SNOWPIERCER Season One Episode 1 - Review
BACKGROUND
Originally a graphic novel series Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette; published by Casterman, the Snowpiercer story ended up catching the imagination of film director Bong Joon-ho and in his hands the Science Fiction & Fantasy movie ‘Snowpiercer’ came to be; released 2014 (Radius-TWC).
The Netflix TV series ‘Snowpiercer’, originally a TNT drama is screening this spring 2020.
Episode 1: written by Josh Friedman and Graeme Manson shows from late May and stars: Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind, Winter’s Tale, Noah) Daveed Diggs (Disney) Alison Wright (The Accountant) Katie McGuiness (The Man Who Invented Christmas), and Jaylin Fletcher
OVERVIEW
A post-apocalyptic, dystopian story which falls under the Science Fiction/Fantasy category.
Set in the near future. After a man-made disaster, Earth has frozen over and surviving humans are living on the Snowpiercer; a massively long train with 1001 carriages, which is forever on the move. While the outside world remains encased in ice there is a constant struggle for the people on the train to coexist in an unnatural, socially imbalanced setting.
REVIEW: EPISODE ONE (note: contains spoilers)
Animation can sometimes tell a better story, and the animated introduction explains the catastrophic occurrences that led to people having to take to the Snowpiercer for refuge from Earth’s new Ice Age very well.
This is a great, high art addition to a thriller story that, otherwise, appears to lack artistic flair in some areas. Hoping, as the episodes roll out, that cast members be seen to ‘get on track’ with their characterisations, otherwise this is going to be an expensive, non-success.
In this episode we see the people at the rear lead a miserable existence living in poverty and darkness under guard control. There are the hard men, there are those wise types who offer the voice of reason; the women and children are gutsy yet compromised; there are no babies being born. Nevertheless, there is a strong will to survive and a plan to rise up.
Elsewhere on the train (away from the suppressed people) a grizzly crime has been committed. A request comes through for ex-detective, Layton to be removed from the poor surroundings to help solve it, so he is taken away from his girlfriend and his young dependent, Miles.
At this point viewers will welcome the change of scene from black and grey hues; depicting the underbelly rough, the rat breeding and the sweat streaked, dirty faces, and welcome it when the direction suddenly allows colour to flood through open train ‘compartments’ that are devoted to growing garden produce in temperature-controlled environments and where bright, sunlight filters through the glass.
An aquarium and other top facilities are also revealed, with light reflecting in the clean water.
Crisp, uniform clad children, who reside with their families in these areas are schooled and entertained. Miles can only dream of such an existence.
These middle to upper class sections of the train are where the rich and the privileged enjoy fine foods and luxuries and are a stark contrast to the tail end environment on the train.
Therefore, the scene is set. Though one scene in which Layton drinks soup from a bowl and tucks into fresh bread takes a dramatic turn when the body pieces of the murder victim are shown to him.
Daveed Diggs is the camera hogger, yet does not prove to be convincing in the role as leader during this first look episode. Jennifer Connelly is a close runner-up when she delivers those far-away, razor eyed looks to the middle distance for reasons we’ve yet to discover. Let’s hope we do.
Nearing the end, and on return to the dreary setting, a suicide has taken place. Later in this episode there is a violent clash between the ‘inmates’ and the guards and a brutal fight scene ensues, which indicates that violence is going to be a big feature throughout this series. Some viewers will find the ‘GoT’ style throat slashing and the limb-from-limb tearing disturbing; others mildly challenging perhaps, others may find this interesting/entertaining to watch.
Think ‘The Hunger Games’ meets ‘Westworld’ meets ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and you have that initial handle on the themes.
Originally a graphic novel series Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette; published by Casterman, the Snowpiercer story ended up catching the imagination of film director Bong Joon-ho and in his hands the Science Fiction & Fantasy movie ‘Snowpiercer’ came to be; released 2014 (Radius-TWC).
The Netflix TV series ‘Snowpiercer’, originally a TNT drama is screening this spring 2020.
Episode 1: written by Josh Friedman and Graeme Manson shows from late May and stars: Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind, Winter’s Tale, Noah) Daveed Diggs (Disney) Alison Wright (The Accountant) Katie McGuiness (The Man Who Invented Christmas), and Jaylin Fletcher
OVERVIEW
A post-apocalyptic, dystopian story which falls under the Science Fiction/Fantasy category.
Set in the near future. After a man-made disaster, Earth has frozen over and surviving humans are living on the Snowpiercer; a massively long train with 1001 carriages, which is forever on the move. While the outside world remains encased in ice there is a constant struggle for the people on the train to coexist in an unnatural, socially imbalanced setting.
REVIEW: EPISODE ONE (note: contains spoilers)
Animation can sometimes tell a better story, and the animated introduction explains the catastrophic occurrences that led to people having to take to the Snowpiercer for refuge from Earth’s new Ice Age very well.
This is a great, high art addition to a thriller story that, otherwise, appears to lack artistic flair in some areas. Hoping, as the episodes roll out, that cast members be seen to ‘get on track’ with their characterisations, otherwise this is going to be an expensive, non-success.
In this episode we see the people at the rear lead a miserable existence living in poverty and darkness under guard control. There are the hard men, there are those wise types who offer the voice of reason; the women and children are gutsy yet compromised; there are no babies being born. Nevertheless, there is a strong will to survive and a plan to rise up.
Elsewhere on the train (away from the suppressed people) a grizzly crime has been committed. A request comes through for ex-detective, Layton to be removed from the poor surroundings to help solve it, so he is taken away from his girlfriend and his young dependent, Miles.
At this point viewers will welcome the change of scene from black and grey hues; depicting the underbelly rough, the rat breeding and the sweat streaked, dirty faces, and welcome it when the direction suddenly allows colour to flood through open train ‘compartments’ that are devoted to growing garden produce in temperature-controlled environments and where bright, sunlight filters through the glass.
An aquarium and other top facilities are also revealed, with light reflecting in the clean water.
Crisp, uniform clad children, who reside with their families in these areas are schooled and entertained. Miles can only dream of such an existence.
These middle to upper class sections of the train are where the rich and the privileged enjoy fine foods and luxuries and are a stark contrast to the tail end environment on the train.
Therefore, the scene is set. Though one scene in which Layton drinks soup from a bowl and tucks into fresh bread takes a dramatic turn when the body pieces of the murder victim are shown to him.
Daveed Diggs is the camera hogger, yet does not prove to be convincing in the role as leader during this first look episode. Jennifer Connelly is a close runner-up when she delivers those far-away, razor eyed looks to the middle distance for reasons we’ve yet to discover. Let’s hope we do.
Nearing the end, and on return to the dreary setting, a suicide has taken place. Later in this episode there is a violent clash between the ‘inmates’ and the guards and a brutal fight scene ensues, which indicates that violence is going to be a big feature throughout this series. Some viewers will find the ‘GoT’ style throat slashing and the limb-from-limb tearing disturbing; others mildly challenging perhaps, others may find this interesting/entertaining to watch.
Think ‘The Hunger Games’ meets ‘Westworld’ meets ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and you have that initial handle on the themes.
**ENDS**
Review by critic Debra Hall (UK)
This review also appears at www.imdb.com
%20-%20Marc%20Brenner.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment
POST your comment here: