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ON THE ICE (2012)Movie Reviews
Drama about two best friends in an isolated Alaska town who are bonded by the attempt to hide their involvement in the death of another boy. Cast:Josiah Patkotak, Frank Qutuq Irelan, Teddy Kyle Smith, Adamina KerrDirector:Andrew Okpeaha MacLeanRelease Date:February 17, 2012DVD Release:July 10, 2012From:PMK*BNCRating:RLength:1 hr. 36 min.
On the Ice (2012) played in limited release to good reviews that at the same time were mixed. • Bill Goodykoontz wrote in the Arizona Republic, "...stunningly effective... This is a movie worth seeing, characters worth knowing, a world worth exploring." • And Ella Taylor wrote for NPR, "...a straight-ahead, underprivileged-teen drama... Packed with teachable moments and a mostly non-pro cast..." More Reviews Below...
On the Ice (2012) Positive Reviews (14 Reviews, reviews below)
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: VERY GOOD(cg) "If only because of the setting, this is an uncommonly involving thriller.... bleakness provides a backdrop for what is essentially a morality play..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 631 words, 02/24/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (7 Reviews)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a frigid drama that's tough to warm up to.... skillfully embeds a simple story within a complex, transitioning culture.... [but] the general vibe is too stilted to convince."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 244 words, 02/17/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "MacLean has a talent for doing a lot with very little... If 'Ice' never really solidifies, it's nonetheless the work of a filmmaker whose seriousness is worth watching out for."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 143 words, 02/17/12
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "An accidental murder during a hunting trip leads a pair of teens to fall into a tangle of lies and moral ambiguity... involving... an authentic look at life in remote Alaska..."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 211 words, 02/24/12
Sara Stewart, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "Unfortunately, the emotional landscape of director Andrew Okpeaha MacLean's stoic main character, Qalli, is often as blank as the tundra."(See all of Sara Stewart's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 218 words, 02/17/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "If only because of the setting, this is an uncommonly involving thriller.... bleakness provides a backdrop for what is essentially a morality play..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 631 words, 02/24/12
Brian Miller, Village Voice/LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "...a marvel of concentrated, classical storytelling.... call this ethnodocumentary noir... The film is like a meeting of 'River's Edge' and 'The Fast Runner.' "(See all of Brian Miller's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 189 words, 02/15/12
KEY CITIES (1 Review)
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "...stunningly effective... at once recognizable and like nothing you've ever seen.... This is a movie worth seeing, characters worth knowing, a world worth exploring."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 579 words, 03/30/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
Brian Miller, Village Voice/LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "...a marvel of concentrated, classical storytelling.... call this ethnodocumentary noir... The film is like a meeting of 'River's Edge' and 'The Fast Runner.' "(See all of Brian Miller's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 189 words, 02/15/12
Alison Willmore, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "The performances, all from non-professional local actors, are noticeably uneven, but the film is as much a portrait of a place as it is a narrative..."(See all of Alison Willmore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 417 words, 02/16/12
Kenji Fujishima, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...features thematic territory that was mined to more compelling effect by Christopher Nolan in his Alaska-set remake of the Norwegian psychological thriller 'Insomnia.' "(See all of Kenji Fujishima's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 502 words, 02/14/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "The familiar becomes exotic in the arctic parable 'On the Ice'... a sturdy vehicle for unadorned morality and pragmatic justice."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 346 words, 02/17/12
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a frigid drama that's tough to warm up to.... skillfully embeds a simple story within a complex, transitioning culture.... [but] the general vibe is too stilted to convince."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 244 words, 02/17/12
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "An accidental murder during a hunting trip leads a pair of teens to fall into a tangle of lies and moral ambiguity... involving... an authentic look at life in remote Alaska..."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 211 words, 02/24/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: FAIR "...offers a unique immersion in the language and customs of the Inupiaq culture in Barrow, Alaska... [but] the harrowing moral journey it serves feels artificially applied..."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 714 words, 01/22/11
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "Its sense of place is transporting. But many of the film's performances are as chilly as the Arctic Circle wind, and its deliberately laid-out suspense beats fail to catch fire."(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 433 words, 01/23/11
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "An accidental murder during a hunting trip leads a pair of teens to fall into a tangle of lies and moral ambiguity... involving... an authentic look at life in remote Alaska..."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 211 words, 02/24/12
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a frigid drama that's tough to warm up to.... skillfully embeds a simple story within a complex, transitioning culture.... [but] the general vibe is too stilted to convince."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 244 words, 02/17/12
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "The familiar becomes exotic in the arctic parable 'On the Ice'... a sturdy vehicle for unadorned morality and pragmatic justice."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 346 words, 02/17/12
23.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
On the Ice (2012)'s reviews are separated by an average 23.2 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
On the Ice (2012) (14 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:On the Ice (2012)'s reviews cover 21.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 5,409 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 386 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
On the Ice (2012) Coverage, Volume & Length (14 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 15 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
On the Ice (2012)'s reviews on average broke 15 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is On the Ice (2012)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
On the Ice (2012) (14 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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