Snowpiercer Directed by Bong Joon-ho
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Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #11860 in Movie
- Released on: 2014-07-11
- Rating: R (Restricted)
- Subtitled in: English
- Running time: 127 minutes
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
81 of 90 people found the following review helpful.
4 1/2 stars. If you want something different in your sci-fi, this is it!
By M. Oleson
Theatrical review. There may be spoilers.
So here it is July 4th weekend. What are the sci-fi choices in theaters now? Well, I could go see the umpteenth version of "Transformers" which is playing in about 30 theater screens within a 5 mile radius of my house. Or, I could drive 10 miles and check out this unusual looking film from South Korean director Joon-ho Bong. It does have Chris Evans, fresh from "Captain America" and Tilda Swenton, last seen as an 80 year old woman in "The Grand Budapest Hotel." I decided to take the drive.
First of all, you have to buy into the premise. It's the near future and global warming is for real, so the scientists come up with a solution which, in fact, fixes the problem. They also kill everything on the planet with a catastrophic cold wave. The cockroaches survive as usual as you will find out later in the film. There are survivors who manage to board a train that circles the globe non-stop...forever. The train is the foresight of a man known as Wilford. I usual give actor credits here, but it is suggested I not, as it is a big surprise. It wasn't to me, but if you want to look it up go to IMDb or something.
Like much of the world, the train is split up into the "have-nots" led by Curtis (Evans) and his mentor, Gilliam (John Hurt). They live in the back of the train, far removed from the "haves" way up front. The 1 percenters are led by Wilford and his second in command, Mason (Swinton). And before I go much farther, she's a hoot. Especially when the contingent reach the kiddie's classroom. In addition, there are a collection of thugs whose mission is to keep the riff raff in the back where they belong. They live in squalor and get a protein bar for their daily ration. I won't go into the content but it will put your gag reflex in overdrive. As fair warning there are a couple more events that will unsettle most. But the film does do a good job of setting the stage for the conditions these people have been in for 17 years and why they want to escape.
Armed with little more than their determination, the rebellion is afoot. One by one the rebels move up car-by-car until they reach the domain of the guy in charge of the locks between the cars. Namgoon Minsoo (Kang-ho Song) is the guy and is aroused from his cryogenic sleep along with his daughter, Yona (Ah-sung Ko). He agrees to help (always in Korean) but only if he's supplied with a regular supply of homemade drug that he's addicted to. Essentially the film is as simple as that. Get to the engine where Wilford lives.
The combat portions of the film are excellent. The film is purposely dark and gloomy. It isn't a feel good movie. People you become fond of are killed. Kids are in the mix and are exploited, but damn if this isn't a refreshing change from the stuff we are often exposed to in mainstream movies. The film ends on a bleak, if hopeful note. But this isn't mainstream. Which is probably why the woman walking out of the theater behind me said to her husband. "That's the worst movie I've ever seen"! She obviously hasn't see the latest "Transformers."
4 1/2 stars. If you want something different in your sci-fi, this is it!
By M. Oleson
Theatrical review. There may be spoilers.
So here it is July 4th weekend. What are the sci-fi choices in theaters now? Well, I could go see the umpteenth version of "Transformers" which is playing in about 30 theater screens within a 5 mile radius of my house. Or, I could drive 10 miles and check out this unusual looking film from South Korean director Joon-ho Bong. It does have Chris Evans, fresh from "Captain America" and Tilda Swenton, last seen as an 80 year old woman in "The Grand Budapest Hotel." I decided to take the drive.
First of all, you have to buy into the premise. It's the near future and global warming is for real, so the scientists come up with a solution which, in fact, fixes the problem. They also kill everything on the planet with a catastrophic cold wave. The cockroaches survive as usual as you will find out later in the film. There are survivors who manage to board a train that circles the globe non-stop...forever. The train is the foresight of a man known as Wilford. I usual give actor credits here, but it is suggested I not, as it is a big surprise. It wasn't to me, but if you want to look it up go to IMDb or something.
Like much of the world, the train is split up into the "have-nots" led by Curtis (Evans) and his mentor, Gilliam (John Hurt). They live in the back of the train, far removed from the "haves" way up front. The 1 percenters are led by Wilford and his second in command, Mason (Swinton). And before I go much farther, she's a hoot. Especially when the contingent reach the kiddie's classroom. In addition, there are a collection of thugs whose mission is to keep the riff raff in the back where they belong. They live in squalor and get a protein bar for their daily ration. I won't go into the content but it will put your gag reflex in overdrive. As fair warning there are a couple more events that will unsettle most. But the film does do a good job of setting the stage for the conditions these people have been in for 17 years and why they want to escape.
Armed with little more than their determination, the rebellion is afoot. One by one the rebels move up car-by-car until they reach the domain of the guy in charge of the locks between the cars. Namgoon Minsoo (Kang-ho Song) is the guy and is aroused from his cryogenic sleep along with his daughter, Yona (Ah-sung Ko). He agrees to help (always in Korean) but only if he's supplied with a regular supply of homemade drug that he's addicted to. Essentially the film is as simple as that. Get to the engine where Wilford lives.
The combat portions of the film are excellent. The film is purposely dark and gloomy. It isn't a feel good movie. People you become fond of are killed. Kids are in the mix and are exploited, but damn if this isn't a refreshing change from the stuff we are often exposed to in mainstream movies. The film ends on a bleak, if hopeful note. But this isn't mainstream. Which is probably why the woman walking out of the theater behind me said to her husband. "That's the worst movie I've ever seen"! She obviously hasn't see the latest "Transformers."
41 of 47 people found the following review helpful.
For good reason too
By Stewart F. Hoffman
Snowpiercer has actually been doing the rounds outside the United States since the 1st of August 2013, and was already a hit before it landed here. For good reason too, and if I were in charge of handing out awards, I would immediately without a second thought hand over trophies to Kyung-pyo Hong (cinematography), Joon-ho Bong (direction) and the absolutely amazing Tilda Swinton.
The ‘mechanics’ of having a single train house the human race aside, Snowpiercer is a distillation of the human condition. A metaphor if you will, simplified with its separate components exaggerated to tell a story about class structure, and the deluded notion that the human race is predictable, and as such controllable.
The story centers around an uprising lead by a man called Curtis (Chris Evans), and a quest to reach the front of the train. Along the way, as they break through to each new compartment, new environments and mysteries unfold. Snowpiercer is inventive, and violent at times, but always entertaining and certainly one of the more unique films to hit theaters in the last two years.
For good reason too
By Stewart F. Hoffman
Snowpiercer has actually been doing the rounds outside the United States since the 1st of August 2013, and was already a hit before it landed here. For good reason too, and if I were in charge of handing out awards, I would immediately without a second thought hand over trophies to Kyung-pyo Hong (cinematography), Joon-ho Bong (direction) and the absolutely amazing Tilda Swinton.
The ‘mechanics’ of having a single train house the human race aside, Snowpiercer is a distillation of the human condition. A metaphor if you will, simplified with its separate components exaggerated to tell a story about class structure, and the deluded notion that the human race is predictable, and as such controllable.
The story centers around an uprising lead by a man called Curtis (Chris Evans), and a quest to reach the front of the train. Along the way, as they break through to each new compartment, new environments and mysteries unfold. Snowpiercer is inventive, and violent at times, but always entertaining and certainly one of the more unique films to hit theaters in the last two years.
36 of 41 people found the following review helpful.
A smarter-than-usual action film, and a great alternative to the usual summer fare
By Robert Hayes
SNOWPIERCER has been one of my most anticipated movies since I first heard about it last year. I eagerly followed all the news I could get my hands on, and was one of many who bristled at the thought of Harvey Weinstein going snip-happy over it for a theatrical release. Thank goodness that never came to pass. So, now that I've seen it, was it worth the wait? Did it live up to my expectations? I would say the answer to that question is an unequivocal yes. This movie was definitely worth the wait, although there are a few aspects of it that slightly dampened the experience. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth where a chemical released into the atmosphere, ostensibly/hopefully to alleviate global warming, causes Earth to turn into a frozen wasteland. Humanity's few survivors are packed into a perpetually moving train designed and conducted by Wilford, a mysterious person who has a godlike status among the passengers. During their time on the train, society has solidified into a rigid class system (not unlike real life sometimes) that is separated by the different cars on the train. Chris Evans plays Curtis, a young man who plans to lead a revolt and take control of the engine. With that, I'll stop describing the plot because it is best to go into this film with as little information as possible, so as not to spoil anything. Thematically, the film deals with class struggle and the ways that people are controlled to keep social order. The film doesn't really beat you over the head with its ideas, but there are a few sequences which present them in an effective way. Performance-wise, there is little to complain about. Chris Evans does a marvelous job, and this might be the best performance of his career (so far). He plays the part of a reluctant leader with appropriate amounts of brooding, and outrage at what he finds out on his way to the front of the train. John Hurt plays Gilliam (a nod to Terry Gilliam, no doubt), an old man in the tail car who is sort of a mentor to Curtis. There were also decent showings by Jamie Bell and Octavia Spencer as two of Curtis' fellow revolutionaries. However, the most entertaining performance was given by Tilda Swinton as Minister Mason. She is nearly unrecognizable, and gives a delightfully cheeky performance as what is essentially a stooge for the establishment. She was given several great character moments, and she nailed them all. Visually, I thought that Bong Joon-Ho (and his cinematographer) effectively and realistically created a world in which to immerse the audience. Not everything is explained or spoon-fed, which was also a plus. The CGI wasn't as good as in mainstream Hollywood films, but it wasn't terrible either. About the best you can expect from a lower-budget Korean-Czech coproduction, and pretty high by Korean standards. Mostly, the visual effects showing the frozen outside world looked good, and the effects used inside the train worked as well. Overall, I thought the movie was excellent. The only real gripe I have is with some occasional pacing issues, although once the plot is set in motion it never lets up. I highly recommend you see this movie, not only to support smaller films but because its more intellectually engaging than half of the crap that passes for entertainment these days.
A smarter-than-usual action film, and a great alternative to the usual summer fare
By Robert Hayes
SNOWPIERCER has been one of my most anticipated movies since I first heard about it last year. I eagerly followed all the news I could get my hands on, and was one of many who bristled at the thought of Harvey Weinstein going snip-happy over it for a theatrical release. Thank goodness that never came to pass. So, now that I've seen it, was it worth the wait? Did it live up to my expectations? I would say the answer to that question is an unequivocal yes. This movie was definitely worth the wait, although there are a few aspects of it that slightly dampened the experience. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth where a chemical released into the atmosphere, ostensibly/hopefully to alleviate global warming, causes Earth to turn into a frozen wasteland. Humanity's few survivors are packed into a perpetually moving train designed and conducted by Wilford, a mysterious person who has a godlike status among the passengers. During their time on the train, society has solidified into a rigid class system (not unlike real life sometimes) that is separated by the different cars on the train. Chris Evans plays Curtis, a young man who plans to lead a revolt and take control of the engine. With that, I'll stop describing the plot because it is best to go into this film with as little information as possible, so as not to spoil anything. Thematically, the film deals with class struggle and the ways that people are controlled to keep social order. The film doesn't really beat you over the head with its ideas, but there are a few sequences which present them in an effective way. Performance-wise, there is little to complain about. Chris Evans does a marvelous job, and this might be the best performance of his career (so far). He plays the part of a reluctant leader with appropriate amounts of brooding, and outrage at what he finds out on his way to the front of the train. John Hurt plays Gilliam (a nod to Terry Gilliam, no doubt), an old man in the tail car who is sort of a mentor to Curtis. There were also decent showings by Jamie Bell and Octavia Spencer as two of Curtis' fellow revolutionaries. However, the most entertaining performance was given by Tilda Swinton as Minister Mason. She is nearly unrecognizable, and gives a delightfully cheeky performance as what is essentially a stooge for the establishment. She was given several great character moments, and she nailed them all. Visually, I thought that Bong Joon-Ho (and his cinematographer) effectively and realistically created a world in which to immerse the audience. Not everything is explained or spoon-fed, which was also a plus. The CGI wasn't as good as in mainstream Hollywood films, but it wasn't terrible either. About the best you can expect from a lower-budget Korean-Czech coproduction, and pretty high by Korean standards. Mostly, the visual effects showing the frozen outside world looked good, and the effects used inside the train worked as well. Overall, I thought the movie was excellent. The only real gripe I have is with some occasional pacing issues, although once the plot is set in motion it never lets up. I highly recommend you see this movie, not only to support smaller films but because its more intellectually engaging than half of the crap that passes for entertainment these days.
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