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Against the Ice was directed by Peter Flinth, written by Joe Derrick and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who adapt from a novel by Ejnar Mikkelsen, and stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Joe Cole, and Charles Dance. It follows two Danish explorers as they survive the elements after being left behind on an expedition to Greenland in 1909. Based on the true story of Ejnar Mikkelsen.

The Plot: Survival films have to have a good hook to stand out since, as a general rule, they follow the same template in whatever setting they happen to be in. Against the Ice has a true story to justify its existence, which helps add support to what would be a thoroughly unremarkable affair without its usage.

During an expedition to Shannon Island in 1909, Captain Mikkelsen (Coster-Waldau) comes across a map that leads to the location of a previous, ill-fated trek, and wants to venture to the cairn marked on it. Most movies like this don’t provide a reason for the explorers to go wherever it is they intend to reach, but there’s a little bit more to offer in this outing, which explains that, if the cairn is found, would mean that the United States has no authority to claim Greenland as its own. With the stakes established, one of the captain’s engineers, Iversen (Cole) volunteers and the journey is underway.

After they reach the cairn, Mikkelsen and Iversen have to turn back and deposit the documents in a cairn of their own making, but when they return they find that the rest of the crew has gone home, leaving them stranded. It’s at this point that Against the Ice splits into major plot threads – one observing the stranded men’s survival, and a subplot depicting Danish government figures like Neergaard (Dance) bickering over the true fate of the men. It’s just enough to scrape by for a feature like this, as neither of the storylines break any sort of mold but are at least slightly above average overall.

The Characters: On paper, there’s more to pull from to fully realize the real men who went on this expedition, but Against the Ice plays it rather safe with dynamics, sticking to conventional, if believable development.

Mikkelsen has been exploring for some time, with a handful of prior trips to Greenland, which has become his home in all but name by the time the movie properly introduces him. He’s a utilitarian man driven by convention and a patriotic purpose to prove that the Americans just want more to their collective names, sure that even with all of their equipment (he shows disdain for the use of automobiles to cross ice) they haven’t explored to the fullest extent. He refrains from connecting to his sled dogs and crewmates, but it’s obvious that Derrick and Coster-Waldau can’t resist the true story, eventually developing a friendship with Iversen.

Conversely, Iversen is a stock plucky type who just wants to get out there, as it were, and do something special. He’s on this particular journey simply because he gets to be in the presence of the esteemed Mikkelsen, and wants to impress him, despite being almost completely opposite to him; trying to make conversation with the quiet man and connect to his sled dogs aren’t logical to the salty captain. Iversen’s arc is obvious, as his sledging and survival skills leave some to be desired, and he’s making progress in getting his fellow castaway to befriend him by a month into their trip.

Neither member of Against the Ice’s odd couple are particularly memorable, but there are at least some minor differences from similar fare, and a pair of sturdy performances to make the burgeoning chemistry and declining mental states interesting to watch.

The Adventure: For the most part, Flinth simply recycles the expected facets of arctic survival. Since there’s not much one can do to illustrate new obstacles on a perpetual sheet of ice, this should be expected, however, there are a few additions that haven’t been done in any recent adventure movies.

Opening with one of Mikkelsen’s crewmates losing his toes due to frostbite may not be the most original way to set the stage, but it does set the tone nicely. The first half of Against the Ice sticks to depicting the solemnity of Greenland, using the wind’s howl and dogs’ barks just as much as it allows the characters to spout dialogue. It’s acceptably done, forcing the movie to make each hill ascended and night spent in the middle of nowhere a challenge to support the limited script. The only real addition is going where most movies don’t with the team of dogs, showing the men having to let go of some and eat others to scrape by after an unsurprising moment where Iversen costs them half of their food and equipment.

Second half survival isn’t nearly as engaging though. Because the men have a ready-made shelter once they get back to their vacated (and modified by the other sailors before they left) ship, the adventure becomes minimal and the ensuing drama predictable. Although the latter half of the movie slows to a frigid crawl, there’s another trip to follow as Mikkelsen and Iversen return to their cairn to retrieve the Dutch documents, as well as some meandering to pass the runtime. It effectively mimics the tedium they must’ve faced over such a long time (title cards occasionally pop up to count the days), but the repetition doesn’t make for the most investing experience.

As a survival adventure, Coster-Waldau and Derrick only partially succeed in rising above convention. When the dogs run out, the movie runs out of novelty. For the men, this must have been horrifying. For the viewer, it’s just tiresome.

The Technics: Taking an authentic approach, Flinth and company filmed most of Against the Ice on location in Greenland and Iceland, making a notable effort to stick close to the atmosphere of dread encountered by the men. It’s admirable, competent, and a bit bland.

Cinematographer Torben Forsberg benefitted the most from the choice to shoot in the arctic, and with the opportunity presenting itself, he and Flinth relied solely on nature to light the movie. Frozen vistas are captured in unaltered beauty, and the soft glow of candlelight is appealing, but the budget may have been too low to do anything else but sit back and observe, as the angles and compositions will be familiar to anyone who has seen a movie of this ilk. Other visual attributes are decent as well, such as the early 20th century apparel and production design, but everything about these elements are equally familiar.

Length is what brings Against the Ice back down to average, as the over 100-minute runtime, while not excessive by any means, forces the feature into groggy melodrama at multiple points in the second half since the traversal has largely been completed. Cutting out ten minutes or so would’ve gotten the point across while still allowing for all of the important parts of the feature to register. Without any creative editing, it seems like the filmmakers were too caught up in their surroundings to know when the material ran out of steam.

Treading familiar territory is the hook of Against the Ice, but it can only get away with doing so for about half of its length. Coster-Waldau, Cole, and some gorgeous landscapes keep it watchable, but they can’t stop overfamiliarity.

57/100