Big budgets and no soul. This epitomizes summer movie faire. Normally, there's one or two decent big budget movies that sneak by and entertain a lot more than you expected it should (this year it was Edge of Tomorrow) and there's four or five indie movies that come out to select theaters that fly under the radar that really should get more attention it deserves. And very rarely... you get both. The successful combination of what appears to be a big budget "popcorn" flick with that indie feel is what Snowpiercer ends up being. It's a fantastic sci-fi from director Bong Joon-ho (The Host, no not that Stephanie Meyer shit) that is the most unique and fun action movies this year.
The premise is one that in the hands of a lesser writer/director could've gone Transformers very easily. The government has manufactured a chemical element they believe if they shoot into the atmosphere will end global warming altogether. They were correct... except that the chemical, once mixed with Earth's atmosphere turned the Earth into an eternal winter. This, in turn, kills off every living being on the Earth. The only select few who've survived reside on the Snowpiercer, a high speed train that continuously circles the Earth. We begin in the lower class car, the back of the train, where we get to know Curtis (Chris Evans) who has plans to take over the train, by way of making his way from the back to the front, killing everything in his path. The back of the train is overpopulated, it's run almost like an internment camp with daily executions and food rations coming in a small gelatinous protein brick. The head of the soldier's guarding each door is Mason (Tilda Swinton) who comes off looking more like a Japanese cartoon than a real person, yet she may be the creepiest person on board.
The passengers in the back of the car are tired of their everyday routines. They're starving, they're tattered, and they want what those in the upper class cars have: a pleasant life. The rest of the film revolves around Curtis and his band of "soldiers" moving their way from car to car in order to take over the engine. Because he who runs the engine... runs the train. Each car has something new hidden in it, a new challenge, a new discovery. Watching these people navigate the train and overcoming incredibly creative obstacles makes for one damn fun movie.
To add to the success of the writing and directing, the cast is superb. Chris Evans is quickly establishing himself in Hollywood as a very bankable actor. He exceeded expectations in the Captain America films and he's even grittier and better in this film. Tilda Swinton, as always is flawless.
The term "popcorn flick" generally implies that a movie will visually stun you, keep you entertained, while providing little to no substance. Snowpiercer defies this stigma by providing everything a great movie has to offer. Yes, there's a few CGI'd scenes that could use a little touch up, but with a budget this low, director Joon-Ho does everything in his power to give his audiences the best summer movie that has yet to be seen. This is the movie that should've had the powerful July 4th opening weekend instead of sneaking into a local AMC theater, watched by a select few who heard about it via word of mouth instead of being riddled by trailers over movies and TV. I don't know if it's that easily accessible anymore... it is available on Video On Demand... but however the format, I highly recommend this film. It's a little strange, it's a bit bizarre, but it's a ton of fun.
A
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