Nature Unleashed: Avalanche (2004) (V)

Director:

Mark Roper

Writer:

John Sheppard (writer)

Release Date:

6 August 2004 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Plot:

It begins on a glacier nestled on a frozen peak high in the wild Ural Mountains of Russia, kissed by clouds...

Plot Keywords:

Avalanche | Snow | Mountain | Glacier | Ice

Cast

Andrew Lee Potts	...	Jock
Adam Croasdell	...	Thom
Zahary Baharov	...	Hans
Peter Gaitandjiev	...	Eric
Kate Henry	...	Katya
Plamen Manassiev	...	Gunther
Jessica Brooks	...	Callie (as Jessica Kate Brooks)
Kalin Yavorov	...	Stephen
Violeta Markovska	...	Anna
Steven Grives	...	Alkin
Valentin Ganev	...	Rogov
Nikola Dodov	...	Karl (as Nikolai Dodov)
Michail Elenov	...	Gregor (as Mihail Elenov)
Nikolai Sotirov	...	Boris
Roger Hammond	...	Mikhail Zorich

Also Known As:

Avalanche (UK) (DVD box title)
Aisu hazâdo (Japan) (video title) [ja]
Alerte - Avalanche! (France) (TV title) [fr]
Avalancha: Pánico en la cumbre (Spain) [es]
I mania tis fysis: Hionostivada (Greece) [el]
Ice Hazard (Japan: English title) (video title) [en]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief language.

Country:

Canada | Bulgaria | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:12 | Netherlands:12 | USA:PG-13 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Bulgaria

Company:

Nu Image Films

Well, it's no Vertical Limit

But it gets the job done.

A bunch of characters including two brothers, the younger brother's lover, her father the developer, and an avalanche watcher start to realize a nearby peak is about to come crashing down. Trying to find a way to keep everyone safe while maintaining profit, all while overcoming their own inner drama and differences, keeps them busy for roughly an hour and a half. We get to tag along too.

It basically has mediocre dialog, mediocre directing and editing, some pretty good photography, and bad acting, but it's the story that keeps this little experience interesting. In general, it's a somewhat tense countdown while the weight of the mountain starts burdening the souls of all involved. Can't say it was that bad.

Obviously a big difficulty was keeping it going with limited materials, being that a few shots/ideas are re-used several times. It also has a pretty useless side-story about the developer's evil business partner that frankly only worked to use up space, then climaxed in a pretty campy shot that I won't give away. But the fact that it even had side-plots and backstory and character development is kind of commendable for the type of movie it was. So there we go. Entertainment fun-fest and all that.

--PolarisDiB