Search - The Box on DVD

Craig S. (InnerMacro) from WAUSAU, WI
Reviewed on 8/22/2023...

The first part of the movie seems like a slow telling of the Twilight Zone episode, then it starts to develop a deeper plot . . . only to meander into an incoherent wannabe X-Files episode. It's doubtful that anyone was shocked watching this film. The mental power "nosebleed" special effect is overused profusely. Diaz and Marsden portray an extremely naive / trusting couple who frustratingly accept the 'rules' without the reflection or cross-examination that normal people would experience when faced with the plot elements. The concept of being tested by aliens becomes really stupid when Marsden is asked to choose between 3 gateways - each identical, with no prior information. He chooses number 2, the middle one, and I ask "was this a test of probability at 33.3%? What greater goal regarding humanity's ability to make the right decision was served by this?" The movie blatantly sets the theme that 'science would seem as though it were magic to people in the Middle Ages', then proceeds to have the alien surrogates talk of eternal damnation, purgatory, and other religious themes later in the movie ...? Huh? It's as if they switched writers half-way through and decided to take the movie in another direction. By the time the movie ends, you'll wish you had just watched the Twilight Zone and had an extra hour and a half to do something else.

0 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Sharon F. (Shar) from AVON PARK, FL
Reviewed on 10/9/2022...

Sorry, but whoever told Cameron Diaz that she could act needs fired! This has a very interesting storyline, but it stops there. Rather slow moving and boring.

Lori F. (crazycatlady) from OSKALOOSA, IA
Reviewed on 2/19/2011...

A bad remake of a one hour TV show. It doesn't help that a bad actrees is in it aswell. If your a fan of outer Edge or Tilight Zone type shows you'll see the similarity

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Love F. (momto5) from WINSLOW, ME
Reviewed on 12/30/2010...

A bit of a weird movie. My husband lost interest really quickly. I however stuck with it. I was a bit upset by the ending leaving things unaswered. I think it is a much watch for Cameron Diaz fans, she played a great part.

4 of 4 member(s) found this review helpful.

Mostly, pushes all the right buttons...

Andrew Ellington | I'm kind of everywhere | 09/20/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I expected absolutely nothing from this movie. The trailer looked ridiculous, the plot seemed nonsensical and the reviews were all pretty nasty. Overall, I had planned on skipping this movie altogether. I recently found myself in a Cameron Diaz kind of mood and decided to revisit some of her films and saw that this one was playing on Cinemax. I hesitated a brief moment before decided to just give it a go.



I'm glad I did.



Yes, `The Box' has a few (or more than a few) holes and it comes up short of brilliant, but much like `Donnie Darko' (another cult favorite by director Richard Kelly), `The Box' has the goods to see it through to the end.



The story told is that of a young family in the 70's who happen to get a rare proposition. Norma and Arthur are falling on tough times. They are obviously in love and `happy', but they are living paycheck to paycheck and are meeting a series of devastating setbacks in their personal life. Arthur works for NASA and Norma is a teacher. They also have a young son. When the film opens, it is quarter-to-six in the morning and there is a knock at the front door. Norma discovers a box on their doorstep. That box contains a wooden box, locked, with a button inside. There is also a note that states a man will be visiting them at five that afternoon with further instructions. Long story short, Norma is informed that she has twenty-four hours to decide whether or not she will push the button. If she does she will receive one-million dollars. Also, someone that she does not know will die.



Now, I have a few issues with the handling of the film from that point forward, namely because the moral complexities that are thrust upon us at that moment could have taken this film ANYWHERE, and I had in mind a place I really thought it would go (especially once Arthur asks the questions "How well do you know me? How well do you know Walter?") but instead, the film takes a slightly different course, one that involves extra-terrestrials and eventually makes its message known (the same message that kind of ruined `The Abyss' for me) and left me a tad wanting. Yes, this film is far from perfect.



STILL, there is a lot going on here that works rather beautifully, and the moral issues presented, while not the ones I anticipated, surely leave room for thought provoking conversation. The idea that mankind was ruined on the whim of a woman (Adam and Eve) and that history is sure to repeat itself (Norma's decision to push the button) are subtle yet poignant POV's that really underline the context of this film.



While I found the overall handling of Arlington Steward and his `minions' to feel rather clichéd and `scare tactic 101', I also found that it didn't take away from the film nearly as much as it could have.



I was pleasantly surprised with the performances gathered together here, especially that of Cameron Diaz, who was marvelous. I had actually heard some love thrown her way by a slew of my cinephile friends who thought the film a dud but thought her performance was Oscar worthy. She really was outstanding here. She not only nailed the accent work and nostalgic embodiment of the era (she felt like she belonged there), but she also layered her every move with a deep-rooted understanding of her characters current situation. The scene where she expresses her reasons for loving Arlington, in the library, was just beautifully done, and that final scene where she pleads with her husband to `make the right choice'...it is effortlessly captured.



She is such a great actress who fails to get the recognition she deserves!



In the end I must say that this film has received a bad rap. It is actually a very smart and provocative film. Sure, it has some areas that make little sense and it needed a little tightening up here and there, but overall this film offers a lot more than most released these days."

Starts good ... then goes bad fast ....... really bad

M. A Spitzer | Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA | 09/12/2010

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Ouch this was a BAD movie !!



It started off very, very good.



But then all of a sudden, they apparently started trying to throw in every Sci-Fi angle they could think of.



Take every episode of Twilight Zone and Outer Limits you can think of ....... put it in a blender ......... filter out the best parts ...... and then whatever silly sludge is left over use to make "The Box".



We watched this with some close friends (we have them over twice per month for dinner and movie night).



This movie had the whole room groaning and laughing on the floor making comments like ...... "Ouch this is really bad. It's like watching Mystery Science Theatre".



"