Ice Quake [Blu-ray] [2010] [US Import]

The idea is interesting, but due to a low budget there are few, good special effects and there is hardly any explanation about what happened and why and little more action than running away from disaster.

The soundtrack was spoiled by the almost constant music throughout the film destroying the words of the actors, plus the normal fixture of a screaming femail.
Blandford

On Christmas Eve in a sleepy town in Alaska, trouble is brewing. After a massive ice shelf has collapsed in the Russian Arctic, intensive shockwaves are rocking the region and heading for Alaska.

Young military geologist Michael Webster (BRENDAN FEHR), his wife Emily (HOLLY DIGNARD) and children Shane (RYAN GRANTHAM) and Tia (JODELLE FERLAND) are hiking on the mountainside in order to cut down a real Christmas tree when a tremor hits, causing a deep chasm in the ice and a deadly avalanche. Although all four survive, the parents are separated from the terrified children.

Meanwhile at the local military base, stern Army Colonel Bill Hughes (VICTOR GARBER) is carefully monitoring the increasing tremors along with his dedicated team including technician Ram (NICHOLAS CARELLA), Carolyn (MARSHA REGIS) and Jamie (the lovely SHARON TAYLOR).

Michael soon learns that when the ice cracks methane gas is released into the atmosphere. This is confirmed when he meets Professor Bruce Worthington (ROB LABELLE), who has been injured during one of the disturbances on the mountainside. Worthington has been monitoring the methane for several months yet never been believed in his constant warnings to Colonel Hughes.

As the tremors intensify and a storm gathers strength across the landscape, Hughes evacuates the town and sends a small party led by Jamie to rescue the survivors on the mountain.

Soon he, Ram and Michael realise that the vast quantities of methane below ground could prove disastrous for the local environment and possibly the whole planet if released, and the trio launch an audacious plan to destroy the gas while it is still underground!

Despite its small budget, the cast do well to make ICE QUAKE a rather enjoyable film with a few tense moments and at only 87 minutes it is certainly not overlong.

The only Special Features are the Original Theatrical Trailer and a (rather surprisingly) back-slapping 30 minute Making Of documentary.

ICE QUAKE should appeal to fans of disaster films if they are prepared for a drama which concerns only a small group of characters and is on a much smaller scale to the likes of THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW and other such blockbusters.