'Frozen' Movie Review

When the trio decides to make a late-night run before heading back, a mix-up during an employee shift change leaves them stranded, dangling in the air on a ski lift. At first, they think that it's just the standard delay that they'd experienced earlier, but when the lights go out on the mountain, it strikes them that all of the employees have left for the day and that no one knows they're up there. To make matters worse, they realize that the resort is closing down for four days until the following weekend.

When a snow storm moves in, the chances of them being able to survive the cold temperatures without trying to escape turn from slim to none. But do they climb up or jump down? Either way has its share of perils, from razor-sharp wires above to a 40-foot drop over an icy tundra teeming with wild animals below. Indeed, Frozen may just as easily be called Eaten.

The simplicity is appealing, but the uphill battle that these types of films must fight is preventing the plot and the characters from becoming stagnant. There's only so much story to go around, and the bulk of the movie must be supported by the audience's interest in the people and their predicament. In Frozen's case, neither engages viewers fully all the way through.

There's enough material here for a good one-hour episode of a TV show, but stretching it out to 94 minutes dilutes the impact of the effective scenes. There needs to be either more plot developments (granted, that might hurt the admirable attempt at realism) or about 15 fewer minutes. The film takes a while to reach the life-or-death dilemma, and if you know what's coming, it makes the buildup of perfunctory, character-defining banter all the more mundane.

Once the action starts, though, there are fleeting moments that draw you into the story. The teeth-chattering frigidity comes through the screen and will no doubt make you want to bundle up a bit tighter. Writer/director Adam Green, having helmed the splattery slasher Hatchet not surprisingly delivers a few impactful images of the gruesome repercussions of the snowy situation -- though not as gory and gratuitous as you might expect from someone of his pedigree. Perhaps the most striking moment in the movie, however, is refreshingly one of heartfelt emotion, as Parker weeps not about her own predicament, but about that of her dog, whom she assumes will starve to death if she doesn't make it home.

Unfortunately, there are too few moments like this in Frozen, ones that truly engage the emotions -- although to Green's credit, it's not for a lack of trying. He does attempt to develop characters we can root for; they just never jump off the screen as memorable particularly interesting, so their interpersonal dynamics -- a significant part of the script -- fail to add to the emotional cache.

That said, Frozen isn't demonstrably worse than Open Water (just less original and probably less realistic), which likewise had its share of shortcomings. If you're into this sort of "survival thriller," this grim, unflinching tale could fit the bill -- once it gets rolling.

• Acting: B (Strong work all around under seemingly difficult filming conditions.)
• Direction: C+ (Solid but not distinguishable; generates only occasional thrills.)
• Script: C- (Not enough plot development, as some elements are set up and abandoned.)
• Gore/Effects: C+ (One grisly scene and a couple of other minor gore elements, done adequately.)
• Overall: C+ (The intriguing setup carries you through, even if the film itself delivers only sporadically.)

Frozen is directed by Adam Green and is rated R by the MPAA for disturbing images and language. Release date: February 5, 2010.