Ice Soldiers

I know what you're thinking - stupid title, right? It must be a stupid film... WRONG! This is an excellent effort all around and you'll want to watch, I bet.

It's a story about three mysterious dudes found at a crash site frozen in ice. We learn they are some kind of Soviet experiment intended to destabilize the US during our former "cold war". In fact, they are a genetically engineered wrecking crew!

Since the story spends no time on the "science" behind this questionable genetic engineering, you won't mind the stretch of your imagination, because this picture moves! From start to finish, you'll get nothing but excitement and quality performances.

In particular, the largely unknown "Frozens" - Gabriel Hogan (#1), Matthew G. Taylor (#2), and Andre Tricoteux (#3) - are very effective in their roles, very menacing but with a smile on their faces! Of course, Dominic Purcell plays Malraux with equal finesse and you'll also enjoy Adam Beach as TC Cardinal and Michael Ironside as Col. Desmond Trump.

Don't let the title fool you. This movie is as cool as ice - ice soldiers, that is!

"It's imperative I find these three soldiers, extract DNA and verify once and for all whether or not Steinke had genetically modified human beings." After years of speculation Malraux (Purcell), a scientist, finds a hidden bunker that has been holding three frozen genetically modified Russians. Hoping to study them and figure out their make-up he decides to thaw them out. This act reawakens them and the soldiers continue their original mission. I have to admit I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this going in. The beginning "back-story" part of the movie was both interesting and cheesy. The Russians send a group of genetically modified soldiers over here in order to win the Cold War during the Cuban Missile Crises. After that is where the movie starts to go down hill, I can't say its a horrible movie because it wasn't that bad but really just flat. This is the kind of movie you forget what is happening as you watch it and by the end you wonder what made you keep watching. Overall, nothing horrible but not that good either. Very OK and good for a background movie. I give this a C.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie because of who is playing a main character. And I don't mean I'm looking for any of the "usual suspects." I mean I want to watch an actor I see in movies, but who often seems to have some secondary role. Dominic Purcell's name caught my eye in this one.

TV roles are all well and good, but it is often refreshing to see such an actor play the lead or a main role (Bryan Cranston in Cold Comes the Night is another example). Here, Purcell plays a part with little need for drama, and little opportunity to demonstrate acting talent. To be fair, that was his character here, but the movie was still an enjoyable semi-action flick. The plot is tied into the 1962 Cuban Missle Crisis, but only tangentially. The Sci-Fi aspect overwhelms any real historical theme. And the plot-twist has so many clues dropped that it seems like a made-for-TV movie.

Regardless, the movie held my attention and Purcell's adequate performance was well supported by Michael Ironside and Adam Beach (who must unfortunately play the native American with an alcohol history stereotype).

As an aside, the movie might have been better if Purcell's character had developed more of a romantic interest in Camille Sullivan's character, or if the characters of the super soldiers (especially No. 1) had been fleshed out some more. eg. "bad ass wakes up after 50 years and his mission seems a little stale in a completely changed world." As it is, they come off as new Rap music fans who want to have sex with the first woman they lay eyes on.

No academy award winner here, or even high action, but still a fair watch for a story requiring little mental effort.

Film starts off slow maybe first 35 minutes.And then action starts the only reason i watched it was because Dominic Purcell starred in it.this actor is a hit and mis star every other film he's in is a flop kind of like Dolph lundgren.I gave it a 7 for a b class movie that no doubt went straight to video.I know that other people will review this flick and scream about how bad it was Just keep in mind that this is a low budget project not meant to compete with syfy like underworld or I Frankenstein. there are no gaps in the storyline although I did spot one phony baloney wee bit of shenanigans at the end in the airport scene.Many science fiction movie fans are sick of all the harry potter magic smoke and mirrors that are in todays films.In closing this is a simple SYFY movie not a magical fantasy film.When you watch syfy you are supposed think Yeah something like that could be possible.And check out the song as they roll the end credits.

During the Cuban missile crisis a plane crashes in the Canadian arctic. Folks from a nearby station arrive and rescue 3 survivors. They are all blonde and tall. The physician there is a girl and she's attracted to the sole conscious survivor. Next, he breaks free and kills everything in sight.

50 years later an oil expedition arrive to the area. Part of it is a scientist named Malraux and his Russian sidekick. In charge of the oil exploration is some mean lady called Frazier. Some paramilitary team lead by Col. Trump is also involved and they mostly join Malraux, whose goal is to find the 3 guys from the intro. They could be the result of a Nazi experiment or just Russian soldiers trying to take over NY. He and the paramilitary team set up camp near a mountain. When bad weather threatens to end the operation, Malraux explores a cave and finds the three bodies. They are transported to the station and put on life support. Then their hearth start beating again. When Malraux tries to kill these guys, he's placed in custody. Then the guys wake up and ravage the camp.

Malraux survives with an injured leg and starts limping after the three guys. He runs into an Indian who offers to take him to the next town. On the way they stop at a camp where the three guys have just killed everyone. Malraux and the Indian manage to survive and make it to the town where the Russians are enjoying drinks and strippers. That's when Maulraux confronts the guys and we learn some secrets.

Ice Soldiers starts out pretty well. The part at the exploration camp is pretty good. Things start going downhill when Malraux goes ofter those guys. Direction is pretty good. Acting is also good. Purcell, Ironside, Beach, Branzea, Sullivan are all solid. The problem is with the dialogue of the script. Very little is said and when something is said it's either confrontational, or unclear. The overall story has some interesting ideas. But it gives up these ideas or doesn't explore them to turn into an ordinary chase/action movie. Several things that happen are completely unbelievable and should have been handled better. Had this movie stayed at the camp for the entire length of it, it would have turned out better. Still, it's different and enjoyable.