User reviews

Whiteout isn't as bad as people are claiming it is, in fact I had an OK time with it, when all was said and done. There is a dull section in the middle that's hard to get through, but the fairly exciting finale makes up for that in my opinion. I give big props to the film cast for having to go through such a rigorous weather treatment, but it made for a fairly effective movie. The negative thing about Whiteout though is, I didn't think it took advantage of its immense potential. It's definitely watchable and fairly entertaining, but it could have been a film to remember with that type of setting and the plot, and unfortunately I guessed the twist at the end halfway through the movie. Kate Beckinsale makes for a very good lead, while being believable at the same time, and that's very important for a film like this. Whiteout has it's fair share of spooky moments, the atmosphere is great, and in the end I was entertained for the most part, but it could have been so much more.

Performances. Kate Beckinsale is gorgeous to look at, but also a pretty good actress too. She's likable and her Feistyness, but also vulnerability worked well for her. Gabriel Macht does well as Pryce, he was pretty charismatic. Tom Skerritt is OK as the Doctor, I suppose he had a presence. Columbus Short is likable as Delfy. Alex O'Loughlin is quite intense in his role.

Bottom line. It's worth a watch on Telly or DVD that's for sure, it passes the time well.

6/10

I actually felt this movie was fairly decent. Looking at a lot of the reviews, people seem to feel so outraged at how horrible this movie apparently was, but I don't know what they were expecting. If you're that angry about the supposed "twist" foreshadowed in the trailer, then you should have been smart enough to know that the chances of this movie coming through with some amazing and original twist were very slim.

Anyway, as for the film itself, there were definitely many flaws. That stupid shower scene in the first 10 minutes of the movie was so tactless I was almost ready to leave. The acting was mediocre at best. I think Gabriel Macht is an extremely good looking guy, but based on this film he is a horrendous actor. Kate Beckinsale was okay as the lead... She had her moments. The dialogue was so cheesy though. And the film was just also very predictable and tedious. The flashback scenes in particular got pretty annoying as pretty much the same exact scene was repeated at least 3 or 4 times throughout the movie.

But perhaps the best aspect of the film is the scenery. The outside shots were beautiful. The whole idea of being on Antarctica was fascinating and is perhaps the main reason why I was able to put up with many of its flaws. I wish they developed that aspect of the story more. I also felt some of the blood and gore were also well done. It was more tasteful than a slasher movie but still just as gut-wrenching.

While digesting my Thanksgiving meal, I wanted to watch a good movie in front of the fire on a cold winter night. Whiteout seemed appealing because of the synopsis and the setting. I love the desolate setting of an science facility in the cold lifeless continent of Antartica. There is always something creepy and thrilling about being so far from civilization and life sustaining climate; the movie had a similar creepiness to some other thrillers that take place in deep space. The plot and setting were original, and keep you guessing throughout the movie. The suspense and thrills were more likened to a horror movie or a slasher film, but I say that in a good way. My 17 year old daughter and wife had to turn their eyes away for many scenes in fear and anticipation.

I like to judge movies by what their intent is. I try and compare Old School to Gone with the Wind for example... 2 completely different audiences and intents, but both great movies that deliver what they try to deliver. In my opinion, Whiteout delivered what it tried to deliver, a scary, interesting, beautiful, thrilling escape. Exactly what I wanted to see on a cold Friday night in front of the fire!

Ever since The Matrix or thereabouts, mainstream action flicks have merged with fantasy. Of course The Matrix had justification, but we've seen the same superhuman, gravity- defying, too-cool-for-school characteristics attach themselves to even ordinary people in ordinary circumstances, and maybe it's gone a little too far. In WHITEOUT, our heroine is *not* a 10th degree black belt, *not* armed with 200 lbs of ammo, *not* able to do backflips over exploding grenades & such things as we've come to expect in movies. Instead, WHITEOUT gives us a somewhat sober & realistic portrayal of what "action" is like in the real world. It's almost like a throwback to the 70s when special effects played a minor role in films, and the human themes were forefront.

I'm not saying either type of film is inherently better than the other; all I'm saying is if you go into this film expecting "Ultraviolet" or "Resident Evil", you will most certainly be put to sleep within the first half hour. If, instead, you go into it expecting something more like the 70s classics "Coma" or "Stepford Wives" (where the heroine is human and fallible), I think you'll really enjoy this.

A lot of the film's power centers around the heroine's human side, and accordingly she reacts in human ways. When seriously injured, she doesn't brush it off with an "I ain't got time to bleed" macho attitude. She doesn't just take a swig of whiskey and calmly perform surgery on herself like we've come to expect from our action heroes. No, she cries like a baby which is what you or I would do if we just got sliced (admit it, tough guys)! She's not some soulless robot who can kill dozens of people without flinching. She, like a real human, carefully considers the repercussions each time she has to pull the trigger. Granted, this slows the pacing of the action considerably, but hey, welcome to the real world.

With all that in mind, the story is pretty basic as far as murder-mysteries-in-the-Antarctic go. But if you focus on the underlying human story instead of the thrills & chills, it's a refreshing change from the cartoony action flicks of recent years. For similar reality checks, I highly recommend "The Merry Gentleman" (crime drama), "Moon" (scifi), and "Exorcist 3" (horror).

Whiteout was better that I expected after reading the summary and a few reviews. I am surprised that given the storyline, that the movie was as interesting as it was. I would recommend it to a friend, with context. Don't expect it to be the best movie that you have ever seen, but it is suspenseful and fun to watch. Stick with it, it took 20 minutes to pick up real steam.

I saw this film last night. I had been traveling, and did not see any advertising cause I was not watching TV. Point? I went into the film without any real expectations. I only knew the cast and saw a short blurb on the premise.

Question?? – Is Kate Beckinsale's agent and representatives TRYING to Whiteout her career? Her agent should be shot for getting her involved in the films she has been associated with lately.

Whiteout has it all – Starts with a long unnecessarily drawn out shower scene with a pre-shower shot focused on KB bending over, in her underwear, right into the camera. Not that I mind, but a total B-movie skin-a-max move. It is followed up with a pointless story that lacked any originality (except I guess the location) that included routine plot points and every EXPECTED twist!! We even get an uninspired, contrived history for KB's character. Add some REAL BAD dialogue at times (you know the kind – the writers are not sure the audience will get the absolute obvious, so they have a character actually say the obvious out loud. They have to spell it out for all the morons they must be pandering) and you got a B-Movie with what I assume is still an A-list star??? The directing does not help, nor does the editing (whom I'll give a pass since the director handed the editor B-movie scenes). In all the film is uninspired, routine and mostly flawed with an inconsistent feel on every level.

At some points I would have given this film a 3 (mostly when that awful dialogue would proceed), a moment here and there a 5. But luckily, the best performance came from Tom Skerritt, (who managed to maintain a level of quality the rest involved could not) and his presence near the end saved a lower rating (yes, its true, parts of this film deserve lower than the overall 4).

No need to spend you hard earned money on this at the box office mess. Rent it on DVD if your REALLY bored or have an unlimited plan….or wait till skin-a-max shows it!! It may be worth the $1 Red Box rental.

An original film about crime in Antarctica. An excellent lead in to the story at the time of the cold war; a soviet plane crashes in Antarctic but what was it carrying? Fast forward to today. The female cop dealing with her own fears from previous cases is about to leave the base for winter, and just at this pivotal time people start to get bumped off. Interesting twists & turns emerge as she hunts for information & people who may provide answers. Well-paced & good narrative right through to the end. Great locations & beautiful photography of that magnificent place.

The first few minutes of watching Kate Beckinsale stripping was....well, expected and pleasant. But it is becoming routine for her in her movies.

That entire sequence was made to keep us guys interested for the rest of this rather predictable movie. It served no other purpose at all. (Yeah, she's still got an incredible body) This movie has a very simple and uncomplicated plot. Even the "twist" is totally predictable. I knew who the villain was in the first 15-20 minutes of the film.

The movie is paced quite evenly without much up and down except for a rather unusual "action" sequence somewhere in the middle of the film, involving ice-pick, a blizzard (white-out), and a lot of guiding ropes. The action could have been better if not for some blurry fast action moments. I had no idea what happened for a few seconds. they kicked, he fell, she fell....

No surprise at all. Wait for the DVD. This is a good movie to watch on a small screen.

Neither great nor horrible, it's entertaining, smart, and sometimes has some surprises that are worth seeing, but expect action thriller melodrama as opposed to science fiction intrigue.

The main problem is that it's often too formulaic and cliché, sometimes nearly nonsensical. It feels in many ways like any other FBI/CIA international mystery thriller involving lots of brutally murdered people, with the exception of the setting.

Nice FX and a sort of gore horror film element (that axe murderer story lovers will greatly appreciate) add something beyond the FBI melodrama to create some excitement, thrills, and disturbing moments.

Okay, this isn't a Great movie. It's not even a great whodunit. But in a world where old Charlie Chan pot-boilers have a cult following, and boneheaded Spielberg spectaculars are considered works of genius, I'd say that Whiteout definitely has a place.

What did I like about Whiteout? I loved the setting. ANY movie set in the confines of an Antarctic research station is okay with me. (There aren't nearly enough of them!) I loved the characters. Kate Beckinsale isn't in the front ranks of thespians, but she's a solid leading lady, and brings a good mix of likability, vulnerability and toughness to this part. The supporting characters are just fine as well. I loved the idea of setting an action-mystery in this odd locale, and I greatly enjoyed the way the mystery unraveled - predictable though it may have been. And I loved the various ways that the frozen environment is brought in as an element in the story.

What did I hate? Not a thing. True, the cold is not treated realistically. Too many people walking around bareheaded and such. Yes, it's a dopey Hollywood convention. But in a little action flick like this one, I wasn't bothered - at all. Did I hate the acting? No. It was just right for this kind of film. Did I have problems with the writing? Okay... there were a few bits of logic that could have been tighter. But, again, no worse than in many movies that get a 10/10 from every blockhead on Earth. (I won't itemize... this review is going to get enough down-checks as it is.)

Bottom line, Whiteout is a pile of fun. It's a 'genre' film, with few if any artistic pretensions. But it delivers the goods where it counts. I've watched it several times on DVD, and expect to enjoy it quite a few more. If you don't get it, go watch some Merchant-Ivory drawing room masterpiece, and we'll all be happy.

"Whiteout" was dead on arrival. Word has it that this movie has been sitting on a studio shelf for some time now. This usually isn't a good sign and while some films that have delayed releases turn out to be good, Whiteout is not.

The problem with Whiteout is not the acting or the direction, but with the awful script and tired storyline. There is not one thing here that is new or original. A "killer-on-the-loose" story needs twists, revelations, and the one's given in Whiteout are solely lacking creativity. Many will guess who is pulling the strings before the first act is up. Second, the story is boring and uneventful. Save a few chases scored to pounding music, not much happens. The film tries to establish a sense of urgency with an oncoming intense snow storm. This element does little to add to the story aside from a need to get off the continent.

Whiteout is truly a celebration of mediocrity that fails on all accounts. At the time this was supposedly filmed, Beckinsale was probably still trying to cement herself as a star in Hollywood. It makes sense that she took the role. However, and for her benefit, she has done far better since. That makes this film seem even more out of place.

Don't waste your time or money. Don't waste a DVD rental. Whiteout just isn't worth it.

Good mystery / action film well acted although a few plot holes. Great photography and a bit of a twist. Worth a watch.

This one takes place at a research facility on earth's most remote continent, where hours before the entire crews 6-month departure, a dead body is discovered. This leads the sites US Marshall to investigate the circumstances that lead to the man's death, and whether or not foul play (or something else) had anything to do with it. While investigating the death, our US Marshall must also face the ever increasing dropping temperatures of the South Pole.

I'll start by saying that this is not a blockbuster movie by any means. It's not bad either. Especially if you want to turn off your brain and watch a movie. Not to mention, you get to see Beckinsale the whole run time. What's not to love about that?!?

Just came from the Premiere of Whiteout in Westwood.

This movie has a really stunning poster. And that is the best I can say for the movie.

The first 10 minutes of the film, involving the Russian transport plane, is the most exciting part of the movie. You can leave after that part.

Everything in this movie has been done before. The cop who has had a crisis on the job .. the flashbacks .. the reservation about your job .. etc.

The most beautiful part of the movie was the scenery. However in most scenes, there were so much snow blowing around (Whiteout) you couldn't see all of the action.

Reese Witherspoon was scheduled to play the lead. Not that Kate Beckinsale wasn't good in the movie, but the script catered on the gore instead of on the quality of the plot.

A thrilling and a creepy movie, with lots of killings and a twisted ending . It's a mystery film from production company called "Dark Castle" , and full of thrills , action , suspense , chills , shocks , twists and turns . U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko (Kate Beckinsale) is three days from the final of her tour at an international research station in Antarctica in which the sun is about to set for six months , after which she'll resign . The continent's first winter storm is coming when a body, wearing no gear, is discovered in the ice , along with a downed Soviet aircraft . She must find a motive and a killer before the storm and her departure . As she will have to resolve the case and face off mysterious enemies. There are various suspect people , some appearing seemingly out of nowhere. They are the following ones : Gabriel Match is an UN agent called Robert Pryce who is keen on her . Tom Skerritt is the friend doctor who cares her . Alex O'Loughlin is a suspicious worker . Shawn Doyle is a nervous mission chief , among others . Who is the killer ? . See Your Last Breath.

In the film there is whodunit , intrigue , thriller , drama , a little bit of action and is deal entertaining . It's a good thrilling and spooky film which begins with an US Marshal who investigates a murdered corpse at tundra and , soon finds more and more bodies ; furthermore , the climate's deadly elements add suspense to the flick . It takes bits and pieces from the best examples of the genre to fusion it to a thrilling movie . Colorful cinematography by Christopher Soos , being shot on location in Lake Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada , Cité du Cinéma, Montréal, Québec, Canada , Gimli, Manitoba , Lundar Beach Provincial Park, Manitoba, Winnipeg, Boucherville, St-Hubert Airport, Saint-Hubert, Québec, Canada and Alaska , the northern most point in continental North America and both real and fake snow were used in production which scientists said was the closest location in feel to McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Stars Kate Beckinsale gives a decent acting as a tough Marshal really affected by and incident from her past that haunts her. Kate Beckinsale was producer Joel Silver's first choice for the role of Carrie Stetko .Support cats is pretty good such as Gabriel Macht , Tom Skerritt as an aging physician about to retire , Columbus Short ,Shawn Doyle and Alex O'Loughlin , pre-Hawaii 5.0.

The film was lavishly produced by Warner Bros in association with Dark Castle , production specialized on terror genre and in charge of Joel Silver , Robert Zemeckis and Gilbert Adler ; both of them have produced successful terror movies dealing with eerie tales about horror , grisly killings and lots of blood and gore such as ¨Gothika¨, ¨House of haunted hill¨, ¨Return to house of haunted hill¨ , ¨13 ghosts¨ , ¨Ghost ship¨, ¨House of wax¨ ,¨Splice¨ , ¨The reaping¨ , ¨Orphan¨ , among others . Although it was not the first Dark Castle Entertainment movie to receceive awful reviews and wasn't the last. It was the first, however, and still is, to be released from this production company along with Warner Bros shelved the film for about two years . The motion picture was professionally directed by Dominic Sena , though it resulted to be critically panned . Dominic Sena is a fan of the "Whiteout" graphic novel, and when rights were acquired by Dark Castle Entertainment , Sena petitioned president Joel Silver for the opportunity to direct .Rating : acceptable and passable. The film will appeal to Kate Beckinsale fans .

Okay. It's acknowledged, that even though someone has taken a Y A W N...ho hum plot line, at least to a new venue -- the coldest place on earth, they failed to give us at least the sense of actually being there. Instead, the story is broken up with the thought, "Yeah, this is a studio lot." But, wait. Did I see Kate Duh De Duh, the leading lady in a tank top!! P a a l e a s s e! With temperatures below minus 30-40 degrees, where skin freezes in seconds, don't think that the audience has forgotten where the story is taking place, even though they're inside! Just outside these minimally insulated walls, there are the bleakest, most harshest conditions on the planet. Our leading lady wouldn't be in makeup, would she. No! She'd be in flannel, perhaps or insulated and layered clothing! She might as well been in a Condo off the beaches at Palm Coast! We are tired of pap movies, boring plots and dare I say...cartoon movies! Give us what we want. And may I speak for most all other intelligent and interesting movie fans: Be creative, yes. But also hire technical experts to match the location, so that you don't 'dumb-down' the viewing pleasure and cause us, as we're watching to laugh at how bad the 'presentation' of the movie really is, leaving us with the feelings of being insulted and taken for our money. Grade: D-

An actually entertaining and tense thriller. This film feels a bit different to other films and is it as it is all about a mystery in the snow. With less know actors, this film actually was entertaining and ended well

Based on a graphic novel, this tells of Carrie Stetko, a U.S. Marshal on assignment in Antarctica due to her own personal exile. Nearing the end of her tenure in the great white south, she gets sucked into a murder mystery when a body is found on the ice.

I have never read the graphic novel, and if it was as poorly done as this film, I never care to. Pitiful, repetitive dialogue (count the "Oh my God"s), generic music blaring over the scenes on an almost nonstop basis, stiff performances and a mystery that is far from mysterious. The resolution of said mystery leaves you thinking "That's it?" more than anything. The director repeatedly beats us over the head with things that would best be discovered later on, but since we know before the characters, it sucks out any possible suspense there might have been. You can also spot one of the villains based on an old TV show rule.

Whiteout fails to excite or intrigue. It's about as generic as they come. Skip it.