URBAN EXPLORERS

(A.k.a. URBEX: URBAN EXPLORER)

"Beneath Berlin extends a system of over 25,000 tunnels. Two thirds have already been permanently scaled. Some areas haven’t been entered for more than 60 years".

It’s a brief history lesson that opens Andy Fetscher’s film in the form of onscreen text. Then, without further ado, we’re introduced to four young adults keen to learn more about what lurks beneath the German city.

Denis (Nick Eversman) and Lucia (Nathalie Kelley) are a couple who introduce themselves as "Mickey and Mallory" to the others, as their guide has stipulated that the tour they are about to embark on is illegal – and therefore real names must not be used. The other couple are two intrepid girls, Marie (Catherine de Lean) and Juna (Brenda Koo). Despite his initial insistence, we soon learn the guide’s name too: Kris (Max Riemelt).

The foursome first meets Kris in a clandestine arrangement, in a back alley under the cover of darkness. From there, he leads them through a rocking nightclub and to the back of the building, where only a brick wall stands between them and Berlin’s secret history. Kris pulls out a power tool and sets about bringing the wall down (could be a metaphor, who knows ...?).

Once through the wall, Kris beckons his curious customers into the dark, labyrinthine walkways ahead. As he leads the way, he regales them with tales of how the Nazis used the bunkers during the Second World War, and offers spooky stories at regular intervals. Somehow, I think the rats around their feet are more of a problem for the girls...

As in all modern horror films that involve witless folk venturing somewhere they shouldn’t, there is an early event that suggests the group should just say "fuck it", turn around and go home. But, no, the altercation with two German brutes who come from out of nowhere, rough up Kris and demand the girls stop taking photographs, is not enough to deter this bunch. And so they forge on.

Deeper into the bunker, which starts to look more and more like a futuristic prison, the group reach territory that even Kris has never seen before. And still, they don’t think to turn back – even when they find themselves surrounded by Nazi paraphernalia.

It’s exceedingly bad luck, then, when Kris loses his footing while walking across a bridge and becomes badly injured. Uh-oh. Denis sends Marie and Juna for help (!) while trying to figure out how he can get to Kris. In fairness, the lad doesn’t have a clue – and so perhaps understandably forgets to ask questions when stranger Armin (Klaus Stiglmeier) appears from out of the blue offering help. Armin’s whole demeanour, incidentally, screams out "psychopath": imagine meeting a pissed off German Nick Nolte lookalike down a darkened tunnel...

Needless to say, the kids are in for an even rougher night now that they’ve met Armin...

URBAN EXPLORERS likes to employ handheld camerawork in a bid to increase tension. It’s an old trick these days though, and can’t disguise the fact that this is a very slick production with a cast pretty enough to headline the next SCREAM instalment.

Adding to the sense that this film is desperate for mainstream acceptance are the fact that the (mainly) German cast speak English, and the manner in which it degenerates into predictable HOSTEL-esque set-pieces during its latter half. Two minutes into the film and you just know there aren’t going to be any scares.

We get violence in the second half, most of which is bordering on torture porn (the set-up, not the level of gore) and effectively negates any semblance of atmosphere evoked in the superior first half. When I say "superior", I’m being kind...

Indeed, URBAN EXPLORERS is so by-the-numbers and so preoccupied with being a ‘well-made’ film that it forgets to consider anything so trivial as creativity or originality. There isn’t even any tension, and the characters are uniformly undeveloped.

If you were to catch this film on TV one night, it may make for an unchallenging diversion in the same way that latter day Steven Segal films do. But as a DVD buy, it just isn’t up to scratch.

Speaking of which, Anchor Bay’s DVD is a basic one.

Fetscher’s film is presented uncut in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. The picture is a decent one, benefiting from crisp images and healthy contrast. For a film that was shot mainly in the dark, this is a very good thing.

English audio comes in 2.0 and 5.1 mixes. Both are solid offerings. Occasional moments of dialogue spoken in German (by the aggressors) are complemented by burned-in English subtitles.

From the animated main menu page, a static scene-selection menu allows access to the film via 12 chapters.

There are no extras. Not even a trailer.

A basic DVD release then, for a pretty dire film. If you want a fix of 21st Century subterranean horror, it seems THE DESCENT is still the way to go.

Also available on blu-ray.

Review by Stuart Willis