A simple premise is hampered by nagging contrivances in Frozen, albeit not without also reaping considerably unnerving dividends. Trapped high above a snowy mountain on a ski lift that’s been shut down too soon, Dan (Kevin Zegers), his girlfriend Parker (Emma Bell), and his best friend Joe (Shawn Ashmore) are forced to confront the strained dynamics – specifically, that Joe feels abandoned by longtime bud Dan, who now spends all his time with Parker – that Green establishes, clunkily but effectively, in his opening act. Rather than stranding his protagonists as a means of punishing them for their entitlement and narcissism, the writer/director instead frames their situation as an opportunity to confront and transcend their strained relationships. It’s a reasonably compassionate tack to take, and one that, despite some awkward writing, creates vital empathy for his characters. As night descends and frostbite, hunger and the need to pee become urgent issues, Frozen’s tension amplifies into something horrifyingly believable – that is, until a pack of wolves are introduced as a further threat, and tip the scales into more hokey fictional territory. At that point, any suspension of disbelief – already at a breaking point thanks to the raft of coincidental circumstances that maroon the trio in the first place – becomes difficult to sustain, although Green’s nifty framing, dawning-dread pacing, and fixation on corporeal deterioration proves sturdy enough to make his follow-up to the dreadfully tongue-in-cheek Hatchet a work of chilling survival horror.
I can't really say if I liked it or not, but it sure got stuck in my mind. So, I made a short 3d animation to comprise the action in one minute. If you saw the movie you may watch my little remake of it: http://bit.ly/zZsxlO. Hope you enjoy it.
Posted by: amtgreen | February 02, 2012 at 09:20 AM