Directed By Jonathan Hensleigh

Starring – Liam Neeson, Laurence Fishburne, Marcus Thomas

The Plot – After a remote diamond mine collapses in the far northern regions of Canada, an ice driver (Neeson) leads an impossible rescue mission over a frozen ocean to save the lives of trapped miners despite thawing waters and a threat they never see coming.

Rated PG-13 for strong adult language and sequences of action and violence

The Ice Road | Official Trailer | Netflix – YouTube

POSITIVES

– On-site authenticity. In conjuring up the environmental elements that are an unfortunate constant for ice drivers everywhere, the film is able to vividly articulate the chilling ingredients that are a motivation for every single decision that goes into their daily routines by shooting on-site in Manitoba, Canada. This not only conveys believability in the abundance of breathtaking visuals that decorate the backdrops of every scene and sequence, but also brings out a degree of genuineness to the physical side of performances for actors emoting out of their typical comfort zones, which in turn better immerses them into the integrity of their character. But sites aren’t everything to a production, so in addition the experience is capped off with some blanketing sound design that audibly illustrates the cold and unforgiving conditions, captivating the audience with an inescapable persistence for wind and cracking ice that stalks our cast with vicious encompassing.

– Fun set pieces. The majority of the movie’s action is hit and miss for me, mainly in its directing inexperience that I will get to later, but the designs themselves solidify no shortage of imagination for what is capable in such limited surroundings. Because most of the movie takes place in and around a semi-truck, there’s only so much creativity that the script can explore, but what I appreciated was that no two sequences feel similar despite their reflective outlines. Some sequences are chases, some pertain to the engagement against the elements of its setting, and some exist within the cave itself, where the trapped miners battle claustrophobia and their last ounces of air. It speaks volumes to the unforeseen aspects of adversity that are dramatically understated in movies like these, fleshing out an urgency for the conflicts that zero in on the frailty of the career.

– Informatively detailed. While the lack of characterization about the characters leaves more to be desired, the depth and unabashed focus for the career objectives flesh out a vulnerability that speaks volumes to the bravery of those imbedded in it. Aside from the weatherly elements already documented in this review, it’s the sacrifice of time away, a wealth of knowledge for trucks and how they react to seismic movements, and a no man left behind moral fiber that is easily distinguished in one of the more dangerous careers that life can offer. The script takes ample time to educate the audience, refusing to attack matters on a surface level only, and it makes for several instances of example that proves that Hensleigh and company did their homework in bringing to life the elements inside of the trucks that are every bit as hostile as those outside of it, cementing a psychology that I quite honestly wasn’t expecting for a movie so conventional.

NEGATIVES

– Blandly boring. It pains me with unnerving discomfort to learn that “The Ice Road” is a dull by-the-numbers exercise in futility that does nothing new or exciting to render it even remotely entertaining. Part of it stems from an overwhelming amount of predictability, primarily during a first act that quite literally gives away key plot points in its verbal diarrhea spoiling some aspect of direction long before it has a chance to materialize on-screen in physical movements. However, for my money it’s the lack of emphasis or identity within Hensleigh’s inexperienced hands of direction that constantly underwhelm without a shred of visual stimulation to afford. There’s no complex angles, nor challenging edits to convey insight into the mentalities of its characters, just flat, predictable compositions that is as plain as anything that I have visually interpreted in recent memory, reducing the entire experience to forgettable territory, especially when compared to other contemporary action thrillers thinking outside of the box to benefit their presentations.

– Offensive dialogue. If I were a mindless buffoon who preferred spoon-fed results over interpretive experience, I would enjoy every line of meandering dialogue produced by Hensleigh, but I point to several examples of blundering incompetence that constantly bares the shadow of off-screen influence in lines that rarely ever feel legitimate. Such an example pertains to a scene involving a mentally handicap character, where one character, for no reason what so ever, calls him a “Retard”, and then continues to do it again after he’s warned by a stern Neeson imposing his stature on him. From there, it only gets better, as we get a few scenes of ice breaking, and a character responding “The ice is breaking”, just in case you need an echo to everything you’re being shown. I’m not asking for the moon when it comes to the dialogue in a Liam Neeson action rush, but I need material that feels conveyed from the point of the protagonists, especially considering we learn so little about them throughout the film.

– Bare minimum characterization. Speaking of the characters, there’s such an overwhelming circumstance of unfulfilled exploration that results in a complete lack of investment to their ensuing plights. This is especially realized with the miners, who are immediately hurled into the confinement of the cave, without even a single solitary scene of exposition to flesh out a personality or even an appealing quirk to draw interest towards. This not only undersells the stakes in the movie’s primary conflict, but also wastes away half of the movie’s overall experience, considering so much time is spent with their urgent peril. On the other side of the coin, we get a scene or two with Neeson conversing with his on-screen brother (Played by Thomas), but never anything that remotely pursues who they are outside of this career. They’re both very much products of their profession, which made for an ambiguously frustrating delve through nearly two hours spent by their sides, giving us two sides of the storytelling where neither are particularly fulfilling or remotely satisfying despite one receiving an overwhelming domination of the narrative focus.

– Safe action. Is there a word in the human language more offensive to action sequences than that of “Safe”? It earns that certification by combining plodding fight choreography and autopilot cinematography that serves as the dramatic antithesis of shotgun editing. Instead of intensifying the assorted angles during moments when the urgency and vulnerability collide to create what should be a suffocating string of exerting tension, the dragging of the depictions prescribe the safest angle of aimless expression to capture resonance, resulting in aimless art direction at its weakest of physical conflict. Speaking of physical, the hand to hand combat itself is among the worst that I have seen in quite sometime, moving slow and meticulous instead of the rhythmic urgency needed to sell its spontaneity. As I previously mentioned, the sequences themselves prescribe to more than a couple of good ideas for the chaos and devastation in and around its moutain-side rumbling, but the execution from the personal side of matters entirely leaves more to be desired, resulting in the action being the weakest element within this action first film.

– Wasted potential. Any movie with Neeson and Fishbourne, two of my favorite prestigious cinematic elders, should be at the very least a compelling sit. Unfortunately, both are going through the motions of a paycheck experience, complete with phoned-in deliveries that omit the benefit of emotional expression. For Fishbourne, there’s little he can do about it, presiding over the film for roughly twenty minutes before disappearing completely. Keep in mind that he receives second billing in this ensemble. First goes to Neeson, who once again embodies another familiar character to his arsenal that completely undercuts his dramatic abilities. There is still an everyman appeal to his turn as Mike (No last name. As bland as possible) that grants a nourishing layer of humanity to the often supernatural action protagonist, but it’s buried under smothering layers of uninspired direction to his character so bland that anyone, and not necessarily Neeson, could’ve embodied him.

– Messy script. There are many good ideas within the environmental adversity that could’ve made for a solid film on its own accord, but the convoluted essence takes shape during the uneven second half, driving distance between the two sides of characters and conflicts for the worst. In this regard, the miners become almost unnecessary to the movements of the story, persisting with little to no connection to the brotherly protagonists the further it develops. Where this is realized is with an early second act macguffin, that is not only one of the many preposterous character movements throughout the film, but also a newfound conflict that only diverts attention away from the urgency of the two conflicts, between cave and environmental distress. It gets silly fast with this direction, and never attains half of the vulnerability or danger of the previous conflicts because of how easily it is resolved, not one but three separate times for the frustration of the audience.

My Grade: 4/10 or D