October 3, 2013
The Frozen Ground
Marginally watchable and instantly forgettable cop flick
By Metropolis
Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2013
This marginally watchable and instantly forgettable police procedural is nonetheless a step up recently for the talent-wasting Nicolas Cage (Ghost Rider, Stolen, Trespass). It’s the story of how an Alaska State Trooper nabbed real-life serial rapist/killer Robert Hansen (a terrible John Cusack). He was reluctantly aided by a teenage hooker (a game Vanessa Hudgens) who escaped the man’s clutches before he could carry out his M.O., which was to take his victims out to the wilderness and hunt them down. The script is tone-deaf and superficial, and the film breaks little new ground of any kind.