“The Ice Road” on Netflix: are the years taking their toll on Liam Neeson? | REVIEW

How is it possible to safeguard the well-earned prestige of an action actor like Liam Neeson when it is already in its seventh decade of life? The protagonist of the successful trilogy “Relentless search” is not the same as a decade and a half ago, however, he continues to accept roles that put him on the verge of death (imaginary, of course) to the excitement of his millions of fans around the world.

One of the most recent examples of this is “The Ice Road”, a film that premiered in the middle of last year on Netflix in the United States, but that the streaming network – due to various commercial agreements – only brought to this part of the continent this March 2022. Thus, the film joins the long list of audiovisual proposals that have the European actor as the protagonist. Mostly, of course, belonging to the action genre.

But getting to the point, the first thing to say is that in this film directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, Neeson plays Mike McCann, an experienced truck driver who has had 11 jobs in the last eight years. This is because he has prioritized taking care of his brother Gurty (Marcus Thomas), an Iraq war veteran who suffers from Aphasia, a disorder that makes it difficult for him to communicate through speech.

Although Gurty is a great mechanic, his communication difficulties have caused many to make fun of him, making him a classic victim of bullying. This annoys Mike, who doesn’t hesitate to beat up the first one who calls his brother a ‘retard’. Thus, the fists lead to the labor complaint and this to the immediate dismissal. Of both brothers. So on. Things, however, seem to take a lucky turn when a job alert lands on Mike’s cell phone.

Is “The Ice Road” a movie superior to hits like “Relentless Quest” or “No Stops”? Being honest, no.

What does this job offer consist of? A (suspected) accident at a diamond mine north of Manitoba, Canada, kills 8 workers and leaves another 26 below the surface. Due to their large number, they only have 30 hours of oxygen left. The conditions of the terrain and its complex access routes prevent the pieces necessary for the rescue from being transported by air. Thus, the mine and the Government are looking for an alternative to move everything by land. Although a small detail: in April nobody travels through these areas because the ground looks frozen and can cause real tragedies.

Who will take care of the transport of some pieces that can save the lives of 26 people? Here appears Jim Goldenrod (Laurence Fishburne), a trucking businessman who – after an express casting – gets a team made up of Mike, the fierce activist Tantoo (Amber Midthunter) and himself. Shortly after starting the complex mission, they are joined almost as an observer by Tom Varnay (Benjamin Walker), a subject who acts as a representative of the insurer of the pieces, but who deep down hides dark purposes.

At the beginning of this note we mentioned the advanced age of Liam Neeson and the ways he has to protect his well-earned prestige as an action actor. Of course, we can no longer wait for a fast Irishman capable of taking down dozens of terrorists, aliens or simple assassins. On this occasion, the approach seems simple: our contemporary hero is sitting on a truck and -driving for three days- he must reach his destination.

For this purpose, “The Ice Road” poses two obstacles. The first has to do with nature and its uncontrollable nature. Almost icy roads that could break if you accelerate, but also if you brake, snow storms and, fundamentally, the impossibility of receiving help in emergencies. The other factor that Mike must face points to the specialty of the actor who plays him: confrontations.

Two opportunities that seem lost in Jonathan Hensleigh’s film have to do first with the role of Laurence Fishburne (Jim), an actor perhaps as experienced as Neeson, but without his global fame, who quickly says goodbye to the story almost without taking advantage of it. to their interpretive ability. Secondly, he is, and perhaps this is the most striking thing, the little use that is made of the experience of the miners underground.

What could well have been a scene of disputes or desperate attempts to save themselves from death, ended up being just a backup to the action scenes. And it is that, when the story of Mike trying to save his brother and fellow travelers from the closest thing to a hitman faltered, we quickly returned to see the miners lying down, simply trying not to fall asleep. Zero dramas when perhaps they were -partly- necessary.

With Jim gone, Botho and Gurty remain in the main cast. The first, a somewhat enigmatic character. She is about a brave activist who, due to her ability to drive large trucks, ends up involved in a mission that exposes her almost to death. It could be said that throughout the plot she manages to get along very well with Neeson. Second is Mike’s brother. Here we could say that we are facing the least convincing role. Although Aphasia only complicates communicative levels, Gurty certainly seems to have more problems at first than she really does. It will be surprising, then, to see him beat much better-endowed rivals bare-knuckle.

Is “The Ice Road” a movie superior to hits like “Relentless Quest” (your pick), “One Night to Survive” or “No Stops”? Being honest, no. Although its special effects are certainly convincing, the plot falters in several places. The original excuse for the film – as we said above – is a human drama that ends up postponed by the blows, speed and cunning of our septuagenarian hero.

Despite all this, we believe that this film is a magnificent opportunity to confirm – although Neeson fans don’t need it – the ability to adapt that a fundamental actor has for contemporary cinema. Called ‘pure glory’ by critics, analysts and specialized film portals, this gray-haired artist with his fists and arched eyebrows in “The Ice Road” that his farewell to the big screen (or tablets, if streaming is involved) is far.

THE TOKEN:

Synopsis: A mother travels across Mexico in search of her son, who authorities say died while trying to cross the border into the United States.

Original title: “To save a team of miners trapped underground, a truck driver joins a mission to ferry rescue teams across fragile frozen ground.”

Duration: 108 minutes

Classification: +16 years

Gender: Thriller/Action

Rating: ★★★

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