2011 sees its first big filmed-in-3D release this Friday with Sanctum. Today Universal sent over 5 clips to give you a taste of the claustrophobic action. Produced by James Cameron and filmed on the same PACE system he used for Avatar, Sanctum tells the true story of a group of cave explorers who end up trapped in a cave in and must fight against claustrophobia, the ever rising current and even each other to make it out alive.

Hit the jump for the clips and some additional thoughts on the movie.

Sanctum hasn’t been getting as much buzz as I figured it would when the film was first announced. But despite the somewhat low key marketing campaign and the early February release date, the concept is cool, the 3D is top notch, and having seen the film I can say I say that it really delivers and goes places you wouldn’t expect. It’s a very pleasant surprise for fans of old school adventure films.

Here's the official synopsis followed by the clips.

The 3-D action-thriller Sanctum, from executive producer James Cameron, follows a team of underwater cave divers on a treacherous expedition to the largest, most beautiful and least accessible cave system on Earth. When a tropical storm forces them deep into the caverns, they must fight raging water, deadly terrain and creeping panic as they search for an unknown escape route to the sea. Master diver Frank McGuire (Richard Roxburgh) has explored the South Pacific’s Esa-ala Caves for months. But when his exit is cut off in a flash flood, Frank’s team–including 17-year-old son Josh (Rhys Wakefield) and financier Carl Hurley (Ioan Gruffudd)–are forced to radically alter plans. With dwindling supplies, the crew must navigate an underwater labyrinth to make it out. Soon, they are confronted with the unavoidable question: Can they survive, or will they be trapped forever?

The film stars Richard Roxburgh (Moulin Rouge!), Rhys Wakefield (Broken Hill), Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four), Alice Parkinson (The Pacific), and Dan Wyllie (Animal Kingdom).