Deep Winter

(2008) Deep Winter ADVENTURE

Acting is bad, and the plot is too cliche to be taken seriously as well as absolutely offers nothing professional skiers do not know themselves besides being very predictable, but if anyone were to be ignorant as much as I am about the dynamics of filming skiing videos this film succeeds at doing just that. Co-written and directed by Mikey Hilb directing a movie that has simplistic plot about a professional skier, Tyler Crowe (Eric Lively) who gets himself kicked off his ski team, he then visits a girl, Elisa Rider (Peyton List) working at a bar who the star Tyle is close to her brother and a professional snowboarder, Mark Rider (Kellan Lutz) who also knows about the star getting himself kicked off his skiing team, brings along and introduces to him a film crew who makes ski videos for a living and offers him a contract to showcase him to do some serious skiing on some of Alaska's most treacherous mountains. Michael Madson also stars as the helicopter pilot, Dean whose job is to drop skiers/ snowboarders to the mountains. The process of making skiing videos is what should be focused here than on anything else, otherwise it's pointless for this to be watched at all.

In "Deep Winter" Eric Lively and Kellan Lutz play two friends who join forces on a adventure of a lifetime: to be part of a documentary showing their risky performances while skiing on a dangerous mountain on Alaska. Followed by the filmmaker (Luke Goss) and a well trained guide (Michael Madsen) they're heading to something that can change their lives and not in a good way. And a film like this couldn't exist without some cracks on this beautiful friendship after Lively's character start to date Lutz's sister (played by Peyton List).

Lifeless and quite insignificant, there isn't much to be said about this flick since it's a movie that doesn't have much to say or show. Sure, there's some breathtaking skiing sequences and the two hotties as main stars but that's it; the rest of the movie isn't all that interesting and we only have endless skiing scenes and some other moments involving Madsen's character saying there's a storm coming which makes even more impossible the already impossible stunt, and the filmmaker always concerned about losing money and wasting time waiting for the weather to change so he can film his documentary. It repeat itself so much that it gets completely dull.

Almost enjoyable. Almost. 5/10

I read this review on DVD Verdict then rented the movie and loved it.

You know, I wasn't expecting anything more than a cookie-cutter snowboard jock-movie starring annoying characters, but Deep Winter surprised me. It's an entertaining spectacle, sporting some jaw-dropping downhill footage, a serviceable human drama, and likable players to tie it all together.

Deep Winter is sort of a meta-snowboard movie, quite possible the first of a genre. The story is about these guys making a ski and snowboard movie, but it's obvious from the crazy downhill shenanigans that human beings are actually strapping themselves to thin pieces of sculpted plastic and voluntarily sliding down a big-ass mountain. Really, I can't say enough about how awesome the skiing and snowboarding is in this movie. If I had to guess, the angles are sheer 90 degree drops of doom and somehow the nutjobs the filmmakers suckered into rocketing down the slopes negotiate this wintry peril with ease. Just fantastic.

Buttressing all of this is the movie itself and it's decent. You'll be able to chart out the trajectory of the plot no problem: the twists, the relationships, the looming fatalities, the Final Momentous Choice our hero makes, all of it. You've seen this melodrama in countless other works. The clichés are tempered with some solid acting and a likable Alpha Male awesome skier guy who bangs his best friend's sister, sure, but that's a necessity in movies like this, so you can't fault him for that. Even Michael Madsen brings his game, likely relieved he's not hoisting around a fake sword and incomprehensible accent from a Uwe Boll movie or playing a gangster for the billionth time.

Again, the centerpiece of Deep Winter is the ski action footage, so I wouldn't hold it against you if you skipped through some of the extended sentimentality to get to the good stuff.

The film looks good in its 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen treatment, though the picture quality isn't as vibrant as it could be. In fact, Deep Winter is best-suited for a high-definition treatment. Audio is pushed by a 5.1 track, and it's rich, pounding bass and blasting out the nifty soundtrack. The total lack of extras is a major missed opportunity.

I had high hopes for this movie. The cinematography is great. This had an opportunity to be a great film.

Poor scripting, bad dialogue and second hand acting really put this one in the crapper. I think the best part of this movie is on the editing floor.

The feel of the movie is very slow, the romance depicted is so boring no one in their right mind would put up with that.

One saving grace is the sound track -- awesome music, very little good action shots.

I will give credit where credit is due -- Very good photography and some awesome skiing.

Very Amateurish for a movie.

3 / 10

Tyler Crowe (Eric Lively) is a competitive downhill skier. His best friend is snowboarder Mark Rider (Kellan Lutz). Tyler starts dating Mark's sister Elisa Rider (Peyton List). The guys go to make an adventure helicopter skiing video on a dangerous Alaskan mountain side. Dean (Michael Madsen) is the local pilot and guide.

There is some good mountain skiing montages. Otherwise, there is nothing compelling. The plot is lackluster. The drama has no bite. There is no tension. The acting is functional at best. A skiing video would be better than trying to jerry-rig a movie plot around it.