Read Mixed User Reviews for Snowpiercer

4

victoratorMar 3, 2016

As a fan of a dystopian setting in movies I would say that I kind of enjoyed it in a strange way but to say it was a good movie would be a great overstatement. This is pretty much as stupid as it gets. There are plot holes all over the place.As a fan of a dystopian setting in movies I would say that I kind of enjoyed it in a strange way but to say it was a good movie would be a great overstatement. This is pretty much as stupid as it gets. There are plot holes all over the place. Consider it Mad Max in a train. Very strange and stupid movie. It had some good moments though.… Expand

4 of 5 users found this helpful41

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6

McGillotineJan 16, 2016

I can say without a doubt the film Snowpiecer is the hardest film i have ever had to review to date. Where on one hand the film can be argued as a masterpiece, it can be put forward as a equally valid argument that the film is a complete andI can say without a doubt the film Snowpiecer is the hardest film i have ever had to review to date. Where on one hand the film can be argued as a masterpiece, it can be put forward as a equally valid argument that the film is a complete and utter catastrophe and i find myself somewhere down the middle in my opinion of the dystopian sci-fi flick

Based on a french graphic novel, Bong Joon-ho, the films director presents a grim view of the earths future one in which a preventative against global warming results in entirely new ice age in which humanity's numbers have become limited and the lines of social hierarchy have become ever so clear demonstrated by the living standards of each section of the train with the compartments closest to the front of the train being dedicated to the rich while the compartments closest to the back represent the poor junctions of this almost monarchical society.

Where this film carries strong performances by Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton and Ed Harris in this cold and cruel makeshift world with stunning imagery, it is the moral agenda of the film that is its main fall, when it decides to introduce the questions is mankind worth saving? and what is the value of a human soul? all culminating towards an ending that is bleak and most of all frustrating, justified by the fact that it was a deserved ending. The problem with this question, its repetitive nature in which i am left sick and tired of it being asked in the first place as i find myself wanting an ending in which is more so logical than it is ethical which this film fails to presents… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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6

podunk411Jul 6, 2014

Well shot movie, fast paced, visually great to look at. The story is sophomoric, to say the least, but that doesn't bother me as much as the lack of character development. I wanted to care more about the characters, it just wasn't there. TheWell shot movie, fast paced, visually great to look at. The story is sophomoric, to say the least, but that doesn't bother me as much as the lack of character development. I wanted to care more about the characters, it just wasn't there. The slow-mo/campy "big" moments also detracted from the story rather than adding to it, that aside, technically the visuals/shots are really great. Acting is solid, and Swinton's over-the-top character was strangely fun to enjoy,( though I'm sure many will cringe at her performance).… Expand

4 of 7 users found this helpful43

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5

Tyray23CenaSuckJul 11, 2014

Its a solid movie but very overrated by the critics that made my exceptions a little to high for this movie. It delivers with good action but not much else.

7 of 14 users found this helpful77

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5

JUIKERJul 20, 2014

If you think Snowpiercer is great there's a Canadian sci-fi series from the 1970's called Starlost that will (apparently) blow your mind. It had a similar premise to Snowpiercer only set in space, and it was about the same quality (okay, aIf you think Snowpiercer is great there's a Canadian sci-fi series from the 1970's called Starlost that will (apparently) blow your mind. It had a similar premise to Snowpiercer only set in space, and it was about the same quality (okay, a bit lower. Starlost was horrible.) This is merely a step above bad... very much a B-movie, with some digital effects and some decent acting.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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6

GoombaJMRAug 31, 2016

Good movie with some funny laughs and unrealistic characters. I mean, one particular character takes a whole lot of damage/injuries but still manages to do what they planned on doing. I know that in movies the characters get stronger and all,Good movie with some funny laughs and unrealistic characters. I mean, one particular character takes a whole lot of damage/injuries but still manages to do what they planned on doing. I know that in movies the characters get stronger and all, but this one example was quite unrealistic (you would know why if you watched it). The two korean actors did well and were pretty funny, and the CG effects were not bad at all.

The ending was poor in my opinion, but the travel through the train and interaction between characters was mildly to very entertaining. Although the train rooms designed were highly unrealistic, I thought they were really cool and showed some great contrast between society as we know it today. Interesting plot twists present too.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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5

JohnnyV2Jun 30, 2014

I really didn't like this movie. With all the critical acclaim and knowing the director and many of the actors, I was really excited to see it. I can't remember the last time I was this disappointed. I normally despise the critics who justI really didn't like this movie. With all the critical acclaim and knowing the director and many of the actors, I was really excited to see it. I can't remember the last time I was this disappointed. I normally despise the critics who just seem like they want to disagree with the masses, but I really don't see what was so great about this movie.

The idea was good, the acting was good, the fight scenes were great. Sounds like a good recipe for Sci-Fi action. However, I could never decide if the movie was taking itself seriously or not, which I think is a very bad thing for a film. It switched between being part of a Willy Wonka musical number to a gritty fight from Gangs of New York in an instant, and I just couldn't settle in to a feeling. It didn't seem like anyone in the movie was all that concerned about what was going on. I found the plot entirely predictable as well.… Expand

3 of 10 users found this helpful37

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6

HeadcrusherJul 8, 2014

This film was interesting and had some moments both tension and humor - but I felt that overall it's lacking something, or maybe it just wasn't that consistent? It's a sci-fi film because it takes place in the future on an perpetual motionThis film was interesting and had some moments both tension and humor - but I felt that overall it's lacking something, or maybe it just wasn't that consistent? It's a sci-fi film because it takes place in the future on an perpetual motion train, upon which the entire surviving human race is imprisoned. Its an action film because it involves armed prisoners trying to escape - it's a drama/thriller because some peoples children are being taken hostage for mysterious reasons - etc etc. I saw this at the theater for $5 (Sundance Cinemas - Student of Life Tuesdays) and it was worth it - I might not have felt that way if it was $20 ticket. Interesting yes, but NOT the best film I've seen this year! I gave it 6 stars for some originality - but the acting, score, and action scenes still needed a little polish - it's worth watching if you don't have to pay much, don't mind violence, and you are a fan of independent martial arts and action films. There's something in it for everyone - but not everyone will like it.… Expand

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

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6

VonSeuxJun 27, 2014

This movie is so bad that you can't turn it off!!! I've watched this with guilty pleasure because everything is so loosely put together it's almost laughable. Still the acting was fair and the lore was interesting. I advice watching this withThis movie is so bad that you can't turn it off!!! I've watched this with guilty pleasure because everything is so loosely put together it's almost laughable. Still the acting was fair and the lore was interesting. I advice watching this with a big sack of popcorn.… Expand

5 of 18 users found this helpful513

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6

Trev29Nov 15, 2014

The premise was innovative even though the actual story seemed pretty familiar. Tilda Swinton was clearly the most interesting part of the movie. It was decent, but I do not think it was that big of a deal.

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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5

SpangleNov 9, 2014

This one is a bit of a mixed bag for me. Why don't we start with the positives? The acting from Chris Evans, John Hurt, Jamie Bell, and Ed Harris, is marvelous. Evans is really commanding and you can see why he is the leader; he eminatesThis one is a bit of a mixed bag for me. Why don't we start with the positives? The acting from Chris Evans, John Hurt, Jamie Bell, and Ed Harris, is marvelous. Evans is really commanding and you can see why he is the leader; he eminates control and determination. Meanwhile, Harris has a certain aura about him that is perfect for his role. He seems to be a God-like figure and when you see him, there is this certain something, as if he walks on the clouds, which is perfect. The special effects are beyond impressive. Award-worthy, honestly. The shots outside the train of the train itself and the surrounding environment and brilliantly designed and brought to life. Truly mesmerizing, as is the cinematography. There is not much for the camera to find, but dammit if it doesn't find every inch of it and brings it to life. Beautiful camera work on this one. The choreography of the fighting scenes is also very good.

Now, moving onto the negative. Tilda Swinton is terrible. I saw a lot of praise for his performance, but I am left wondering what performance people watched. She ruined a large part of it for me. I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be funny or what. The added attempts of comedy in her character and in other moments (in particular one scene with Evans that if you see the movie, you can probably guess what scene I mean) are entirely dark, but too out there and unenjoyable. It messes with the flow of the film and comes off as tacky and, ultimately, as if they were reaching to try and lighten up the dark plot of the film. Another negative is the general premise, honestly. I hate films like this where the people are confined to a single location (or in this case a single train) typically (12 Angry Men being the major exception) and this one is no exception to that. It just feels so small and unusual that is sucks the fun right out of it for me. Finally, the violence is too much. Overly gratuitous violence appeals to a lot of people, but I am not one of those people. I could have lived with some of the entirely sadistic elements of this one being excluded.

As a whole, Snowpiercer is mixed. I would give it a 5, but the cinematography and special effects are too good to ignore and, for me, outweigh Tilda Swinton and the overly graphic elements here.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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5

TrevAtTheMoviesJul 23, 2014

Snowpiercer feels like the train its title refers to - heavily segmented in style, tone, and theme. Though there are some cinematographic high moments and wonderfully choreographed and intriguingly conceptual fight sequences, most of the filmSnowpiercer feels like the train its title refers to - heavily segmented in style, tone, and theme. Though there are some cinematographic high moments and wonderfully choreographed and intriguingly conceptual fight sequences, most of the film felt flat to me. The steampunk dystopia has become a very tired trend in blockbuster cinema (The Hunger Games, select bits of The Purge 2), and director-screenwriter Joon-ho Bong, instead of offering a new take on the genre, instead chooses to belabor the traditional tropes we have come to expect. Coal-miner chic clothing from the poor? Check. Great Gatsby hedonism and big hair from the rich? Check. And for all the emphasis given to the CGI panoramas of the bleak world of 2032, I would have hoped the effects would not have come off looking quite so...fake.

I have yet to be impressed with a Chris Evans character, and Snowpiercer did not change my mind about him. I have to cut him some slack, though, because the script definitely did not give him many chances to step outside his Captain America comfort zone of grim tension. Ed Harris makes a serviceable mad scientist villain, and Tilda Swinton is satisfactorily Tilda Swinton-y, but no one has much to do in terms of depth and development.

Finally, the plot simply tries to accomplish too much. It's as if Joon made a checklist of all the good trappings of a dystopian/apocalyptic thriller and tried to mash them into a diamond, when it really ends up an underdeveloped, confusing amalgam of climate catastrophe and Elysium social disorder, with a Matrix-style telekinetic savant thrown in for good measure. I can't say I enjoyed Snowpiercer. I can say that it was very exciting: my heart was pounding, my fists were as clenched as Chris Evan's jaw in any given scene. I was thrilled. And I think that's all that Snowpiercer was trying to accomplish.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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6

DCEdmondsNov 13, 2014

"Snowpiercer" 10 Scale Rating: 6.5 (Decent) ...

The Good: Great premise chock full of stunning visuals. Song Kang-ho (and eventually Ed Harris) turns in a great performance and in fact carries most of the film. Grim and dark, you don't"Snowpiercer" 10 Scale Rating: 6.5 (Decent) ...

The Good: Great premise chock full of stunning visuals. Song Kang-ho (and eventually Ed Harris) turns in a great performance and in fact carries most of the film. Grim and dark, you don't know who will still be standing in the end, which is very realistic given the setting. While somewhat preposterous, the twists near the end were well done ... even if you saw some aspects of them coming a mile away.

The Bad: The antagonists come across as cartoon characters and were hard to take seriously. They were just silly and absurd to the point of annoyance. Chris Evans himself was average at best as a man looked to for leadership. For a "leader" type, he was pretty boring and one dimensional. He was just sort of ... there. That's pretty bad considering that he is in 90% of the film's scenes. Lastly, the ending left something to be desired and seemed to put humanity in a worse place than when the film started. That wasn't the intent and it was supposed to be "hopeful" ... but it didn't feel that way. It mostly made me say to myself "Well, we're now extinct ...". While the film was decent enough, I just don't get what all the fuss was about.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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6

shpreaJul 12, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This could have been one of the best movies of the year. But there are so many little stupid issues throughout the movie that it takes the whole film down a notch. I'll enumerate them:
1. The fish- why the hell did the army use a fish in battle? Also, why the hell did that guy trip on it? Was that supposed to be funny? All it did was make me question the director's capabilities.
2. The psychic- why was the girl psychic? It didn't add anything to the movie and was only really utilized once or twice. It was unnecessary and took away realism from the movie.
3. Dentures- why did that woman just randomly take out her dentures? Why? That didn't do anything. It was just dumb.
4. Sushi bar- what kind of train has a sushi bar that's only used twice a year? This isn't a huge complaint. Just a minor issue.
5. Invincible dude- one of the enemies was some guy that was more or less invincible. Why? What purpose did that serve? Did he have to be? It just made the movie less realistic.
6. Dialogue- at times the conversations between characters are ridiculous. There is a point where the lead character talks about cannibalism. Rather than being a serious moment, the poor dialogue makes it laughable.
7. Japanese people- why were there so many Japanese people on the train? That makes no sense if they all boarded in one location. Also it doesn't add anything to the movie. It just makes conversation harder.

Those are some of my complaints. There are a lot of really annoying issues that could have easily been taken out. Had they been, I would have given this movie a 9/10. It poses some very interesting moral and philosophical questions about what it means to live. I really enjoyed a lot of it. But its faults were too many and too annoying to give it anything other than a 6.
It's still worth seeing. Just expect a bumpy ride.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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5

raporgiJan 8, 2015

I dont get it! I guess the critics are stupid as usual. There's nothing new, special or innovative about this movie. The conversation the protagonist has with the big bad at the end was actually done better in another movie about beating theI dont get it! I guess the critics are stupid as usual. There's nothing new, special or innovative about this movie. The conversation the protagonist has with the big bad at the end was actually done better in another movie about beating the system. Tilda Swinton does her thing but it isnt enough to save this movie. Its boring preachy and people have an obsession about chopping limbs off. Maybe I'm to stupid to get it but really this movie doesnt deserve the praise its getting.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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5

LowbrowCinemaJul 13, 2014

Bong Joon Ho's SNOWPIERCER is a bit of a conundrum. The filmmaking is sloppy, it's way too long without an original bone in it's body, but I was also totally delighted until the pompous last scene. Ho has the guts to kill off much of his castBong Joon Ho's SNOWPIERCER is a bit of a conundrum. The filmmaking is sloppy, it's way too long without an original bone in it's body, but I was also totally delighted until the pompous last scene. Ho has the guts to kill off much of his cast and leave open doors with little explanations. That's why I was so confused. It's not a good movie but it looks great, has superb action sequences but it's plot and theme are simplistic and banal at best. Good things, bad things, could be the core of this film that feels both ambitious and a slack off at the same time. Again, I'm perplexed!… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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5

CRSVeberJul 7, 2014

Movie is generally OK, but ending (and the last part of the movie) is severally lacking. They definitely should have handled it better than they actually did

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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6

MariaKoDec 28, 2015

''Snowpiercer'': a movie that covers the specifications of what we call a ''Sci-Fi'' movie. A film, which undoubtedly reminds us ''The Day after Tomorrow''. It is understandable since the very beginning that the film covers the environmental''Snowpiercer'': a movie that covers the specifications of what we call a ''Sci-Fi'' movie. A film, which undoubtedly reminds us ''The Day after Tomorrow''. It is understandable since the very beginning that the film covers the environmental realm, as well as the political, too. All these combined with the struggle of survival, which battle of survival has definitely ''borrowed'' fighting elements from the ''Hunger Games''.

Moving on, the direction is such that directly emphasizes an otherworldly feeling. ''Snowpiercer'' is another film that strikes the audience with its ''bizzare'' cast, referring to the supporting roles. A cast that reminds the cast of ''Cloud Atlas''.

Regarding the plot, it is unique in the fact that while the central axis remains the same, the wagons in which the action unfolds, in reality ''cuts'' the plot in pieces; in different pieces. The plot can be considered as a puzzle. As the wagons have a different and unpredictable content, and due to the fact that they can be connected or disconnected each other, the plot is written in exact the same way.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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4

AlBal665Apr 18, 2020

I just really couldn’t get past the ludicrous premise of a perpetual motion train in a perpetual ice age. There were some heavy handed aspects of class equality etc but it wasn’t anywhere near as good as the critics made out.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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5

drlowdonMay 19, 2022

After a failed attempt to stop global warming, the Earth freezes and the only survivors live aboard a high-tech train that continually orbits the planet. Within the train a strict class system exists, and the passengers in the lower-classAfter a failed attempt to stop global warming, the Earth freezes and the only survivors live aboard a high-tech train that continually orbits the planet. Within the train a strict class system exists, and the passengers in the lower-class tail-section have decided it’s time they start to fight back against those keeping them oppressed. In all honesty I found Snowpiercer to be a bit of a mess. If you stop for even a second to think about what is going on, it pretty quickly becomes clear that it makes very little sense. The script, that takes aim at the class systems that exist within our society, is also so incredibly heavy handed that not even talented actors like John Hurt or Chris Evans can really sell it. Despite all this Snowpiercer does briefly entertain on occasions, and if you can switch off your brain for a couple of hours you may find something to enjoy.… Expand