GL84 Called in to investigate an accident, elevator repair specialists and a reporter catch on that something isn't right, and as more accidents continue to plague the building they do some investigating on the story where they piece together what went wrong and save the people trapped inside.There wasn't all that much to like about it, but what was there was enough to like. One of the better aspects found here is the fact that the premise to this is actually kind of interesting and original. This is a new one involving the haunted section of the building, and that is what gives this one some great scenes here of this one attempting to support the idea of taking this seriously in the first half which is a surprising aspect and is certainly needed quite badly. This far more realistic and straightforward setup towards such a potentially goofy storyline is quite enjoyable which is enhanced by the action scenes that comes in later in the film are quite well filmed and are actually quite interesting. From the series of malfunctions and incredibly vicious accidents that are logically played out in terms of what a potential elevator mishap can occur as well as throwing in some ingenious supernatural-based activity that can't possibly occur in real life to an elevator shaft which is furthered by the fact that the gore is pretty plentiful and has some cool deaths spread throughout here. Guided along by a thrilling action-packed finale in the shafts of the building where the race to stop the machine coupled with the antics of the authorities tracking him, these here are what hold this up over it's few minor issues. There is one thing about this movie that really drags it down a notch. The film follows a constant cycle of killing someone off, conducting an investigation only to then come across another accident, then repeating ad nauseam. It gets frustrating as it keeps happening, and we know that something is wrong and it should be an easy find for those involved, yet it continues to be an unknown factor to the authorities to find out making this section of the film pretty discouraging. Another factor that really didn't sit too well as the fact that there are at least three different explanations given for the cause of the accidents, and all three have their evidence to back them up but it just seems like a bunch of different reasons culled together to be the official explanation and no one was willing to part with any of them so they were just mixed in at different points along the way. It would've been much easier to just pick one of them and stick with it. For such a cool premise, there is little to no real tension in the film. There was no real moment that really was all that suspenseful over anything else. This really needed some scenes of tension to get a sense of fear towards the elevator. Alongside the goofiness of the situation never really given much of a thought, these here are the film's issues.Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Brief Full Nudity and a scene with a child in danger

BA_Harrison It amazes me how often deliberately cheesy, tongue-in-cheek horror films are misconstrued as poorly made garbage. Down (AKA The Shaft), director Dick Maas' 2001 remake of his own 1983 Dutch horror De Lift, opens with the camera gliding gracefully over the NY skyline to eventually come to rest on 'The Millennium Building' where two night watchmen use an observation telescope to spy on big-breasted hookers at work in a neighbouring skyscraper; it's a superbly executed and wonderfully trashy opening that should make it crystal clear that Maas knows exactly what he is doing—making a highly entertaining, campy schlock/horror that shouldn't be taken seriously—and yet there are still those who seem to have missed the joke.Oh well, it's their loss, because when viewed as intended, Down proves to be a lot of fun, packed as it is with outrageously silly deaths, delightfully daft dialogue, and knowingly clichéd characters—precisely the kind of stuff I would expect to see in a horror film about a murderous 'living' elevator controlled by a malevolent state-of-the-art computer chip enhanced by living brain tissue.An excellent cast clearly have a blast in their two-dimensional stock roles, with a gorgeous pre-A-list Naomi Watts as a feisty newspaper reporter, James Marshall as a cocky elevator engineer, Ron 'Hellboy' Perlman as the shady owner of the elevator company, Dan Hedaya as a grizzled NY detective, and Michael 'Scanners' Ironside as a loathsome scientist hellbent on perfecting his pet project, whatever the cost. Maas keeps the action moving along at a brisk pace, handling the special effects set-pieces, wry humour, and gruesome shocks with confidence, even going so far as to kill off women, children, and animals along the way.And if all that isn't enough to pique your interest, let's not forget about the eerily prophetic scene in which characters discuss the possible use of a plane in a terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre; with 9/11 just around the corner, it stands out as a genuinely chilling moment in an otherwise intentionally ridiculous and wonderfully OTT piece of nonsense.7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

Daniel Albarran After watching this movie, I entered IMDb just to see if anybody dared to give it more than 2 stars. Not only many people gave it more than 2, but some users gave it 10. Simply incredible! Or perhaps those 10-star reviews are a sort of ironic mockery?. Because this movie has nothing worth the value, not even to make fun of it. Though, after some reflection, it has some value: it is the ideal movie to be exhibited at cinematography schools just to show future filmmakers everything they should avoid; it is simply the perfect example of a bad movie: from beginning to end, this insulting film is boring, stupid, confusing, ridiculous, predictable... every negative adjective applies to this film. I rented the DVD from a Blockbuster, deceived by the plot summary in the back of the case: "Mysterious deaths are happening in an elevator, so an investigator tries to find what is going on" or something like that; "sounds interesting", I thought. Another misleading fact is the presence of Naomi Watts: if this renowned actress appears, at least it should be a decent film. What a naivety!

MartianOctocretr5 The "Millennium" building (which looks suspiciously like the Empire State Building) has an elevator that likes to get rid of riders -- the express way, if you know what I mean.The how's and why's of the attacks are only hinted at with a few scattered morsels of information. Most of the time, it's just a parade of people approaching the elevator; some die (in some very gory ways), others don't. There is some suggestion that the victims are evil in some way, but even that isn't consistent. Management tries to ignore the problem, as always. The elevator wraith, or whatever it is, has only so many ways it can do its evil deeds, so it utilizes as much variety in its repertoire of kills to entertain itself as it can. The movie usually tries to hope the tension of nearby potential victims is enough.One irony to note: This was Naomi Watts lesser-known monster encounter in this building: she would be climbing around the outside with a giant ape amidst a hail of bullets a few years later.The movie squeezes out the most it can from the premise, and is mildly entertaining.