Frozen

What Open Water did for the sea, Frozen aims to do for the ski slope, creating stomach-churning tension as unsuspecting thrill-seekers find themselves stuck in deep trouble. Kevin Zegers plays Dan, a college kid who comes to an upscale resort along with girlfriend Parker (Emma Bell) and buddy Joe (Shawn Ashmore). At the end of the day, the trio find themselves stranded high on the lift as darkness falls and a storm whips up. Since it will be days before anyone returns to the slopes, the trio is faced with the choice of freezing to death or trying to somehow get down by themselves. Each suffers from the effects of the cold and from various attempts to escape what seems certain death. Viewers, meanwhile, must endure their yammering about which of them was at fault for their predicament, what the likelihood of rescue might be, and how meaningless their lives have been—along with the sight of broken limbs and bloody wounds, as well as the knowledge that even if they make it to terra firma, a pack of wolves waits for them down below. While a generous interpretation might position writer-director Adam Green's Frozen as a parable about modern man trapped in a misery of his own making, the reality is that this is just an underdeveloped exploitation schlock film about three dunderheads suspended in midair. Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by writer-director Adam Green and costars Shawn Ashmore, Kevin Zegers and Emma Bell; a “Beating the Mountain: Surviving Frozen” behind-the-scenes featurette (53 min.); the production featurettes “Catching Frostbite: The Origins of Frozen” (11 min.), “Shooting Through It” on filming (12 min.), and “Three Below Zero” on the characters (11 min.); deleted scenes with optional commentary (7 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is an additional commentary track featuring Green, cinematographer Will Barratt, and editor Ed Marx. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)