Log in / Sign up
 
    Share this page

    Snowpiercer

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    I am a big fan of science fiction, so I’m always looking for a new favourite to add to my collection. It’s not enough to have robots, aliens or mutants though, a great science fiction movie needs to offer something new and if it’s truly great it also has some relevant messages in the plot. “Snowpiercer” is a fantastic science fiction film; it’s everything I wanted to see.

    Based on the book “Le Transperceneige” by Jacques Lob, the premise goes something like this: Humanity tried to reverse the effects of global warming by releasing a chemical in the Earth’s atmosphere. Unfortunately, it plunged the planet into a new ice age and civilization as we know it ended. All that remains of humanity is the crew and passengers of the Snowpiercer, a state-of-the-art train whose course spans the entire globe and is equipped with an engine that never runs out of power or needs refuelling. With limited space and resources, a caste system has formed inside the train. The master engineer rides at the front. In the next cars are the people who bought first class tickets, followed by the ones who bought coach and way, way at the back are the people who barely made it on. Mistreated, far outnumbering the “rich” forward carts and outraged, they decide that enough is enough. Leading the rebellion is our main character Curtis (Chris Evans); a man determined to reach the Snowpiercer’s main engine.

    I’m a firm believer that all great science fiction movies (ok, maybe not all, but MOST) do not really talk about an alternate future as much as they talk about the present. The message of “Snowpiercer” is an obvious one. Despite what you might believe, we’re all living on a “train” with limited amounts of space and resources. The poor outnumber the rich, are mistreated by them and eventually enough is going to be enough. There’s plenty to mine from that point of view, but what I really loved about this movie is that it’s much more than that. This is also a solid, action-packed film. The members of the furthest carts are going to have to fight to get to the front, getting through locked doors, military forces and other defences. It’s not going to be easy. We’ve got superior numbers versus skilled and trained forces armed with better weapons. The forces are pretty evenly matched, but what the rich aren’t counting on is the overwhelmingly powerful motivator that is desperation. That’s still just the tip of the iceberg though. This is also a film that contains some powerful emotional moments and some brain-detonatingly explosive revelations. I’m not talking about lame twists, I’m talking about characters and the audience realizing that the situations they thought were black-and-white are actually incredibly complex, or that things you thought were true actually turn out to be enormous lives. The consequences of these twists are absolutely devastating (and in more than just one way)

    While watching the film, it just kept getting better and better for me because it really felt like I was being transported to a totally different world, with its own rules and terminology. One of my favourite things was the lingo used in the Snowpiercer. The outside world is, for all purposes, gone. All that’s left of human civilization is what remains inside the train. That means that there really aren’t any animals, but there are still “extinctions”. What I mean by that is that several times during the film characters refer to things like cigarettes or other common items as being extinct. I know that sounds like sort of a throwaway little detail, but the details are what elevate this movie to a new level. People have to cobble together equipment that wasn’t on the train initially out of whatever luggage or non-essential equipment is handy, like drugs made out of the chemical waste created by the Snowpiercer’s engine. What also really impressed me was the way that the action and the plot take great advantage of the location. What do you think about when you think about trains? You think about bridges, tunnels, engines, different compartments, the danger of derailing, turns. All of these elements are incorporated in ways that are extremely intelligent into the story. I was baffled to see a world that felt so fresh and so real, despite the fantastic setting and the fact that it’s all set in a moving vehicle.

    I found the action to be extremely exciting and satisfying, the performances to be solid, the characters memorable, the plot completely original and every moment made me love the movie more. There are times where the movie is an exciting war film, a tight emotional thriller, a game of cat-and-mouse, a dystopian horror story and there were even times where the movie got genuinely dramatic and emotional. I was so enthralled in the plot and the characters that I feel like I totally missed out on the cinematography, some of the symbolism and the score. Thankfully I had a friend with me who was able to point some of these wonderful details. I’m already looking forward to watching the film again.

    What I’m trying to get at is that I’m giving every praise I can think of to this movie because it is an absolute gem. I really hope that people are going to buy, rent or even better, see this movie in theatres because it deserves to be seen and to become an essential piece in ever sci-fi enthusiast. It might as well be a classic for me, because it’s a movie that I can’t wait to watch again and will recommend to everyone. “Snowpiercer” is a sci-fi masterpiece, courtesy of director Bong Joon-ho, who really shows off some impressive talents. I can’t wait to add it to my collection and I hope to encourage as many people as I can to follow suit. (On Blu-ray, November 14, 2014)

    10
    HelpfulNot helpful  Reply
    adamwatchesmovies@  13.3.2015 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

    Show all reviews for this movie
    Note: The movie review posted on this page reflects a personal opinion of one user. We are not responsible for its content.

    Did you see ''Snowpiercer''?

    There is a problem with your e-mail address and we are unable to communicate with you. Please go to My Account to update your email.

    How do you rate this movie?

    Select stars from 1 to 10.
    10 - A masterpiece, go, see it now
    9 - Excellent movie, a must see
    8 - Great movie, don't miss it
    7 - Good movie, worth seeing
    6 - Not bad, could be much better
    5 - So so, okay if you don't pay
    4 - Not good, even if you don't pay
    3 - Poor movie, not recommended
    2 - Very bad, forget about it
    1 - Worst ever, avoid at all costs

    Please explain. Write your comment here:

    Please choose a username to sign your comments. Only letters, digits, dash - or period. Minimum 4 characters.

    Your age and sex:

    We publish all comments, except abusive, at our discretion.