Icebreaker

The plot in Icebreaker is such a mess that it doesn't merit much discussion. A group of terrorists descend on a Vermont ski resort looking for a downed plane carrying a nuclear device. In the end, however, the nuclear device is all but an afterthought as the head baddie sets his sights on the lesser goal of blowing up a ski gondola with one person on board. Ski patrol member Matt is on the case to stop the terrorists and save his fiancé (who is quite naturally the person on the gondola).

How in the name of all that is Holy did the makers of Icebreakers get a cast that includes Sean Astin, Stacy Keach, and Bruce Campbell? Were these guys that hard-up for work? Do they enjoy skiing so much that a free weekend on the slopes of Killington was enough to entice them? Did the producers have compromising photos? I just don't get it. Astin may be a good actor, but he's not my image of an action hero. When I think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, and Rob Van Dam - Sean Astin is not the next name that comes to mind. Stacy Keach phones in his performance from the State line. It's obvious he has no interest in Icebreakers. As for Campbell, as much as I love him, not even he can save this thing. Bruce's charm, so evident in the Evil Dead Series or Brisco County or even Burn Notice, is not here. Like Keach, he doesn't look overly interested in the project.

But the acting's not the problem - it's the muddled plot. I watched the whole thing and still have no idea what was motivating the terrorists. They want the nuclear device simply because that's what a terrorist would do. The take-over of the ski resort seemed so unnecessary. Their plan had not gone so off-track that they still couldn't have secretly gotten their weapon and disappeared. Why bring so much attention to their activities? The answer - it's in the script. The whole thing this is a complete mess. Character motivation in Icebreakers makes absolutely no sense.

I'll give Icebreakers a generous 3/10.

Terrorists take over a ski resort in search of some "plutonium stolen from the Russians" that went down in the woods. Sean Astin, looking just as he did in "The Goonies", scampers earnestly around the mountain as a member of the Ski Patrol, spending most of his actual time running away from the machine gun-wielding intruders as they blindly shoot at him. His biggest concern is not the radioactive material which could incinerate the entire mountain, but the fact that he is late to a lunch date with his fiancee and her father, played by Stacy Keach. Chrome dome Bruce Campbell is the haughty leader of the terrorists, dying from some unspecified disease. Nice scenery, and a fairly exciting chase scene on skis, snowboards, and snowmobile, but what's the point?

The only way I will watch this movie is on Rifftrax. The comments are hilarious and are the only way this movie is good. Otherwise the movie is overly nonsensical and ridiculous, there's not even a cohesive plot.

I'm a sucker for a cast of known faces in a b-movie or such, but there's limits. 'Icebreaker' is an awful Die Hard clone that can't even do the formula justice as the main trio of names appear very little and then only to chew on poor dialog. It doesn't have the right pedigree to be a rewarding "bad" movie too.

Matt Foster (Sean Astin) is a Ski Patrol employee with a fiancée who comes from money whom the dad (Stacy Keach) thinks is not worthy of her. So what a break when a plane crash lands nearby the resort with stolen nuclear material onboard. Terrorist Carl Greig (Bruce Campbell) sends in his men to retrieve it before taking over the place as both the fiancée and her dad become hostages allowing Matt to save the day.

In a project I'd be surprised took longer than a week to shoot the story moves like a snail for the first two thirds. We're talking about needless scenes, characters, poor CGI and bad humor. Campbell in particular looks bored throughout. Rocking a bald head the most interesting thing about his character by far. Keach is playing a generic role and Astin is not believable as an action star. Try to suspend your disbelief especially when his stunt doubles take over later.

'Icebreaker' has a finale that is the best part by far, but not enough to salvage this. It made me think of better action flicks that take place in the snow like the opening to 'True Lies' or 'Die Hard 2' to hit the nail on the head. Largely a bore, people fawning over the cast overvalue how much these guys get paid.

Ski patrol officer Sean Astin tries to save the day, his parents and his girl from an evil and deranged madman (Hollywood goof-ball Bruce Campbell) who has a nuclear device at a winter resort. Campbell leads some crazed terrorists in the venture and the only one who can save the group of hostages is the baby-faced Astin. Stupid and unintentionally hilarious venture for all involved as Campbell steals the show (as he usually does in sorry ventures) as a comical and bald-headed villain that will make you think of him as a very poor man's Gene Hackman from "Superman". Nothing really to recommend. Might have camp value for some, but that does not endear it. Turkey (0 stars out of 5).