Snowpiercer

Starring: Chris Evans, Ed Harris, Tilda Swinton, Kang-ho Song, John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Ewen Bremner, Ah-sung Ko, Alison Pill, Luke Pasqualino
Directed by: Joon-Ho Bong
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Science Fiction, Thriller
2014

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: In a post-apocalyptic world, humanity lives on a train- the rich up front, the poor in the back. One man (Chris Evans) from the back is determined to change their fate and move to the front.

Review:

Tim: I was really excited about seeing Snowpiercer. The critic's reviews were outstanding and many people already put it on their "Best of 2014" list. I wasn't able to catch it in theaters with its limited run, so I had to wait to DVD. After seeing the movie, I can say that it's certainly very unique and unlike the majority of movies coming out of Hollywood. However, I also felt like the critics overrated it just a bit. This is a very, very good movie, but I'd be surprised if it ended up on my Top 10 of the year list. I suppose with the heightened expectations, you could say this was a minor disappointment (it's funny how such a thoroughly good movie could be disappointing, but that's what happens with expectations).

The movie is rich in allegory, but it puts it right out there for you. The movie is really about different classes of humanity- it's just that all the classes are riding on the same train. It's pretty fascinating to see the vast differences between the different cars, from the elegant, rich accommodations of the front of the train, to the retched, poor environment of the back of the train, with the middle class squeezed in between. It's fascinating until you realize this is a clear mirror of our society even today, and then it's sobering and sad. The movie is about the poor rising up against the rich to get their fair share and you can only hope that if this happens in real life, it's a lot less bloody. This aspect of the film elevates the movie from the typical mindless action flicks, but I think a few too many critics got completely enamored with this part.

The movie offers some good action scenes throughout, which is interesting because of the close confines of the train. There's a few tremendous action scenes sprinkled throughout the movie, but the others are just okay. This is a violent, bloody movie, but it all serves a good purpose. There are a few moments that drag a little, but for the most part, the movie keeps things moving nicely along.

The cast is quite good. It was fun seeing Chris Evans in the lead role here. I'm still not 100% convinced he is a great actor, but he played the part well. John Hurt added a great supporting performance. I liked seeing Jamie Bell here- I think he's an underrated actor. Tilda Swinton is someone I've never liked, and her performance here just got on my nerves. I'm not sure why my distaste for her is so strong, but she did nothing here to make me change my mind. Ed Harris was a nice addition to the cast, but I didn't love his role or his performance. As a whole, though, the cast is quite strong.

While the direction of Joon-ho Bong is very strong, there were a few moments where I felt like he missed the right tone. Throughout the movie, there are some very big surprises, but it felt like Bong never fully capitalized on them. These are moments that should have been mind-blowing and unforgettable, but they often come across as mediocre or unmemorable. He has a great ability to create high tension action scenes, but the slower reveals were a bit hit-or-miss. There's also so much going on in this movie (some of it seems absolutely nuts) that Bong occasionally fumbles all the various plots and characters. On occasion, too much time is spent on characters or situations that returned less overall value. These flaws aren't fatal, but they do detract from the film. I also thought the ending of the film was slightly anticlimactic. There's this buildup throughout the entire movie as Evans and his crew head from the back to the front, but the eventual conclusion elicited more of a shrug than anything else. It was mildly disappointing.

Now, I admit I entered Snowpiercer with raised expectations. You couldn't read the reviews without getting excited. I admit that Joon-ho Bong delivered a unique and exciting action movie with more substance than the majority of movies these days. However, he had a few critical opportunities that he missed, which bring the overall movie down. This is still an exceptionally made movie and one I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed. However, I think it's just below the level of greatness that I was hoping to see.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Host, Oldboy