Review of film: “FROZEN”

2010, 02-01;  Reviewed 02-04:

Review of film:  “FROZEN”

Director:

Adam Green

Writer:

Adam Green

Starring:

Emma Bell

Shawn Ashmore

Kevin Zegers

Ed Ackerman

Rileah Vanderbilt

Kane Hodder           

Adam Johnson

Chris York

Peder Melhuse

MPAA Rating:

R for some disturbing images and language.

Quotes:

“[Tagline:]  No one knows you’re up there.”

“My brother’s name is Jason!”

“At least [she] does something for you.”

“Statistics don’t ‘work’ on smokers.”

“Get off me, you’re crushing my Marlboros.”

“I’m scared.”

“You’re gonna be OK, Baby.”

MY Rating:

7.5 of 10 stars (based on an advance screening of the 100–minute film).

COLD hard truths in the Vacation to Hell

When I write reviews, I go out of my way to NOT reveal specifics of vital plot “twists”, so as to allow future viewers to undergo some “SURPRISES” from their experience…

…  But, that becomes especially difficult with a film like this one, because it’s plotted with purposely-“limited” activities in order to heighten its suspense.  Thus, I must deal in a lot of “GENERALITIES” & “inferences” in what I will say:

… Dan Walker (KEVIN ZEGERS) is a charming young man whose best friend since first grade, Joe Lynch (SHAWN ASHMORE), always loves going with him on outings like ski trips.  They’ve gone up to a ski lift resort in the Northeast--  but Shawn is ticked off that Kevin has invited his GIRLFRIEND Parker O'Neil (EMMA BELL) to join them…

…  Emma [in this, her first feature film] is a novice snowboarder, is unfamiliar with skiing (which Shawn loves), & he doesn’t like “sharing” the whole experience with her rather than just with his best bud…

…  But, Kevin has been with Emma for a year, & he makes clear to Shawn that it’s important to him that she be with him       ...  Although put-out by the overall situation, Shawn gamely tries to get to meet a cute girl at the lodge area (which nearly gets him in trouble)…

…  The group doesn’t have much money, & Kevin urges Emma to use her “womanly wiles” on the ski-lift operator to try to BRIBE him to get them ski-lift tickets at “under-the-counter” cheap prices…

…  She’s successful, they ride up the ski lift, & --  because Emma’s a beginner -- have to use the “LEARNER” hill to come down, which especially peeves Shawn who likes utilizing more skilled areas.  Kevin tries to calm him down, saying it’s meaningful to him that SHE enjoy herself during their outing…

…  Because Emma has had so much difficulty descending the mountain, the group is way “BEHIND” everyone else there.  It’s Sunday, the last day for the weekends-only lift, & Shawn is especially eager to have one more run down the hill.  But, as they’re at the bottom of the hill about to go up, they learn the resort wants to end the day EARLY because there’s some bad weather coming…

…  Trying to be nice to peeved-but-periodically-patient Shawn, Emma & Kevin work to convince the bribed guy to let them take one LAST ride up the lift for a final quick trip down the slope…  That seems fine--  until the bribed guy suddenly leaves the lift in charge of a guy who DOESN’T KNOW there are still 3 people (our “heroes”) heading uphill on the lift…

…  As fate (& plotting) would have it, the replacement operator suddenly shuts DOWN the lift as our 3 principals are like halfway up the hill…  They don’t know what’s happening, expect it’s a temporary “glitch”, & calmly sit in what they find to be increasingly FREEZING weather on their lift chair high above the slope…

…  The film then devolves into the story of what the 3 people do to try to get themselves DOWN from the lift…  Since their chair is very elevated above the hard-packed snow below them, they’re afraid to try to JUMP down from there onto the slope--  & they keep expecting the lift is going to be restarted at any moment…

…  But, as many hours go by & night begins to fall with no movement in the lift, the group grows increasingly DISCOMFORTED physically.  Time makes things increasingly BAD for the three, with frostbite starting to appear on Emma… 

…  They try to stay “positive” by sharing stories & incidents they recall from their past, but it becomes harder & harder to stay “upbeat” as their situation is clearly deteriorating along with the weather (which eventually turns to sleet and snow)…

…  Eventually, Kevin decides he simply must try to JUMP down from the chair to try to go back to get help for them all…  But, it’s very dangerous & does NOT go well, as he’s severely INJURED…  Emma & Shawn try to find ways to help him, including throwing some things down towards him--  particularly when some unfriendly ANIMALS start to appear near him…

…  Unfortunately, some of the things that have dropped down are items like helmets and a glove that are needed to keep Emma & Shawn properly warm & protected…  Shawn sees a ladder on a support pole maybe 50 feet away, & tries to “rappel” hand-over-hand down the ski-lift cable to try to get to that so he could safely get down to the ground--  but the cable keeps cutting his hands, causing him to abandon the plan at one point…

…  The situation of the stranded people keeps getting WORSE & WORSE (such as the chair starting to break), despite various attempts on their part to try to improve things…  Emma keeps showing she’s much TOUGHER than the guys gave her credit for…                                                                                                                                                  

…  Will Kevin be OK?…  Will Shawn & Emma succeed at what they try to do?…  How will things turn out for all of them in the end?…

…  In many ways, this is a periodically UN-pleasant, “TOUGH-to-take” story of personal terror -- sort of an ICY “Outer Limits”-type episode…  It’s certainly NOT for the squeamish (especially not for kids!)… 

…  The film is quite WELL-ACTED, under “difficult” circumstances, & it got a fair amount of applause at the end for the effectiveness of the TENSION that had been built up during the film…

…  As an aside, I found it “ironic” that the vicious-looking animals on-screen were provided by a company called “GENTLE Jungle”… 

…  And, I want to point out that, despite what you might see in the film, the type of “attacks” portrayed are “extremely RARE” since the animals involved are actually generally shy & the creatures tend to AVOID humans whenever possible (& particularly when not rabid)…

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