tarlan

The plot is fairly predictable, the twists seen in many other films and yet I still enjoyed watching this. The imagery, especially with glass and mirrors, was used to good effect.

Snipes (Shaw) was good in his role, coming across as a self-assured professional suddenly finding himself floundering after a series of incidents leaves him without the protection he had become accustomed to.

Matiko (Julia) and Archer (Hooks) both slipped into the required persona with ease, making very believable but diametrically opposite characters, one naive, the other very worldly-wise.

For me, however, the film was stolen by Michael Biehn (Bly) whenever he appeared. He revealed far greater depth of character, from joker to professional, leaving Shaw often appearing two-dimensional in comparison.

The action was good, the end scene with Bly and Shaw in particular. However, the final ending was far too predictable and weakened the film. Would have been far better if the film had ended on a stronger note.

This was a film with a lot of potential; great plot, wonderful location and the additional interest of dealing with both the Cree and Metis cultures. Such a shame that it came across as very stilted with most of the drama lost through too deliberate a presentation.

Michael Biehn showed his true professionalism, managing to smooth - and steal - any scene in which he appeared, giving his character a wonderful three-dimensional feel. Unfortunately, this made the rest of the cast appear even more wooden through the direct comparison.

This is definitely a film for only the Michael Biehn die-hards and those interested in seeing some great snow scenery.