Shudder Saturday: The Thaw (2009)

The Thaw isn't a bad movie. Not really. It's just too derivative, and doesn't do enough with the main premise, to become a truly good movie. If more characters had been thrown into the mix, leading to more moments of peril, and if the ending didn't feel so silly then it could have been an excellent little horror flick that would make viewers itchy in between moments of extreme unpleasantness.

Val Kilmer plays Dr. David Kruipen, a research scientist who makes an astonishing, and terrifying, discovery while working in the Canadian Arctic. Unfortunately, that discovery takes place just before he is due to be joined by a group of "lucky" students AND his disgruntled daughter. When the youngsters arrive at the main camp, they find it unsettlingly quiet. I would say it was uninhabited but, in all honesty, something is still residing there. Lots of little, dangerous, somethings that have defrosted and are looking to continue their normal life cycle.

There are plenty of movies I could name here that cover similar territory to this, but with better results. The Bay, Ticks, Blood Glacier, Deep Freeze (okay, not better, but similar anyway), and, of course, the "Ice" episode of The X-Files. That's the biggest problem. Pick any of those movies, or that TV show episode, and you will be more entertained.

Although he's put front and centre on the poster design, and in the cast list, Kilmer is offscreen for a lot of this movie. He's fine in his role, but it's one of those roles that uses a star name to play a character vital to events without having to pay them more for being in more of the runtime. Sadly, none of the younger cast members are as good as Kilmer, with the best of the bunch being Aaron Ashmore. Martha MacIsaac is okay as the grumpy daughter, but Kyle Schmid and Steph Song are far too forgettable, making it hard to care during the moments that try to rack up the tension. Anne Marie Loder (billed as Anne Marie Deluise) is okay as another member of the core group at the camp, and Viv Leacock is good in the role of Bart, the guy who takes everyone up to the base by helicopter and then sticks around to try and help.

Mark A. Lewis directs capably enough, and there are some good gore effects used throughout that mix practical work and fairly decent CGI, but he's let down most by the script, which he co-wrote with Michael Lewis. The two writers seem to think that the core idea is strong enough to carry things along with no need for tension throughout most of the first half, forgetting that they should also scatter some more treats throughout, in the shape of either scares, gore gags, or, y'know, decent characterisation to have viewers invested in the third act.

That's not to say that they weren't almost correct though. Despite there not being much memorable here (from the cast to the score to the set-pieces), this still manages to be worth a watch, all thanks to the fact that it's a creepy-crawly creature feature. But it has nothing in it to warrant a revisit, and the sheer awfulness of the twist in the final act, which I won't spoil, almost undoes all of the good work.

6/10

You can buy the movie here.
Americans can buy it here.
Or just click on those links and go shopping for better movies. I win, you win.

Part of a poster that in no way represents the actual movie!

The Blind Side (2009)

It's interesting to watch The Blind Side today, probably more interesting than it would have been watching it when first released, for the way in which it already feels quite archaic and cringe-inducing. A decade later we have conversations whirling around daily about representation, we've had the attempt to remind police of their bias with the Black Lives Matter, and there has been a notable progression, even if it is in the tiniest of increments. The fact that The Blind Side is based on a true story doesn't mean you can watch it without considering everything that has happened since. I'll be reviewing it for what it is, as I try to do with every movie, but I felt it was worth pointing this out at the start. You can view and enjoy this for the standard drama, with a hefty serving of sports, that it is, and you can also springboard from it into some very interesting thoughts and conversations about what has, and hasn't, changed in the previous decade.

Quinton Aaron plays Michael Oher, a large African American lad who gets a chance to join a fairly prestigious school when the American Football coach (Ray McKinnon) considers what an asset he could be to the school team. Unfortunately, Michael doesn't look like he will be there for long. His grades aren't good and he has to spend his nights seeking somewhere warm to sleep, due to his being made homeless. But an encounter with the Tuohy family starts him on a path that may give him the time and opportunity to make a much better life for himself.

Writer-director John Lee Hancock has done well for himself with a selection of celebrated films adapted from true stories (including Saving Mr. Banks and The Founder, as well as this one). Here he adapts the book by Michael Lewis, fudging some facts and character traits to create more cinematic elements for the main characters to contend with, and he does everything with a degree of polish and competence that guarantees most viewers who watch without being too cynical will at least enjoy watching the story unfold. It's very predictable, and makes a lot of very safe choices, but it's still a good watch, the kind of glossy cinematic comfort food that makes for a decent choice on family movie night.

Aaron is very good in his role, a gentle giant who has his intelligence hidden behind his timid demeanour, ready to fulfil his potential if someone can engage him in the right way. Sandra Bullock is enjoyably over the top as Leigh Anne Tuohy, a woman who is used to getting her way and doesn't care about the opinions of others. It's an over the top performance, and one that bagged her an Oscar for reasons that are beyond me, but there's no denying that she has fun with it. Tim McGraw plays her husband, and the children are played by Lily Collins and a scene-stealing Jae Head (the youngest family member). Everyone does good work. McKinnon is fun in the coach role, not knowing how to deal with his new player until Mrs Tuohy puts him right, and Kathy Bates does just fine as a tutor who is hired to help Michael get his grades up, because failing academically will scupper any prospects he may have to develop his American Football career.

Just as easy to hate as it is to enjoy, The Blind Side is simply out to tell a story that engages and entertains viewers, and maybe moves them on occasion (if you're unmoved then it's not for the lack of attempted manipulation by Hancock). I ended up really liking it, mainly thanks to the central performances from Aaron and Bullock, and I recommend it to others, even if, despite the title, there's not much that happens that you don't see coming from the very beginning.

7/10

You can buy the movie here.
Americans can get the same disc here.