Snowpiercer
3/4
Starring: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Kang-Ho Song, Ah-Sung Ko, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Octavia Spencer, Ewen Bremner
Rated R for Violence, Language and Drug Content
Based off of its premise and the first few minutes, I thought that "Snowpiercer" would be a retread of last year's "Elysium;" a sci-fi story about class divisions where the struggling lower class revolts against the powerful upper class and equalizes everything. While there are some similarities, it's not the same movie.
In the near-future, global warming has become a planet-wide disaster. In a last ditch attempt to save Earth, a chemical is sent up into Earth's atmosphere to repair it. Unfortunately, it backfires, killing almost every living being on the planet within a very short amount of time. The only survivors are those aboard a train that runs across the globe. The residents of the train are clearly divided. Those in the back of the train, who are the lower class, are angry and preparing to revolt. They are led by Curtis (Evans), who is mentored by the local leader, Gilliam (Hurt). Success, however, isn't easy, nor is it assured.
The film doesn't get off to a strong start. After a brief set-up of the environmental crisis (provided by subtitles and news clips), the film dives right into the plot. While it takes a while until things really get going, the crucial scenes that set-up the characters and the setting are missing. The latter has an excuse, since it adds an element of surprise and suspense when we are faced with the question of what lies behind the next door. The former, however, is essential. We're given no time to get to know anyone on board, or understand how their situation is miserable enough to make them want to revolt. Nor do we understand some of the routine abuses that those in the back end of the train face, such as the medical exam for the kids (it plays into a scene later on in the film, but we don't understand why the characters fear it).
The performances are effective. Chris Evans has never been a very strong actor, but he continues to mature with every performance. Truth be told, there's not much that he has to do other than act determined and heroic, but we accept him as a character. Jamie Bell is in top form as Edgar, Curtis's right hand man. He makes you wish he would take more roles. South Korean actor Kang-Ho Song is okay as the drug-addicted man who can bypass the locks, but he kind of fades into the background. Much more impressive is Ah-Sung Ko, who plays his daughter. John Hurt and Octavia Spencer are their usual reliable selves. Tilda Swinton, however, is a little disappointing. She disappears into her role (as is always the case with her), but she has her over-the-top moments, even for playing an over-the-top character.
The film's main flaw is that the story is limited. South Korean filmmaker Joon-Ho Bong desperately tries to add something more substantial to the film, but the script (or the graphic novel upon which the film is based off of) is too narrow. Although there are plenty of weird and action-filled moments (some of which are surprisingly brutal), he can't camouflage the fact that the plot is pretty much the characters going from room to room in order to get to the front of the train.
Nevertheless, this is an interesting and effective action film. The Weinstein Company hasn't been doing a lot to promote this movie, which is a shame, because the film's potential audience is probably a lot larger than they're giving it credit for. So it's up to me to tell you to catch it wherever it's playing.
Starring: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Kang-Ho Song, Ah-Sung Ko, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Octavia Spencer, Ewen Bremner
Rated R for Violence, Language and Drug Content
Based off of its premise and the first few minutes, I thought that "Snowpiercer" would be a retread of last year's "Elysium;" a sci-fi story about class divisions where the struggling lower class revolts against the powerful upper class and equalizes everything. While there are some similarities, it's not the same movie.
In the near-future, global warming has become a planet-wide disaster. In a last ditch attempt to save Earth, a chemical is sent up into Earth's atmosphere to repair it. Unfortunately, it backfires, killing almost every living being on the planet within a very short amount of time. The only survivors are those aboard a train that runs across the globe. The residents of the train are clearly divided. Those in the back of the train, who are the lower class, are angry and preparing to revolt. They are led by Curtis (Evans), who is mentored by the local leader, Gilliam (Hurt). Success, however, isn't easy, nor is it assured.
The film doesn't get off to a strong start. After a brief set-up of the environmental crisis (provided by subtitles and news clips), the film dives right into the plot. While it takes a while until things really get going, the crucial scenes that set-up the characters and the setting are missing. The latter has an excuse, since it adds an element of surprise and suspense when we are faced with the question of what lies behind the next door. The former, however, is essential. We're given no time to get to know anyone on board, or understand how their situation is miserable enough to make them want to revolt. Nor do we understand some of the routine abuses that those in the back end of the train face, such as the medical exam for the kids (it plays into a scene later on in the film, but we don't understand why the characters fear it).
The performances are effective. Chris Evans has never been a very strong actor, but he continues to mature with every performance. Truth be told, there's not much that he has to do other than act determined and heroic, but we accept him as a character. Jamie Bell is in top form as Edgar, Curtis's right hand man. He makes you wish he would take more roles. South Korean actor Kang-Ho Song is okay as the drug-addicted man who can bypass the locks, but he kind of fades into the background. Much more impressive is Ah-Sung Ko, who plays his daughter. John Hurt and Octavia Spencer are their usual reliable selves. Tilda Swinton, however, is a little disappointing. She disappears into her role (as is always the case with her), but she has her over-the-top moments, even for playing an over-the-top character.
The film's main flaw is that the story is limited. South Korean filmmaker Joon-Ho Bong desperately tries to add something more substantial to the film, but the script (or the graphic novel upon which the film is based off of) is too narrow. Although there are plenty of weird and action-filled moments (some of which are surprisingly brutal), he can't camouflage the fact that the plot is pretty much the characters going from room to room in order to get to the front of the train.
Nevertheless, this is an interesting and effective action film. The Weinstein Company hasn't been doing a lot to promote this movie, which is a shame, because the film's potential audience is probably a lot larger than they're giving it credit for. So it's up to me to tell you to catch it wherever it's playing.
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