Arctic Blue

Rating:
Summary: Poorly executed
Review: As a dedicated Rutger Hauer fan, I have to state honestly that "Arctic Blue" is a mediocre film. Anyone remotely familiar with this actor knows he is an accomplished thespian capable of highly memorable performances. He is probably best known for his turn as one of the androids in Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" and the psychotic killer in "The Hitcher," two immensely enjoyable movies. Sadly, Hauer is an actor who is willing to sell his talent short in order to pick up a paycheck. "Arctic Blue" serves as a prime example of this actor's weakness. Still, watching Hauer in a cinematic clunker is often better than what most performers can turn in on their best days. We learn early in the film that "Arctic Blue" is a nickname for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), an affliction that sometimes causes severe depression in human beings living in areas hit hard by winter conditions. Since "Arctic Blue" the movie takes place in the wilds of Alaska, the term makes some sense. After watching this mess of a film, I felt as though I had suddenly come down with a disorder completely unrelated to cold weather called CAD (Cinematic Affective Disorder).

Welcome to Devil's Cauldron, Alaska, population roughly twenty. The main characters are a young couple working for the oil company, Eric and Anne Marie (Dylan Walsh and Rya Kihlstedt respectively), and a quartet of rough looking mountain men led by Ben Corbett (Hauer). Nobody really likes having these trappers hanging around town, let alone poaching out in the woods, but everybody leaves them alone because they fear their wild ways and insolent behavior. When Corbett and his ruffians murder a man out in the forest, it is up to the sheriff to bring the men to justice. Since the cop is aware of the dangers inherent in messing around with the mountain men, he enlists Eric and Anne Marie in the apprehension of Corbett. Bad move for Eric and his lady. Corbett has no intention of waiting around for the chopper to arrive and fly him to Fairbanks for a trial. After the trapper kills the sheriff in an escape attempt, Eric decides to fly Corbett to Fairbanks himself in his oil company's little plane. Of course, the aircraft goes down in the mountains after Ben turns the engine off in mid-flight, thus leaving the two men stranded in the wilderness with only each other to depend upon. Meanwhile, back in town Corbett's goons hunt down Eric's woman in an attempt to discover the whereabouts of Ben. There's also some lame subplot about the mayor of the town thwarting Eric's efforts to bring Corbett to justice.

Eric and Ben spend a few days tramping through the snowy landscapes of Alaska where they deal with hunger, finding shelter, staying warm, and occasional escape attempts orchestrated by Ben. The two grow to like each other despite the fact Corbett is a murderer who could very well try to kill Eric before the two reach town. You could call the budding relationship between Eric and Ben male bonding, I guess. I would call it nonsensical and utterly ridiculous. When Eric finally gets Ben back in a jail cell in Devil's Cauldron, the other three trappers come looking for their compatriot. These guys mean business in a very serious way, and won't hesitate to kill anyone who opposes them. An extended chase scene occurs as Eric and Anne Marie try to get Ben Corbett into a chopper before his pals blow their heads off. The conclusion of the film is about as ridiculous as the rest of the film, an ending that worked in a movie like "Midnight Run" but fails totally here. Finishing "Arctic Blue" takes an immense amount of patience on the part of the viewer.

The movie could have succeeded if the editing, plot, script, and pacing worked better. As it stands, the people behind the film attempted to do too much with too little. Several themes running throughout the film, such as the trapper as a dying breed in a modern world, never go anywhere. You feel nothing for Corbett and his pals because most of them are violent jerks wantonly destroying the environment, terrorizing visitors and townspeople, and killing innocent people. Moreover, other plot points go nowhere or make little sense. Why, for example, didn't Eric just kill Corbett after the man murdered the sheriff right in front of him? Why was the sheriff's body hanging in a tree towards the end of the film? Why, exactly, was the guy running for mayor so intent on doing everything in his power to place roadblocks in Eric's path? How is it possible to wonder around in the wilderness without adequate clothing? As I watched the film, I kept wondering if I nodded off during important scenes that explained these mysteries. By the time the end of the film rolled around, I came to understand it was the film's fault and not mine.

The DVD edition includes trailers ("Arctic Blue," "Striking Distance," "The Replacement Killers") and a commentary from director Peter Masterson. The picture quality is sharp despite a fullscreen presentation. The best advice I can give you concerning this movie is to rent it and not buy it. Even diehard Rutger Hauer fans will probably express disappointment over what should have been (and probably was) a straight to video film. Watch it if you must see every Hauer film known to man, but you're better off simply watching "Blade Runner" or "The Hitcher" again.

Rating:
Summary: Poorly executed
Review: As a dedicated Rutger Hauer fan, I have to state honestly that "Arctic Blue" is a mediocre film. Anyone remotely familiar with this actor knows he is an accomplished thespian capable of highly memorable performances. He is probably best known for his turn as one of the androids in Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" and the psychotic killer in "The Hitcher," two immensely enjoyable movies. Sadly, Hauer is an actor who is willing to sell his talent short in order to pick up a paycheck. "Arctic Blue" serves as a prime example of this actor's weakness. Still, watching Hauer in a cinematic clunker is often better than what most performers can turn in on their best days. We learn early in the film that "Arctic Blue" is a nickname for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), an affliction that sometimes causes severe depression in human beings living in areas hit hard by winter conditions. Since "Arctic Blue" the movie takes place in the wilds of Alaska, the term makes some sense. After watching this mess of a film, I felt as though I had suddenly come down with a disorder completely unrelated to cold weather called CAD (Cinematic Affective Disorder).

Welcome to Devil's Cauldron, Alaska, population roughly twenty. The main characters are a young couple working for the oil company, Eric and Anne Marie (Dylan Walsh and Rya Kihlstedt respectively), and a quartet of rough looking mountain men led by Ben Corbett (Hauer). Nobody really likes having these trappers hanging around town, let alone poaching out in the woods, but everybody leaves them alone because they fear their wild ways and insolent behavior. When Corbett and his ruffians murder a man out in the forest, it is up to the sheriff to bring the men to justice. Since the cop is aware of the dangers inherent in messing around with the mountain men, he enlists Eric and Anne Marie in the apprehension of Corbett. Bad move for Eric and his lady. Corbett has no intention of waiting around for the chopper to arrive and fly him to Fairbanks for a trial. After the trapper kills the sheriff in an escape attempt, Eric decides to fly Corbett to Fairbanks himself in his oil company's little plane. Of course, the aircraft goes down in the mountains after Ben turns the engine off in mid-flight, thus leaving the two men stranded in the wilderness with only each other to depend upon. Meanwhile, back in town Corbett's goons hunt down Eric's woman in an attempt to discover the whereabouts of Ben. There's also some lame subplot about the mayor of the town thwarting Eric's efforts to bring Corbett to justice.

Eric and Ben spend a few days tramping through the snowy landscapes of Alaska where they deal with hunger, finding shelter, staying warm, and occasional escape attempts orchestrated by Ben. The two grow to like each other despite the fact Corbett is a murderer who could very well try to kill Eric before the two reach town. You could call the budding relationship between Eric and Ben male bonding, I guess. I would call it nonsensical and utterly ridiculous. When Eric finally gets Ben back in a jail cell in Devil's Cauldron, the other three trappers come looking for their compatriot. These guys mean business in a very serious way, and won't hesitate to kill anyone who opposes them. An extended chase scene occurs as Eric and Anne Marie try to get Ben Corbett into a chopper before his pals blow their heads off. The conclusion of the film is about as ridiculous as the rest of the film, an ending that worked in a movie like "Midnight Run" but fails totally here. Finishing "Arctic Blue" takes an immense amount of patience on the part of the viewer.

The movie could have succeeded if the editing, plot, script, and pacing worked better. As it stands, the people behind the film attempted to do too much with too little. Several themes running throughout the film, such as the trapper as a dying breed in a modern world, never go anywhere. You feel nothing for Corbett and his pals because most of them are violent jerks wantonly destroying the environment, terrorizing visitors and townspeople, and killing innocent people. Moreover, other plot points go nowhere or make little sense. Why, for example, didn't Eric just kill Corbett after the man murdered the sheriff right in front of him? Why was the sheriff's body hanging in a tree towards the end of the film? Why, exactly, was the guy running for mayor so intent on doing everything in his power to place roadblocks in Eric's path? How is it possible to wonder around in the wilderness without adequate clothing? As I watched the film, I kept wondering if I nodded off during important scenes that explained these mysteries. By the time the end of the film rolled around, I came to understand it was the film's fault and not mine.

The DVD edition includes trailers ("Arctic Blue," "Striking Distance," "The Replacement Killers") and a commentary from director Peter Masterson. The picture quality is sharp despite a fullscreen presentation. The best advice I can give you concerning this movie is to rent it and not buy it. Even diehard Rutger Hauer fans will probably express disappointment over what should have been (and probably was) a straight to video film. Watch it if you must see every Hauer film known to man, but you're better off simply watching "Blade Runner" or "The Hitcher" again.

Rating:
Summary: FREEZE THE WRITERS
Review: The screenwriters for this tepid thriller are to blame for its failure. The characters do so many inexplicably dumb things and plot hole after plot hole emerges.
Why does Dylan Walsh (in a typically enjoyable turn) become so close to Rutger Hauer. He's killed the sheriff, a hunter, caused two other hunters to freeze to death, and he continues to try and escape. Even after Walsh has stripped to his briefs to keep Hauer from freezing to death. And how can he fall for Hauer's limp treatise on "the wilderness and what it's become?" It negates Walsh's character's heroic stance and just leaves the audience wondering why an obviously intelligent man would fall for such crap.
What is it with the mayor? Why would he not want the leaking pipes fixed? Duh...
Why is the sheriff's body found hanging in a tree?
Why the ridiculous ending?
I like Dylan Walsh, and even in bad movies, he tries his best, but he better stick to NIP AND TUCK instead of bombs like this one.