Director: Peter Flinth
Cast: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau , Joe Cole , Heida Reed , Charles Dance , Diarmaid Murtagh , Gísli Örn Garðarsson , Nick Jameson , Þorsteinn Bachmann , Frankie Wilson , Árni Lárusson
Plot: Against the Ice is a true story of friendship, love, survival, and the power of the human spirit as two men (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Joe Cole) trek unknown parts of Greenland on a harrowing expedition that changed history.
My Movie Review: The movie is cold yet warm delivers all the delirious period drama thrills and survival horror angst that you could want from a movie with that title fill up me some chills:) Against The Ice is based on a true story of two men who didn’t hesitate to take the journey to explore Greenland’s vast landscape. It was a part of Denmark’s 1909 polar expedition where they set an example of true friendship, love, and courage. I loved their conversations and most importantly their strength to fight with the polar bear without flinching an eye. I equally admired their way of surviving but in the later months, they started hallucinating a lot and cracked conversations while running ideas in their brain if their loved ones are dead or alive. A fantastic film in every respect brilliant and on-location photography in one of the wildest, harshest, most challenging yet beautiful climates and scenery in the world. Every aspect had obviously been thoroughly researched, especially that of surviving despite deprivation, storms, near-starvation and other near-disasters that have been inevitable in Arctic exploration expedition it's hardcore! Although its mostly enjoyable one and impressive first half honestly it lost me towards the middle or the latter part though not quite as gripping as it could have been given the intensity of the situation, but charged with just pacing scenes and incredible phenomenon I still quite find myself underwhelm I don't know if got boring it deserves a better second half rather a safe one!
Critics Consensus: Against the Ice isn't the most original or exciting wilderness thriller, but viewers in search of man-versus-nature entertainment could easily do worse. Considering the epic nature of the trek, the film did feel rather pedestrian. This one is interesting because it plays out in a very particular way that actually has something to do with what's happening today. A tense encounter with an angry polar bear and a phantom hot air balloon are highlights during the endless plodding across the frozen wilderness. Many unforgettable moments of tension and deprivation will surely grip the audiences’ attention. However, the slow and sloppy pacing ultimately makes the movie a bit shaky. While it may lack the overall tension you might expect from a movie like this, the film still does a good job immersing you in its story and setting. A tropey but fairly watchable survival drama... The first half of the survival tale is engrossing and tense. The waiting around in the second with some questionable visual psychosis without the dread softens its overall impact. Although the scenery is beautiful, the action is solid rather than spectacular, and viewers of ice-bound adventures such as TV's The Terror and The North Water will know what to expect. If only a good cast was enough to salvage a plodding, tedious film from the snowy wreckage. Based on the autobiography, Against The Ice shows the grim reality of what it takes to cross arctic tundra & does a smooth job. Against the Ice has many rewarding qualities but faults threaten to throw as film off course!
