Such a frustrating disappointment

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Every so often a motion picture touches your heart and enriches your life. This is the case with this humble science fiction film and the magnificent story of human survival it tells. Beautifully directed and with a script that sensitively observes humanity at its most vulnerable, a powerful saga of endurance and courage unfolds before a rapt audience. One can not help but be moved and perhaps even changed by what we witness. With a superb cast and stunning special effects, Ice Quake is so much more than a sci-fi extravaganza. It is an intimate tale of everyday people struggling for existence upon a landscape of overwhelming brutality, before a formless and unforgiving act of nature. In the end, it is one of the finest stories of mankind being tested to its limits and ultimately its triumph.

Ice Quake is another SyFy Channel film so as always keep expectations low.Two geologists (one dressed as Santa) investigate tremors on a mountain when a deep crack appears with some shimmering effects indicating some kind of gas escaping which freezes one of the geologist jumping over the crack. The mountain is releasing sub zero methane gas via earthquakes which causes avalanches placing nearby towns in danger.Brendan Fehr is up in the mountains with his family looking for Christmas trees but ends up battling for survival as ice geysers spew and quakes occur unleashing avalanches leading him to deal with various problems. Victor Garber lends respectability as the Colonel trying to locate Fehr.Its a rather poor film, quickly shot, below average special effects and some bad science.

After 20 minutes or so, I was ready to take the DVD out. It picked up slightly so I watched to the anticlimactic end. Unbelievable science and situations. Totally predictable, although I don't remember what happened to some of the soldiers. I must admit what kept my attention most (I couldn't take my eyes off it) was the colonel's drooping American flag patch. It seemed at any moment as if might fall off. Compare it to the female non-com's flag which was totally squared away. Didn't any of the crew notice that damned thing? The family also built an ice shelter above ground. I doubt they could do that with out any tools other than their hands (which would have quickly frozen). Compared to the below ground ice shelter as built by Tom Berenger's character in "Shoot to Kill", I think the Webster family would have been in a hurt locker.

This contains spoilers.ICE QUAKE is NOT a movie for flashlight geeks. I am not sure if I have ever seen such poor and unrealistic use and handling of flashlights in a TV show or movie anywhere close to as bad as the flashlight handling in ICE QUAKE. The actors "aimed" the flashlights at least 90º away from where any normal person would find it helpful. Often in rescue movies actors are seen yelling at distant search planes or at helicopters thundering over head. This silly behavior is seen often in movies and TV shows. Sadly, ICE QUAKE finds a new level of unrealistic behavior.Even when the actors are waving the lights around with spastic thrashing arm movements, the beams of light do not once even accidentally point in a useful direction. Perhaps cast and crew were all suffering from 100% snow blindness during the filming of this movie???