Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell

It's incredible what Tremors has accomplished over the years, 6 movies, a television series and almost a second. Who'd have thought that we'd still be seeing them released in 2018 and it hasn't even been rebooted!

Burt Gummer returns again to tackle a Graboid infestation and for the second movie in a row his son is along for the ride. This time however instead of desert these giant worms have taken residence in snow.

Great gimmick right? Shaking things up, trouble is it's not. We have one scene involving snow and the rest is...............desert basically. That's right they've squandered the entire gimmick and because of that we just have yet another Tremors film.

Now I really enjoyed Tremors 5 and would consider it second only to the original movie, that's why it saddens me to say that perhaps this should be it. The last movie felt fresh, this felt more than stale and brought absolutely nothing new to the table at all. Each previous movie had an identity, brought new creatures, new interesting characters, new gimmicks. Here, there's nothing despite the broken promise of the snow setting.

With Michael Gross being the only recurring star to have been in every movie I have to tip my hat to him for being excellent as always. Jamie Kennedy, less so but I'm slightly bias on that front.

A Cold Day in Hell isn't bad, it's just reminder that some things really should come to an end.

The Good:

Michael Gross

Script has its moments

The Bad:

Jamie Kennedy

When will they learn? Practical effects > CGI

Very paint by numbers stuff

I have to concede to be an old "Tremors" fan from the gitgo. However, I approached this iteration with some anxiety: I appreciate "Burt" fro the beginning and really appreciated the chemistry in the first two issues, yet was this one going to be worth my time?

Happily, this one measures up to a solid B film status and if you are a "Tremors" fan such as I am, then you will appreciate this one.

Part of the joy of this series is its capability of knowing exactly what it is. There is no pretense of anything beyond what you see: a romp with some cheesy effects.

I appreciate that this one also is aware of where it fits in the cycle: there are references to Reba and Kevin in this one that I enjoyed.

There are huge plot holes and obvious flaws in character development. The effects are splatters and that is about it. Got those viewers of a post CGI generation, this miststep will diseffect you.

If, however, you know this franchise and you appreciated the first ones, then you'd enjoy this pleasant way to spend an evening with old friends.

I like the fact that after 6 films they at least attempted to do something a little different. Honestly, it doesn't change the dynamics or what I enjoy about them. I think Jaime Kennedy & Michael Gross actually have a good chemistry. While it's not on the Fred Ward/Kevin Bacon level, there's a good rapport between them that manages to be highly entertaining.

One of the only things I felt maybe lacking over some of the other films was the production value. While it doesn't look horrible it does look cheaper. The creatures don't look quite as fleshed out and at times a bit too CGI, but not so bad it ruins things. Also, a few of the supporting characters, mainly the quote-unquote bad guys were pretty wooden and really didn't add much to the overall story. They do, however, lead to a few comical moments of dialogue.

You more or less know what you're getting with these movies at this movie. If you've never seen any of them, I would go back and start with the first one and work your way through. That's still the pinnacle of the series, followed closely by the second. They're goofy, schlocky fun. Something that's always made me gravitate to the films is they seem to know what they are. It's one of those things where it looks like they probably had fun making them and it shows on screen. Part 6 is no exception to that rule. So, if you're a fan of the other films in the franchise. This is worth a worth.

There are sequels where it doesn't mean anything if you have or have not seen the previous entry (or entries for that matter). The Tremors franchise really is different in that sense. It also does evolve. Though some may miss the good old days of practical effects (versus the CGI we get).

We get recurring characters though and some may feel a bit too comfortable in their sense of humor for my taste. Especially the one you may know from the Scream franchise. Don't get me wrong, I loved his schtick in that other franchise, it just seems a bit redundant here. Our main hero (unlikely hero to be frank, especially considering the journey he took from the very early days of Tremors) remains as stoic and "fun" (I would consider him funny but others may not) as ever.

So while the movie overall is flawed, anyone liking the Tremors movies and has kept watching them, will not be too disappointed. Nicely done for anyone who still cares

Well, you know what you are getting yourself into when you sit down to watch this kind of movie. Especially since the "Tremors" franchise doesn't seem to lay down to die. The recent movies haven't been outstanding and "Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell" is no different.

This is an enjoyable enough movie for what it is, which is mediocre entertainment.

Michael Gross revisits the role of Burt Gummer, and he alone well and the worms of course are the sole instrument from the original movie that keeps this franchise afloat. And believe you me, they are boiling soup on a very weak broth by now.

The special effects and the creature effects are good, though and they definitely make the movie more watchable. As for the story, well let's just say that this movie offers nothing that haven't already been seen in the franchise, except for it being set in a colder climate.

If you enjoy the "Tremors" movie, then you will enjoy this movie. But if you are new to the franchise, I would strongly recommend that you start with the first movie. Yeah, the one with Fred Ward and Kevin Bacon.