Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Movie Review: Snowpiercer

I watched the independent sci-fi movie Snowpiercer last weekend. If you're lucky, it's showing in your local independent theater. If not, then Netflix plans to get the DVD once it comes out. You can look it up and save it now.

The planet has frozen. An experiment in stopping global warming has frozen everything. All but one long train full of people. It drives on a track that winds over the whole planet once a year and never, ever stops. In the back of the train is the vast unwashed masses crammed together for 18 years in such a way to make diesel submarines seem roomy. At the front of the train it's all obscene decadence, luxury, and anything you could want.

There have been revolts and revolutions before, but all have been put down brutally. But Captain America has a plan. He wants to take the next war all the way to the front of the train. 

The story is a familiar one. It could as easily be about the French Revolution or the fears of the 0.1% today or some of the Living Dead movies. The train makes the difference this time. It give it a hint of Masque of the Red Death (people hiding from death in a long string of rooms) as well as gives the audience a new world to explore.

This movie also would have gone well as a video game. At least then there'd be a good reason for progress to be on rails.

I'm still not sure if I'll get it on DVD, but it's been one of my favorite movies so far this year.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It's also available for rent now with Xfinity OnDemand (comcast).