpose of the cube; in the first film, no reason for its existence is given, which pleased some viewers and aggravated others.

As in the first movie, eight total strangers awaken to find themselves trapped in a structure with identical connecting rooms. But, unlike the original, where certain rooms are equipped with lethal booby-traps that can burn or slice-and-dice their victims, some rooms in this new cube can also alter time, or serve as doorways into parallel dimensions. One-by-one, they all end up together, and each person is somehow connected with IZON, the enigmatic and nefarious corporation which designed the cube. When not avoiding the structure's traps while desperately searching for an exit, they spend a great deal of time pondering how the cube works, and their individual connections with it. Through a lot of "Star Trek"-like gobbledygook, it is suggested that this is a "hypercube", a four dimensional structure, where time itself can be altered, or that multiple planes of existence can influence each other. This drives some of the cast mad (sometimes leading to their demise), while others learn to use it to their advantage when trying to escape, or dealing with their fellow prisoners. The new ideas introduced in this film are intriguing, though, like the first film, are seldom fully explained - they remain theories. "Cube 2" also often abandons what is arguably the main appeal of the original, namely the creatively lethal booby-traps - a few are still present, but too much of the script is in love with its own concept of the cube as a four-dimensional doorway. Purists who loved the single-minded, visceral nature of the original may also balk at exposition attempting to explain the cube's existence, as well as an over-reliance on fairly cheap looking CGI special effects. Still, despite its low budget, it is pretty well directed, and the set design is impressive - the stark, white sterility of this hypercube contrasts the gritty, industrial look of the original, which is also reflective of the movie's tone; the first "Cube" focused mainly on the psychological effects the situation had on its characters, in which their true natures are revealed under extreme duress; this one is less concerned with human nature, and is mainly about the concept of the cube itself. In keeping on par with the original, this sequel throws lots of unpredictable plot twists into the mix. If nothing else, "Cube 2" is never boring.

Presented in 16 x 9 widescreen, this is a pretty good looking picture, though an early scene is noticeably, and inexplicably, shot at 200% and much grainier than the rest of the movie. Key images, in which color provides a sharp contrast to the overwhelming stark white of the set, is nicely preserved, as are the flesh tones. The 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack is effective as well, even if it is the only offered format; the film's use of haunting, "traveling" voice effects is well presented.

There's an interesting 35 minute documentary on the making of "Cube 2," dealing mostly with the numerous CGI effects and the opening title sequence. Also included is a very short clip of director Andrzej Sekula's take on the making of the film. Another interesting feature consists of deleted scenes, including an alternate ending, which actually explains a lot more than the film's actual climax (I'm assuming it was deleted because it actually explained too much). Other features include storyboards, a photo gallery and several trailers, including one for the original "Cube." The audio commentary features producer Ernie Barbarash and editor Mark Sanders; they provide some interesting insights, though they aren't really all that entertaining to listen to.

Other than the basic premise, "Cube 2" doesn't much resemble the original, nor does it try to, which is one of its virtues. No, it isn't as much good gory fun as the first, but one must give credit to the individuals involved who tried to take the initial idea and expand upon it, even if it's at the expense of some of the ambiguity that made the first movie so intriguing. This sequel has a few good ideas of its own, as well. All-in-all, it's a pretty good film, with some nifty surprises.