Sanctum

The Avatar director is merely executive ­producer of this ­cliched underground adventure, drably directed by Australian Alister Grierson.

Never have I seen 3D used so poorly. There are no breathtaking panoramas, and most of the film is shot in near-darkness.

A gruff old potholer (Richard Roxburgh), his stroppy son (Rhys Wakefield, pictured), a cocky capitalist (Ioan Gruffudd) and various ­disposable members of the cast are marooned deep beneath the earth’s crust when a cyclone hits, blocking their exit. The only way to go is down.

That goes for the script and performances, too, making Sanctum reminiscent of The Cave, a forgettable film of 2005 in which second-rate actors fell, drowned or killed each other one by one, until the least ­annoying one was left.

This follows exactly the same format, but by the end it may be you who are screaming to be let out of the dark.