Lee Eisenberg
I had never heard about Bob Hansen* before seeing "The Frozen Ground". The movie will be interesting if you want to learn about the story, but is mostly a popcorn movie. Plenty of fascinating information about what a sick man Hansen was - and lots of great shots of Alaska - but not worth seeing more than once.*Not to be confused with Robert Hanssen, the FBI agent who sold secrets to the Soviet Union.
Scott LeBrun
Inspired by the real life exploits of Alaska based serial killer Robert Hansen (played here by John Cusack), this is an okay thriller that pits the creepy Hansen against a dedicated State Trooper, Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage). Halcombe gets his big break when one young woman is able to escape Hansens' clutches. She is Cindy Paulson (Vanessa Hudgens), an underage prostitute.Much time is dedicated to the police procedural aspect to the story, as Halcombe and his many associates (played by Kevin Dunn, Dean Norris, Michael McGrady, Matt Gerald, and others) try to work within the law, and establish an airtight case. Hansen will prove to be a tough nut to crack, despite having a shady past, and it doesn't help that he's got this outward appearance of devoted family man and upstanding community member.Cage is effectively understated, with no trace of eccentricities. He's dead serious as this unsmiling cop protagonist. Cusack is likewise a model of subtlety in his performance. The supporting cast (Radha Mitchell, Kurt Fuller, Gia Mantegna, Brad William Henke, 50 Cent) is solid right down the line, although Mitchell gets little to do as Halcombes' wife. Hudgens does a respectable job as the haunted girl who's built up defense mechanisms to deal with a sad family history.The film gets most of its value from the Alaska setting (it was actually shot on location), which is simply full of atmosphere, beauty, and menace. It may also have some appeal for people who are interested in seeing the seedier environments of Anchorage."The Frozen Ground" is grim and pervasive, and will be hard for some viewers to take. But overall it's a well made and well acted film, that only begins to give one an idea of just how much carnage Hansen may have left in his wake.Seven out of 10.
headhunter46
I had not read reviews, I found this by accident at the rental shop, so I came to it with open mind. The approach was different enough that I found myself pulled into it, wanting to see this creep nailed and jailed.The young woman who played a victim of the serial molester did an amazing job of making you feel her frustration and fear. I was impressed with her performance. The scenes where she was ducking in and out of the seedy places in Anchorage were disturbing. It bothers me greatly to think there might be such a huge amount of traffic in drugs and prostitution. Too often a high percentage of the women are being used and abused. And often they are underage girls lead into that by people who use them as cash cows and do little for their welfare.The story moves along well, there is music perfect for the scenes that help you feel the tension at times and yet foreboding when the camera pans the wild Alaskan wilderness. Beautiful but a bit intimidating with its harshness.The movie does an excellent job of slowly building the tension as it nears the end. For a few agonizing minutes you do not know what will happen to the young frightened girl. Will the bad guys do her in? Will the cops find her in time? I won't tell you and ruin it for you.I recommend this movie for any above age 17. There is considerable nudity at the dance "studios" that might be a bit much for the younger teens. If you let the younger teens watch prepare them mentally that what they will see in the clubs is not behavior you want them to imitate.
