After a diamond mine collapses in Northern Canada, an ice road
trucker must deliver life-saving equipment before they run out of oxygen. ACTION
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The Ice Road (2021)Written and Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh
Starring Liam Neeson, Marcus Thomas, Laurence Fishburne, Amber Midthunder, Benjamin Walker, Matt McCoy, Holt McCallany |
Liam Neeson's run of forgettable action thrillers is well-known at this point. Just earlier this year, he had The Marksman, which wasn't anything all that special. I expected more of the same with The Ice Road, but there's something about this one. Neeson himself seems to be trying a bit harder than usual, and his chemistry with Marcus Thomas, who plays his onscreen handicapped brother Gurty, is easily the best thing about this movie. It captures the intensity and danger of ice road trucking perfectly, and ratchets the tension up to eleven countless times.
In Northern Canada, a diamond mine collapses and 26 men are trapped. Their only hope is the delivery of life-saving equipment, which trucker Mike McCann (Neeson) and his brother Gurty are hired to transport, along with Native American activist Tantoo (Midthunder) and experienced trucker Goldenrod (Fishburne). They have to drive on the ice road, the frozen rivers of Canada that are only drivable during the winter. Halfway through the trip, things go awry as they realize they've been sabotaged. Now there's a race against time as the saboteurs try to prevent the delivery, and everything's at stake. It's pretty exciting at times, and the twists are predictable, but believable. The Ice Road had every opportunity to be a complete failure, but Neeson's dedicated performance and an intriguing story help make this a standout in this era of Neeson's career. Poor CGI and a lack of any other interesting characters really do hold the film back, though. Still, it was a nice surprise. |