Despite its claustrophobic chair lift setting, ‘Frozen’ fails to deliver

Writer/director Adam Green remains a favorite with fan boys for his bloody horror “Hatchet” (about a Louisiana bayou maniac) but his admirers will take issue with the lack of gore in his ski lift thriller “Frozen”. Tame by hardcore horror standards and not nearly clever enough to attract moviegoers outside the genre fan base, “Frozen” falls between the cracks as a good premise that fails to meet its scary potential. Part of the Park City At Midnight program at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, “Frozen” hits theaters for a pre- Olympics run prior to a quick DVD release from Anchor Bay Films.

Desperate enough to beg the chairlift operator for one last ride up the mountain, three skiers, two longtime friends, Dan (Kevin Zegers from “Gossip Girl”) and Joe (Shawn Ashmore from “X-Men”) and Dan’s clumsy-on-the-slopes girlfriend Parker (Emma Bell), find themselves in a dangerous situation after a series of unfortunate happenstances.

They are left stranded on the chair lift high atop the mountain. The workers have left. The tower lights are switched off. There is a brutal winter storm heading their way and hungry wolves wait down below. Oh, and better to explain their predicament, they left their mobile phones at the lodge.

Inspired by the recent shark thriller “Open Water” (left behind scuba divers) and Alfred Hitchcock’s 1944 suspense film “Lifeboat” (set in a cramped lifeboat instead of a chair lift), “Frozen” makes suspenseful use out of its claustrophobic chair lift setting.  Shot on-location in Utah (although the story is set in icy Vermont), cameraman Will Barratt takes full advantage of the icy surroundings.

During its best scares, two frightening scenes involving hungry wolves, “Frozen” brings a chill down one’s spine.  Surprisingly, the film’s best moments involve friendly chatter among college buds Dan and Joe and Joe’s clear jealousy over his friend’s girlfriend.

Green shows a knack for everyday dialogue and inspiring believable performances from his attractive, likable cast. Kevin Zegers, currently on Gossip Girl, and Shawn Ashmore, best known as Iceman from the X-Men movies, make a credible pair of friends. Emma Bell adds to the good humor as the pretty girlfriend who realizes she’s intruding on “guy” time.

What stands out best about “Frozen”, its dialogue and its likable college-age characters, are not the highlights fan boys want from horror movies. Failing to deliver enough scares to make the trip worthwhile (or believable), “Frozen” falls into the pile with all the other high-concept movies that fail to deliver. As for Green, while its great to see him stretch his storytelling skills, he needs to deliver the gore on “Hatchet 2” if he wants to remain popular with his fan boy community.

Distributor: Anchor Bay Films
Cast: Emma Bell, Shawn Ashmore, Kevin Zegers
Director: Adam Green
Writer: Adam Green
Producers: A Bigger Boat, ArieScope Pictures
Rating: Rated R
Running Time: 93 minutes

Visit the "Frozen" group on MovieJungle.com for movie details, images and more.