Directed by Bong Joon-ho
Written by Kelly Masterson and Jooh-ho
Starring, Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, Octavia Spencer, Kang-ho Song, and John Hurt
In 2014, attempts to solve global warming go awry, resulting in a deep freeze. Earth is uninhabitable 17 years later, with only the handful of people on a high-speed train surviving. The train never stops and the quality of life in this environment depends on how near the front of the train you are. The people in the rear, fed only with protein bars, missing body parts, and losing their children to who knows what fate, revolt, trying to make their way forward to First Class, car by car. Of course, the terrain between the groups is a treacherous one and each car holds its secrets.
This is a fun movie. There are holes in its plot, yes, but not nearly enough to ruin it. Tilda Swinton, is the bureaucratic bully who stands between them and success. Chris Evans is our sturdy action hero. This film looks great, and has enough ideas in it to keep you guessing. A few less battle scenes might have improved it for me, but I have little to complain about. My biggest question is why this film is only getting an art house release. There are some subtitles here and there, but there are subtitles on TV shows now. There is a bigger audience than this is going to get. Highly recommended.
Patti Abbott