Based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber,
Whiteout stars Kate Beckinsale (Underworld) as U.S. Marshall Carrie Stetko, who’s working a
very interesting and unique beat: Antarctica. She’s the lone law enforcement
official at an international South Pole research station. Although a veteran
federal agent, she deals mainly in small, misdemeanor crimes, and life in this
frozen wasteland has taken its toll on her. Carrie’s getting ready to leave
before the winter cutoff period and plans to turn in her Marshalls badge for
good. But then a strange case drops into her lap, almost literally.
A pilot has reported seeing a body on the ice not far from the research station.
It turns out to be the body of one of the station’s scientists, and he appears
to have fallen from a great height--however, he’s not wearing any mountain
climbing gear, and his leg is sewn up from a prior wound by what looks like a
hasty field dressing. Despite the suggestion of her friend Doc (the always good
Tom Skerritt) to just let McMurdo, the main American base in Antarctica, handle it,
Carrie decides to investigate this strange case on
her own. She feels it's her job to protect the people at the base, after all.
But who will protect Carrie?
It would be easy to dismiss this one as being CSI: Antarctica, but in spite of
its flaws, it’s actually a halfway decent little thriller. Beckinsale is very
good as the determined Stetko, who braves both the artic chill and an unknown
killer’s ice ax as she struggles to get to the bottom of what turns out to be a
pretty interesting mystery. The problem with Whiteout is that it falls back on
way too many mystery/thriller clichés, such as the really annoying, classic
scenario of when an informant call up with vital information--yet he doesn’t
want to talk over the phone; asking to meet with Carrie instead.
Oh, yeah, great idea! And why not just paint a bull’s-eye target on you, too,
while you’re at it? Another annoying thing for me was seeing how Carrie
conveniently keeps losing her gun so that she has no choice but to slug it out
with the ice ax wielding psycho every chance they meet. If only this was
directed by somebody with far better attention for detail, it might have been in
the same league as Smilia’s Sense Of Snow. But, this
movie is still not without its charms. If you ignore its shortcomings, Whiteout
should provide some fun for mystery lovers looking for a change of pace, as well
as fans of action films with a strong female lead.
--SF
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