Movie Review: Snowpiercer

 

Snowpiercer is dark and it’s hilarious, it’s subtle and it’s over the top, it’s violent and it’s gentle. It’s all these things without being too much. It’s movie making at its best: creative, smart, thrilling, original, and a movie that makes you excited. Everything about this movie is just right.

Snowpiercer
Directed By: Boon Joon-ho
Starring: Chris Evans, Kang-ho Song, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, Ed Harris, Alison Pill, Ah-sung Ko

Premise: A failed global experiment dispenses a frozen tundra across Earth killing off most of the planet. The remaining survivors are collected onto a massive train called the Snowpiercer that has been circling the Earth in a perpetual state of motion for the past 17 years. The lower class passengers are relegated to the back of the train forced to eat disgusting food (if they even get to eat at all) while the upper class passengers sit at the front of the train living in luxury. Hoping to change their circumstances, Curtis reluctantly finds himself leader of a strange band of renegades who strive to fight for better living conditions by killing Wilfred, the pusedo-god all the upper citizens worship for being responsible for the train and their survival.

 

 

4 Things I Liked About Snowpiercer

 

1)  Tilda Swinton Wins The Movie: Snowpiercer is filled with eccentric and diverse performances from its quirky characters.   Kang-ho Song and Ah-sung Ko are funny as the drug addicted father-daughter duo with special skills to help Curtis (Chris Evans) on his mission. Alison Pill is brilliant as the overly perky, obviously brainwashed, definitely disturbed pregnant grade school teacher. But it’s Tilda Swinton’s performance as Mason, the person enforcing all the rules, keeping everyone in line, that definitely wins the movie. She completely immerses herself in this delusional character and is able to bring strange and creepy quirks to the role without going overboard with her performance. She really is just a marvel to watch, buck teeth and all.

2)  The Production Design and Set Dressing was Visually Striking:  Each room of the train was different, but still dynamic. It was set up in the perfect way for a fresh and new adventure to happen within a small, contained space.  While watching this movie my friend actually said, the production designer must have had so much fun making the movie.

3)  The Movie was a Fresh Take on an Old Story: Snowpiercer was a blend of many different genres. It was Tarantino-esque, with Asian movie themes, all taking place in a dystopian world. But somehow, even with these blending of genres, the movie managed to feel fresh and original. The fight things were creative (especially fighting in the dark), and yes, there was brutal violence, but it wasn’t overtly bloody. It wasn’t gratuitous. You know no limbs falling off or blood squirting out. Just the normal amount of gore, you know, when you’re shooting and slicing your way through a passenger train.

4)  Chris Evans was a Great Leading Man: As important as the story, the production design, the directing, and the other actors were, Chris Evans as the lead was just as important. He had this spark in him throughout the entire movie. You could tell he really loved what he was doing. He showed his “superhero” strength in the intense action sequences, and he also showed his vulnerable side in the more emotional scenes. He was believable and he was more than just a pretty face.

Snowpiercer is one of those movies you always remember. There is something in this movie for everyone. It is a movie that brings a sledgehammer to your imagination bubble and cracks it wide open letting all its contents spill out and into your soul. And if you’re a creator after watching this movie, you’re going to want to create. Snowpiercer is a movie for movie lovers. So go watch it already.

Rating: 4 ½ stars (out of 5)