There are many movies out there that are based on comics and graphics novels but are there any that have been based on one that looked to be fading away and then when the movie released the comic/graphic novel got a resurgence? Snowpiercer most certainly falls into that category.
The year is 2031, and the entire planet has become nothing but a frozen wasteland after an attempt to prevent global warming in 2014 went TOO well. The only survivors that live are aboard the Snowpiercer: a train that’s been hurtling around the globe for the past seventeen years. Within these carriages, the remnants of the human race have formed their own divisive economic and class system. Everything about this is all set to change when Curtis, a man with a dark past, leads a group of lower-class citizens, who live in squalor at the rear end of the train, on a fight to the front of the Snowpiercer to share the food and wealth equally among all of the inhabitants. Each section of the train holds new shock, surprises, and revelations for Curtis and the rebel group as they desperately battle their way from carriage to carriage. A revolution has begun...
The movie is absolutely great, thrilling watch, and has some interesting thoughts on society as a whole. I think it was a great choice that Bong Joon Ho picked a French graphic novel like Transperceneige to be his first international movie with English speech. The story is different from the graphic novel, but not in such a way that you are unable to recognize what it is about. It has moments that are challenges for different characters and reservations about the Snowpiercer, the class system, and the people aboard. There is an interesting ending, and it did make me wonder if there was an opening for a potential sequel at some point (which I guess leads up to the TV series..more on that later). For a movie filmed in 72 days, this is quite impressive.
The best part of the movie (apart from that it has a brilliant story, which has also been picked up by Netflix to be a TV series which will be released very soon) has to be the amazing cast selection. With a stellar A-list cast including Chris Evans, Song Kang Ho, Tilda Swinton, Ed Harris, Jamie Bell, and the legendary late John Hurt the story was going to be portrayed well. One of the things that amazed me the most was the transformation of Tilda Swinton, if I didn't know she was in this, I'd never have recognized her!
The Blu-Ray it's self is pretty good with the sound that's top-notch, and it was good to see that there were optional English subtitles too. I think it was a pity there was no director's commentary, but that's just my preference personally and I know a lot of people do not actually listen to them (or read the subtitle ones). The extra features are pretty good, including a brief animated prologue to the movie, spotlight on the characters, Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton discussing the movie, and a documentary (mostly in French, but subtitled) about the creation of the Transperceneige graphic novels and the movie from the point of view of the graphic novel creators.
The movie is excellent, as well as the extras with it, and is a great movie for fans of dystopian stories, Tilda Swinton, Chris Evans, or the graphic novel. Definitely suggest grabbing a copy and watch, it's a great movie.
Snowpiercer is rated 15 and is available on Blu-Ray and DVD on 25th May from Amazon, click HERE for details