The Two Things 'Caved In' REALLY Suffers From.....
The poor screenplay....
Though the story is not all bad... the dialog of the characters is.... and it's totally.... well, "out of character". What 12 year old boy uses an elevator and says to himself "Main floor.. ladies formal wear... women's lingerie"?? The script writer really needed to understand his characters and give them dialogue that was appropriate for each. In this film, the entire cast speaks with a limited use of contractions and in perfect English.
The direction...
Here is something even more critical. The director watched the action.. but he apparently didn't direct it. The pacing and continuity are missing. The characters are saying their lines.. but not all of them are FEELING it. This is the story of a cave filled with huge bugs and terrorists. These "rich tourists" are clearly not upset at seeing carnage or dead bodies strewn about. Are they that insensitive? I doubt it.
The actors are good people.. and talented.. except for the boy (who is self-concious throughout)... the story, special effects, music, set designs, etc. were great.... but the direction and screenplay were lacking big time and this film really suffered because of it.
"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown!"