The Thaw (2009) I enjoy the mixture of horror, and political commentary. That is, after all, how this blog was born. I'm from the George Romero school of political commentary though, in the sense that it should be subtle. The political commentary of 'The Thaw" is not subtle. I'd liken it to carving "Global Warming" into a 4x4, and smacking the viewer in the face with it. Regardless, I found enjoyment in the film.
Val Kilmer(Felon) Plays Dr. David Kruipen, who is researching global warming at a remote artic research station. Dr Krupien discovers what appears to be a wooly mammoth thawing in a melting glacier. Marth MacIsaac(The Last House On The Left) is Evelyn, Dr. Kruipen's daughter. Against her father's wishes, she hitches a ride on a helicopter with 3 college students, going on a global warming study. We soon discover, that it's not just the mammoth that is thawing out.
The Thaw has a lot of the same elements of "The Last Winter" but manages to stay somewhat original. The message is obvious, Make personal sacrifices to slow global warming, or die. The opening montage shows various media sources, either validating global warming, or claiming it's a complete myth. Whichever camp you belong to(hopefully the former) you're sure to at least have fun with this borderline body-snatcher'esquire film. The acting is good across the board. The premise is somewhat believable, and the tension is thick. The location lends to the creepiness, being such a remote location.
The few scenes of special effects seem to have been handled practically for the most part. There isn't an overwhelming amount of CGI, although there is a bit, conservatively used for things that just aren't possible with practical effects.
Even though I wasn't thrilled with the fact that the political commentary was so in-your-face, it did leave me thinking after the credits rolled. I would rather it have been handled with a little more tact, but the obnoxious presence of the message fits in with the extremities discussed within the story.
3/5 -napalmfuzz
http://liberaldead.blogspot.com
Val Kilmer(Felon) Plays Dr. David Kruipen, who is researching global warming at a remote artic research station. Dr Krupien discovers what appears to be a wooly mammoth thawing in a melting glacier. Marth MacIsaac(The Last House On The Left) is Evelyn, Dr. Kruipen's daughter. Against her father's wishes, she hitches a ride on a helicopter with 3 college students, going on a global warming study. We soon discover, that it's not just the mammoth that is thawing out.
The Thaw has a lot of the same elements of "The Last Winter" but manages to stay somewhat original. The message is obvious, Make personal sacrifices to slow global warming, or die. The opening montage shows various media sources, either validating global warming, or claiming it's a complete myth. Whichever camp you belong to(hopefully the former) you're sure to at least have fun with this borderline body-snatcher'esquire film. The acting is good across the board. The premise is somewhat believable, and the tension is thick. The location lends to the creepiness, being such a remote location.
The few scenes of special effects seem to have been handled practically for the most part. There isn't an overwhelming amount of CGI, although there is a bit, conservatively used for things that just aren't possible with practical effects.
Even though I wasn't thrilled with the fact that the political commentary was so in-your-face, it did leave me thinking after the credits rolled. I would rather it have been handled with a little more tact, but the obnoxious presence of the message fits in with the extremities discussed within the story.
3/5 -napalmfuzz
http://liberaldead.blogspot.com