“No matter what happens, you never, ever give up.” In dark, cold, flooded caves, this is the most important rule of survival. Produced by “Avatar” auteur James Cameron, “Sanctum” is the tale of a team of dedicated explorers trapped in a cave, racing against the clock for their very survival. Though it lacks originality, this thriller incorporates great camera technique and fleeting tear-jerking moments in a vivid, otherworldly adventure.

A sentimental thriller directed by Alister Grierson, “Sanctum” shows us the different facets of humanity. The movie centers on a son discovering his cave-explorer father and their emotional journey as they get to know each other better on an adventure into the world’s biggest cave in Papua, New Guinea. After the cave is flooded and the only known exit blocked, the team has to search for another way out by going deeper down into the caves. Death follows everywhere they go, and bad fortune, bad judgment and bad morals all come into play.

Detailed actions brilliantly convey the inner struggles of the characters and successfully arouse sympathy or detestation from the audience with heroic or shameful actions from the characters. Australian actors Richard Roxburgh and Rhys Wakesfield convincingly star as father and son. Wakesfield shines in particular.

Unlike Cameron’s most notable projects, “Sanctum” is oddly lacking in any romance. There is no aching yearning between Jack and Rose or Jake and Neytiri, just pure adrenaline rush. Romantics will be sorely disappointed — the only sentimental component of the film is the father-son bond between Frank (Roxburgh) and Josh (Wakesfield). Nevertheless, lack of a stronger emotional comfort is just a minor setback, since “Sanctum” does indeed deliver a thrilling yet moving journey into one of the least known places on earth as well as into the cavers’ hearts.