Snowmageddon

A story about a mystical snow globe that makes very bad things happen in the real world of Normal, Alaska when it is shaken.

There are so many problems with this film that it makes me sad. Had it just been a cheap film of a small town that faces a volcano, that could have been a good story. But instead, they add a fantasy element and then make little effort to try to explain it.

Where did the globe come from? Who made it? Why is there a curse? Why this particular town? Why does the town believe it to be true when there is no obvious reason to think so? How do they know that the way to get rid of it is to throw it in the volcano? I mean, could they not just smash it? So, the plot just makes no sense... and that drags own the whole picture. I am all for fantasy (heck, I am a horror fanatic) but it just was not done right here.

One awful disaster movie, with no explanations poor acting and clearly not worth the two hours it takes to watch it on TV. No connection is ever made to explain the connection between the snow globe and the disasters in the town, no explanation of why it was ever created or who might have brought these on the towns folk.

The viewer is clearly in danger of losing whatever intelligence they may have by watch this movie so run, don't walk away from it! Mysterious cracks show up all around the town with fire and yet there is no offer of how or why. Mysteriously trees pop out of the ground in random places that skewer folks and cars.

The most frustrating thing about this plot is the total lack of the presence of the creator of this mysterious snow globe and any reasonable explanation why it has appeared who its creator is and why all of these disasters are happening to this tiny town of Normal Alaska. It left me pulling out my hair in frustration.

As I have said many times already I have made no secret of disliking a lot of SyFy's films, but I do keep watching to see if they do come up with something that is watchable at least. They have done a few movies that are surprisingly tolerable though even they are far from perfect, but most are bad but you are amused by the awfulness or are like witnessing a train-wreck.

I was very mixed on Snowmageddon actually, of the above categories it sits between the tolerable and so bad it's good ones. I do give it plaudits for the better than average acting, granted it is not brilliant but it is award-worthy compared to the likes of Quantum Apocalypse and Titanic II, decent photography and a storyline that is mostly interesting and original in concept.

That is not to say that the story is perfect though. It is interesting and generally well paced, but it does take a while to get going and the ending is abrupt. There are also scenes and ideas that suspend disbelief and don't make much sense, but for the first time in a while I actually got some novelty value out of them. These are including the ideas that electricity is still flowing in a town that is cut off from the rest of the world, flying even with ice bombs are going off and nobody in the town carrying a knife.

Snowmageddon also has some amateurish effects-though I've seen worse-, cheesy dialogue and characters that aren't developed enough to make us care for them. I loved the title, but it didn't fit with the concept and story, it was like there had been a last minute title change or that they had thought of a new idea and forgot to think of a title that fitted.

Overall, not as bad as other SyFy efforts, but there is nothing really that stood out to make it memorable or good. 4/10 Bethany Cox

There have a been a few SyFy Channel movies lately that I have really enjoyed. Snowmageddon had a very original story line which on a large scale budget could have been even better. I won't go into details of the plot since it can be read on the main page and in other reviews, but it really reminded me of something Stephen King would write, mixed with a little Lord Of The Rings for good measure.

I generally like most SyFy productions but some are better than others and Snowmageddon ranks up there with some of the best for me. I was definitely entertained for an hour and a half and have no regrets in watching this time waster.

I give it a solid B+

Another week, another cheesy disaster flick from the SyFy Channel, shot in Canada as many of them are and with few redeeming qualities to recommend it. This one's about a family who receive a snow globe as a gift and soon discover that whatever happens in the globe happens in real life; they're caught in blizzards, ice storms and the like, and must fight for survival.

This is the usual run-of-the-mill type production in which an imperilled family are the focus of the story. All of the family members are either boring or unlikeable, so getting excited about the precarious situations in which they find themselves is difficult indeed. SNOWMAGEDDON plays out as a series of cheesy CGI spectacles, with vehicles and homes dropping into volcanoes and the like, and none of it is believable for a second. There aren't even any old time actors down on their luck to enjoy. Plus the whole snow globe angle is introduced and then dropped with little to no explanation; it's pretty annoying.