The actor we first discovered in Excalibur, has come a long way since that 80s classic. Liam Neeson stars in the Netflix original, The Ice Road as a—you guessed it—ice road trucker who is part of a team sent to rescue miners in a collapsed mine that sits at the other end of that long, treacherous (it’s April), and mostly frozen highway.
Jonathan Hensleigh wrote and directed the actioner. He’s the guy who gave us 2004’s The Punisher and when it comes to action sequences here, they run the gamut between shootouts to big rigs sinking into the icy waters and everything everyone does to try to stop that from happening.
See, there’s this mine that collapsed at the other end of an ice road that is normally closed as of April 1. But crossing this stretch of real estate with three big rigs carrying what is needed to rescue these miners is on each driver. If one doesn’t make it, there are still two others.
There’s Mike (Neeson), who brings his mechanic-extraordinaire brother Gurty with him, and their bond truly drives the movie. Gurty is a vet with PTSD and a number of other brain-damaged ailments. There’s Goldenrod (Laurence Fishburne), who is the one asked to put together this trio team and lastly, there’s Tantoo, a native whose brother just happens to be one of the miners trapped below the earth. Riding with her is Varnay (Benjamin Walker), who represents the insurance company that is paying for this entire endeavor.
There’s an innate suspense element interwoven throughout The Ice Road that is impossible to ignore—these miners have 30 hours of air before they start dropping. It’s very Hitchcockian to throw in a ticking clock while our protagonists are doing their best to save lives. The thing is… somebody is sabotaging things and has now made it personal for Neeson’s Mike. As if the tension with getting those miners wasn’t enough to get the ole ticker ticking, knowing that these ice road truckers seem to be racing against time with one hand tied behind their back only adds to the suspense.
The Ice Road is standard action fare featuring Neeson. Due to the Canadian weather (there’s still ice and snow—however soft—in Canada in April), one is reminded of a few of the Irish actor’s previous works, such as The Grey and Cold Pursuit. But don’t kid yourself, comparing those films and this one is like apples and oranges. Neeson actually does something somewhat unique here and that is the role of caretaker. His brother cannot function on his own, even if he is gifted with engineering/mechanical items. Mike must always lookout and the relationship between siblings is unique for a Neeson actioner and sets this one apart.
In the end, The Ice Road is formulaic, but perfect to toss on with Netflix and enjoy two hours of escapism entertainment. Neeson elevates everything he’s in and that is probably why his actioners have been so successful, even if they all don’t hold water as Taken did. In today’s world, we’re turning a corner, but we are still coming through a dark time. Escapism is never a bad thing during tough times and with Neeson at the wheel, The Ice Road does more than simply shift gears when the RPMs call for it.
Grade: B-