Ice Storm: Tempête Polaire

This was such a poorly thought out story 4 minutes in, it was a father-son bonding moment, and 8 minutes in the world was going to end. It was like watching a bad episode of Power Rangers, crossed between a live action Johnny Quest and Spy Kids. I kept hoping it would get better. I wonder if someone was using a magic 8 ball to make decisions when they were filming this.

The trailer did look promising, and I thought it would be a cross between of Snow Piercer and The Day After Tomorrow. On the bright side, they did not spend any money on gratuitous blood and gore. The ending did make me snort, and I won't give that away. At least nobody was inappropriately dressed, other than the neoprene suits looking rather uncomfortable, but hey, they had those fancy lights!

Great, the first thing that came onto the screen was the two words: The Asylum. And that pretty much sets a certainly low expectation to the movie, doesn't it? Yet, I still opted to sit down and watch the movie, given it was a natural disaster movie that I hadn't already seen.

Writer Marc Gottlieb put together a script and storyline that was very, very generic and predictable for a natural disaster movie. And trust me when I say that there are far better natural disaster movies with subzero temperatures out there. And there really is no particular reason to sit down and spend 85 minutes on watching "Ice Storm". So many things throughout the course of the bland narrative just makes you shake your head in disbelief.

The cast ensemble in the movie was relatively unfamiliar to me, which is usually something I enjoy in movies. However, the script in "Ice Storm" was every bit as frozen and rigid as the natural disaster was supposed to be, so the actors and actresses virtually had nothing to work with, and it showed on the screen. I was only familiar with William Baldwin.

Visually then you're not in for anything great here. But on the upside, then the effects weren't as bad as you might expect from a movie from the dreaded The Asylum movie company. However, nor was it among their best of work. It was, for a lack of better words, mediocre and bland.

"Ice Storm" was a struggle to sit through, and your eyes will probably freeze solid from boredom long before you get through the 85 minutes it runs for.

My rating of director Jared Cohn's 2023 movie "Ice Storm" lands on a generous two out of ten stars. Quite amazing that such laughable movies get made still.

I strongly advise against investing your valuable time in watching this movie. It falls short in numerous aspects, leaving little room for any redeeming qualities. The storyline is poorly constructed, lacking coherence and substance. The performances of the actors are forgettable at best, making it difficult to find any merit in their portrayals. Unfortunately, there is a glaring absence of positive elements throughout the entire film, making it an overall unsatisfactory viewing experience.

Even when attempting to search for a silver lining, it becomes apparent that the film fails to offer anything noteworthy. The absence of redeeming features, coupled with a lackluster script and uninspiring performances, creates an amalgamation of disappointment. It is disheartening to witness a project that seems to lack the basic ingredients of a well-crafted movie.

One cannot help but wonder about the thought process behind the creation of such a subpar piece of cinema. The lack of quality raises questions about the decision-making and creative direction involved in the production. In comparison, it seems conceivable that a group of teenagers, armed with creativity and passion, could produce a more compelling and engaging work.

The utter lack of coherence and quality in this movie prompts a profound reflection on the standards of filmmaking. Viewers are encouraged to explore more worthwhile options, as their time is better spent on productions that offer a meaningful and enjoyable cinematic experience. This film, unfortunately, stands as a testament to what can go wrong when fundamental elements of storytelling and execution are overlooked in the filmmaking process.

Really, don't bother.

Had I looked at the credits before seeing this tragicomedy I would not have wasted my time despite the presence of no other known (to me) actor other than Grant Bowler who must have been paid extremely well for his role.

I knew that it wasn't based on reality since it Texas that froze over a couple of years ago but thought maybe they took some creative license with the details however there really was little in the way of creativity beyond the abilities of a precocious child.

I can't imagine how anyone connected with this production felt anything approaching pride associated with this but maybe just receiving a paycheck was enough for them.

The film reminded me of watching episode 2 of a 3 part series.

There were references to the team having been active in previous disasters, including something to do with a volcano being 'put out'.

There was a political side that started in the middle with the removal of the 'hero' from being CEO of a company, an antagonistic relationship with NOAA and FEMA that was not fully explained and left with a political cliff-hanger.

It seems unfair to give a realistic rating to what appears to be part of a movie, so my question is/are, 1 Was the other parts of this made?

2 if made, what is/are the names of the other parts?