Snowpiercer (2013)

JohnyTwoToes likes this post apocalyptic shaky train ride! 

Snowpiercer is a deeply powerful, allegorical and smartly written post apocalyptic film, but seemingly missing something. I liked it for a 3 star film but not 4, like I was expecting after all of the buzz I had heard. Rumor has it there is an over 3 hour long director's cut floating around but that the studios thought it was too long for us mere mortals to grasp. 

We, after all went in droves to see long ass films like the Lord of The Rings trilogy (each film 3-4 hours long and then some), the full length Dances With Wolves (over 3 hours), Black Hawk Down (almost 3 hours), The Wolf of Wall Street (almost 3 hours), Gladiator (almost 3 hours). Yea, those studio execs really know what we want. NOTICE TO STUDIOS: PLEASE STOP SPOON FEEDING US LIKE WE ARE ALL A BUNCH OF BABIES. WE CAN HANDLE LONG FILMS AS LONG AS THEY ARE GOOD. 

Roger Ebert once said, "No bad film is short enough. No good film is long enough." Some might take issue and I have seen films that are time just right but Snowpiercer ends seemingly lacking something after all that it promises. It starts out in the thick of things which is okay but there is very little leading up to where the film starts. I still liked Snowpiercer and would recommend it. 

Chris Evans who, aside from his role as Captain America has not made that big of an impression on me as an actor. The Fantastic Four films were laughably bad and Cellular was decent, at best. In Snowpiercer, Evans is terrific and is the sole reason to see the film. His performance as Curtis, the chosen leader of the planet's survivors on the train called Snowpiercer (after the Earth is destroyed) is a challenging act. He is a intelligent leader but with doubts, a no-nonsense guy but still made of all that is human so he comes out brave yet flawed and strength. 

Apparently, there was a knock down, drag out fight between the film's Korean writer and director, Joon Ho Bong and the studios which delayed the release for almost an entire year. What has been released is a good, if not great film. It IS worth watching at the theater, but hoping they release the full length director's cut on DVD, is my wish. I blame the studio not film makers. Snowpiercer-*** out of 4.