A Movie Review: Snowpiercer

Snowpiercer. Fear that global warming will destroy the planet results in world governments deciding to take aggressive action by spraying cooling agents/chemicals into the atmosphere. The plan backfires. Instead, a severe ice age descends on planet Earth. The population is wiped out except for a handful of individuals. The remaining survivors are on a train called the Snowpiercer. This train runs on rails that span the globe. It has a perpetual engine so there isn't any need for fuel. A class system is implemented on the train. There are those who live in first class and there are those who live in cramped worker quarters at the rear of the train. Those who lived in the cramped worker quarters are treated like animals. Offenses are treated in very harsh manners, carried out by Mason (Tilda Swinton).

Curtis (Chris Evans) is one of the individuals who lives in the cramped worker quarters. He and his fellow rear of the train passengers are planning a revolt. They plan to take over the train from Wilford (Ed Harris), an individual that is never seen or heard from and perhaps is nothing but the Wizard of Oz.

With nothing but crude weapons, they are able to over-run a small group of guards, but as they move towards the front of the train they face the ever growing strength of Wilford's military.

I know this movie was well reviewed, but I have to say I was under-whelmed. I get it, the wealthy live a life of unbelievable luxury, living off the backs of the poor. The poor have no ability to better their lives unless for some reason they have a unique skill that is needed by the wealthy -- the ability to play the violin, as an example. And no matter your high and mighty ideals, it is likely that the only way you can change the outcome is by destroying humanity. Check.

My problem, I thought the movie started out with some intrigue, but then descended into the laughable though with some interesting twists along the way. Example, when the rebellion meets up with a heavily armed military force, they are initially badly out-maneuvered on the strategic front. Via some strategy on their own part, they are able to regroup. My problem, and I have this with many such movies, how does a group of individuals with no military training take down a well armed (and should I assume well trained) group. And then as the rebels progress up the train, the reaction of those in first class is surreal (I get it, the wealthy are so disconnected from reality of the poor that they don't feel the need to pay attention to the poor -- even when they are rising up). Then we get to the ending where we have to assume that humanity is toast even though the film ends with a feeling of hope. Hope. Yeah right, the survivors are toast.