Ice Road

I went into this screening with low expectations, because I had been told it was not a particularly good film. And, yes, some parts are just a bit hoaky, some characters are stereotypes, and there are some inconsequential goofs (dry clothing in the truck cab, after full immersion in the lake).

BUT, all that aside, the movie kept us on the edge of our seats for much of the time. It was an enjoyable evening / after-dinner movie! And, it is frankly much better than quite a few rather lame films that have come out, with thunderous publicity, in the last 18 months.

The plot involves a rescue mission, directed at saving workers in a collaposed mine. There are quite a few surprises (not outlined here, lest the comments become spoilers), so the plot is not particularly predictable. The all-too-common 'hyper-angst' that is frquently used in such movies is kept reasonably in check, so the action, and plot twists are at the forefront. Yes, there are several 'personal' storylines going on that form a backbone of the plot. But, they actually contribute to the suspense, rather than detract from it.

Yes it's not "My Dinner with Andre" or "Mindwalk", but is a Liam Neeson, Saturday afternoon beer drinking action movie. It's pure escapism from S-show that is America 2021.

I don't agree with the negative reviews rating it the lowest score possible. For that there are countless worse movies than The Ice Road. I don't know what those people expect from a movie with Liam Neeson? Everybody knows exactly how a movie with him will end. Liam Neeson always wins so that's case closed. I thought the story was entertaining, with some good moments of suspense. Did it look realistic? No, certainly not. But it's a movie with Liam Neeson so what do you expect? I don't care about futile things like that, I just want entertainment, and that's exactly what I got.

I must admit that whenever Liam Neeson stars in a movie, then it is a movie that I feel that I must watch, because he definitely has a track record of some rather impressive movies these last many years.

However, when I read the synopsis for "The Ice Road", I must admit that I wasn't exactly overly impressed. But still I sat down to watch the movie, as it had Liam Neeson in it, after all.

And I must say that writer and director Jonathan Hensleigh actually managed to put together a good old fashioned thriller. And while the concept may have seemed a bit off, then it actually worked out well enough with having the movie take place in the frigid colds of northern Canada.

The storyline told in "The Ice Road" is one that quickly lets its frostbite set in and director Jonathan Hensleigh doesn't let you go before the movie comes to an end. I have to admit that I was genuinely more than entertained by the story told in this movie.

Needless to say that Liam Neeson does it quite well in this movie as well, of course he did. And he was joined by the likes of Marcus Thomas, Laurence Fishburne, Amber Midthunder and Benjamin Walker for a rather interesting and fast-paced thriller.

"The Ice Road" was definitely a surprisingly good movie, and it was one that provided me with proper entertainment.

I am rating "The Ice Road" a six out of ten stars.

I like Liam Neeson movies. His rugged 'Mike" character is back at it again. As a Netflix production "The Ice Road" suffers from the same illnesses that plagues many of their studios, mostly due to tight budget limit, such as cheap CGI, no connection to reality at parts, quick production that leaves erroneous shots (truck models that switch etc) and not being able to keep highly-paid actors for the length of the film.

HOWEVER, if you ignore all that and grab some popcorn and a drink, this movie is action packed and is a good thriller filled with relatable, albeit clichéd, characters, such as his mentally struggling brother and the female trucker. I really enjoyed these characters and the overall acting level is excellent from all actors.

As an action movie I think it gives F9 a run for its money and probably overall is better, if you get upset by impossible movie action, this movie is probably not for you, but for pure action flick I give it an exact score of 57 / 100.