Frozen: It will leave you emotionally thawed

If Kevin Zegers and Shawn Ashmore were any hotter, they could have melted all of the frigid precipitation and accumulation at the Mount Holliston Ski Resort and assisted everyone in avoiding the serious brain freeze that occurs midway through Frozen, which opened February 5. 

Two lifelong friends, Dan (Zegers) and Lynch (Ashmore), put a twist on their weekend ritual of skiing by extending an invitation to Dan’s girlfriend Parker (Emma Bell).  It is quickly made obvious that Lynch is not in agreement with the arrangement.  To show that she’s not imposing on the friends’ “guy time,” Parker takes Dan up on his suggestion to use her feminine wiles to persuade the ski lift operator for one last run on the slopes.  They soon find out that the price they will pay is much steeper than the under-the-table wager.

When the operator is called away from the lift, he tells his replacement that there are three more skiers to account for.  So when he sees three people skiing in, he believes they are the last ones off the slopes.  But Dan, Lynch and Parker are still on the lift when the replacement shuts down the lift and turns out the lights.  When these independent, responsible college students realize that their absence will go unnoticed by family and friends, their hopes of being rescued the following day are shattered when they realize it’s Sunday and the resort does not reopen until Friday.  Once the storywriter makes it clear that it is “do or die” for these over-zealous, under-experienced skiers, the original story line becomes the only captivating asset.

Dan becomes the mediator between Parker and Lynch until he makes his fateful attempt to be the hero of the story.  He jumps down from the lift to get help but ends up needing help when he breaks his legs.  After fighting the elements (hypothermia, frostbite, snowstorms), and their repeated personal attacks on each other, the lack of chemistry between Parker and Lynch is like watching an icicle melt in below-zero weather.  It doesn’t happen. 

Lynch finally makes a brave effort for a chance at their survival and makes it down to the snowy terrain below, leaving Parker alone on the lift            

This all sounds pretty intriguing, but the poor acting and writing leaves the moviegoer with no empathy for the characters. Except for a few humorous undertones and the eagerly anticipated stunt tragedies, this drama will leave you emotionally thawed. Check it out on DVD or at the local dollar theater.