# Can "Snowpiercer" possibly not be as stupid as it sounds? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 27, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825 "2014-06-27T23:40:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/21 "2014-06-28T13:51:25Z")
I’ve seen it, and thank god I didn’t pay anything for it. It’s a bunch of sci-fi & action movie cliches bundled together, with a central conceit that doesn’t stand up to even the most cursory of examinations. If I would bother rating it for IMDB, I wouldn’t go higher than a 5 tops. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/22 "2014-06-28T14:08:20Z")
> [@GreedySmurf](#): > > If I would bother rating it for IMDB, I wouldn’t go higher than a 5 tops. Can you venture a guess on why it is so loved by the critics (84 on Metacritic, 92 at Rotten Tomatoes)?. There must be something there that is not obvious from a quick synopsis. ETA: Then again, they also lurved _Crash_, so… ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/23 "2014-06-28T14:37:22Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > Can you venture a guess on why it is so loved by the critics (84 on Metacritic, 92 at Rotten Tomatoes)?. There must be something there that is not obvious from a quick synopsis. > > ETA: Then again, they also lurved _Crash_, so… It did have a certain style to it that was reasonably appealing, and some of the set piece action sequences were well executed. But for me there were just too many issues, the most destructive of which was the main conceit of the train itself, it’s not spoiling to say that it is circling an Iceball Earth, and the initial explanation of the train in relation to that made little sense, and as more of the background is revealed over the course of the movie it just gets worse and more unbelievable, both the organisation and structure of the train and the carriages and the background of how it works and why it was built, etc. I basically had little suspension of disbelief from the start, and it dwindled to nothing pretty early, which tainted the whole movie for me. I can only speculate that those sort of details didn’t bother the critics. Happy to spoiler box some of my specific problems if you’re interested. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/24 "2014-06-28T16:01:35Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > All I have learned from all the dystopian movies I have seen is that, it is the rich that hold society together. If they all head off somewhere and leave the rest of us behind we immediately become barbaric, violent, mindless savages. Seems we can’t get by without our wealthy overlords. Or, that apocalypse is\* inevitable\*, BUT!..When it looks like the feces are about to hit the ventilator, the privileged will just grab ALL that’s good and useful and hightail it to safety, leaving the masses to face the chaos bare-handed, and\* nobody will be able to do or try to do anything _about it (_) – and yet they somehow do leave the proles with just enough means so that if there’s adequate leadership and the will for it, they will rise up and breach the sacred retreat. (Which is something I appreciate about _1984_ - Big Brother makes sure nobody can rise again) Also when the masses finally get to take over the sacred retreat of the super privileged or overthrow the Hegemon, what? Everyone on Earth achieves a middling-good quality of life? Or everyone on Earth gets equalized to barbaric savagery? Postapoc/dystopian movies tend to not answer that. (\*)This first part being a not entirely unreasonable fear. Come to think of it this first part reminds me of Predispensational Rapture theology – the already-blessed will be safely assumed and then the rest of us will have to deal with plagues, disasters, persecutions, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/25 "2014-06-28T16:55:43Z")
> [@GreedySmurf](#): > > It did have a certain style to it that was reasonably appealing, and some of the set piece action sequences were well executed. But for me there were just too many issues, the most destructive of which was the main conceit of the train itself, it’s not spoiling to say that it is circling an Iceball Earth, and the initial explanation of the train in relation to that made little sense, and as more of the background is revealed over the course of the movie it just gets worse and more unbelievable, both the organisation and structure of the train and the carriages and the background of how it works and why it was built, etc. Incoherent premise, huh? It’s a regular _Murder on the Disorient Express_. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/26 "2014-06-28T18:54:40Z")
I read this thread, watched the trailer, I now have zero interest in the film. Looks like it’s one of those message films that delivers the message with a sledge hammer, over and over again. Also, it’s French, and when the French do Sci Fi they are often beaucoup stupide! ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/27 "2014-06-28T20:26:17Z")
WOW. All I can think of is how this could have gotten beyond the 3am drunken brain storming process. Surely they were sober the next day when funding was discussed. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/28 "2014-06-29T04:29:23Z")
> [@GreedySmurf](#): > > It did have a certain style to it that was reasonably appealing, and some of the set piece action sequences were well executed. But for me there were just too many issues, the most destructive of which was the main conceit of the train itself, it’s not spoiling to say that it is circling an Iceball Earth, and the initial explanation of the train in relation to that made little sense, and as more of the background is revealed over the course of the movie it just gets worse and more unbelievable, both the organisation and structure of the train and the carriages and the background of how it works and why it was built, etc. > > I basically had little suspension of disbelief from the start, and it dwindled to nothing pretty early, which tainted the whole movie for me. > > I can only speculate that those sort of details didn’t bother the critics. > > Happy to spoiler box some of my specific problems if you’re interested. I haven’t seen this movie, but I have read a few reviews. They mostly say something along these lines: “The movie requires a tremendous suspension of disbelief, but if you can get past that the movie is GREAT.” I imagine if you can’t get past that disbelief it wouldn’t work at all for you. ETA: Apparently, the movie has already been a big hit in other parts of the world. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/29 "2014-06-29T05:02:31Z")
I’ve seen it. It’s a pretty damn good movie. Much better than I was expecting, though I didn’t know what to expect going in. Felt like Terry Gilliam meets Stephen Chow in the best possible way. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/30 "2014-06-29T06:48:24Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > I haven’t seen this movie, but I have read a few reviews. They mostly say something along these lines: “The movie requires a tremendous suspension of disbelief, but if you can get past that the movie is GREAT.” > > I imagine if you can’t get past that disbelief it wouldn’t work at all for you. > > ETA: Apparently, the movie has already been a big hit in other parts of the world. I don’t know if I’d call it great, even if I could of maintained my suspension, it was a somewhat paint by numbers action movie IMO, with plenty of the standard cliches. It did have a certain style to it, which in hindsight screams ‘Euro’, kind of a Fifth Element vibe in some respects. (And I love the Fifth Element). ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/31 "2014-06-29T12:44:07Z")
I have no desire to see the film, but I read its wiki entry, cuz I don’t mind being spoilered on something I’m not invested it. And, based off of that synopsis, it would require expulsion of disbelief. Wait…“suspension” of disbelief? Do we mean “paused” disbelief, or “I’m taking disbelief off and putting it on a hanger in the closet?” If it’s the latter, then it doesn’t require suspension. It needs disbelief to have its legs broken, nailed to a cross and left to die similar to [scaphism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaphism). ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/32 "2014-07-06T05:25:49Z")
Saw it. Loved it! I’ll give it an 8. Favorite when Olivia cracked her hard boiled egg open on the smart mouth little Irish girl. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/33 "2014-07-06T06:15:29Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > Can you venture a guess on why it is so loved by the critics (84 on Metacritic, 92 at Rotten Tomatoes)?. There must be something there that is not obvious from a quick synopsis. Because it’s written and directed by [Joon-ho Bong](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0094435/reference), an up and coming Korean writer/director who wrote and directed two other pretty amazing movies. I first became aware of him with **Gwoemul** (known in America as [The Host](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468492/reference), and no, not the terrible Sheersha Ronan movie). It’s a nifty little [Korean monster movie](http://youtu.be/IfNg_BveIks) that’s scary and funny and poignant at the same time. It’s at [93% at Rotten Tomatoes](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gwoemul_2006/). Then he did a creepy movie called [Mother](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216496/reference) (“A mother desperately searches for the killer that framed her son for a girl’s horrific murder”) which got all kinds of [nominations and wins](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216496/awards) during awards season in 3 different years (because of staggered release dates). It’s at [95% at Rotten Tomatoes](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/madeo/). Critics have been aware of him for a long time, and know to expect the bizarre and bent and interesting. Those who can go with his vision will have a good time. Those who can’t (“No way could a monster like that exist! Sheesh!”) should probably not watch any of his movies. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/34 "2014-07-06T12:11:02Z")
Why did _Children of Men_ and _Brazil_ get such good reviews (and audience reactions) despite their premises making no more sense than _Snowpiercer_ did? I consider them all to be examples of slipstream fiction. They are all quasi-science fiction where the scientific background is pretty illogical. One poster above has already compared this movie to Christopher Priest’s works. I’d further compare it to J. G. Ballard’s works: > **[Slipstream genre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slipstream_(genre))** > > The slipstream genre is a term denoting forms of speculative fiction that do not remain in conventional boundaries of genre and narrative, directly extending from the experimentation of the New Wave science fiction movement while also borrowing from fantasy, psychological fiction, philosophical fiction and other genres or styles of literature. > The term was invented by Richard Dorsett according to an interview with renowned cyberpunk author Bruce Sterling in Mythaxis Review. He said: > It was in... [http://www.readercon.org/docs/slipcanon.pdf](http://www.readercon.org/docs/slipcanon.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/35 "2014-07-06T13:43:09Z")
This played in the cinemas in Bangkok a few months ago, so I was surprised it’s being touted as a summer movie in the US. We didn’t get to see it then but did recently see it on DVD at home. It’s a great film. We really liked it a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/36 "2014-07-06T14:00:12Z")
It’s being rolled out around the world very slowly. According to the IMDb, part of the funding for it came from American sources. Despite this, the U.S. is one of the last places where it’s being released. How many films with American funding do you know of that were released in Mongolia, Romania, Kuwait, and Vietnam before they were released in the U.S.? ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/37 "2014-07-06T14:29:03Z")
I saw it recently. A lot of American movies this summer are remakes or sequels to movies that weren’t very good to start with. “Snowpiecer” had me smiling the whole time at its inventiveness and originality. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/38 "2014-07-06T15:21:28Z")
83 on Metacritic, 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 7.0 on IMDb. People who’ve seen it appear to like it more than people who haven’t. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/39 "2014-07-06T15:33:02Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > 83 on Metacritic, 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 7.0 on IMDb. People who’ve seen it appear to like it more than people who haven’t. We do see a few threads here from time to time with titles like, “(New Movie) is going to be awesome!!” or “(New Movie) is going to suck”. Better to wait until there is a critical consensus or you see the film to make those judgement calls. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825/40 "2014-07-06T16:06:35Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > I saw it recently. A lot of American movies this summer are remakes or sequels to movies that weren’t very good to start with. “Snowpiecer” had me smiling the whole time at its inventiveness and originality. OK, assuming someone thought Avatar was retarded, how would you think this movie would be viewed by said person? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-snowpiercer-possibly-not-be-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/691825.md?page=3)