Against the Ice

I'm usually fairly stingy when giving my star ratings, so my 7 star rating here is meant as a high rating when coming from me. I felt the events were mostly realistically portrayed which I appreciated since it's based on a true story. I think Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has a characteristic of likability that makes you root for him even if the characters he plays might normally be hard to side with (similar to Bryan Cranston), and that's helpful in this case. If you like exploration and survival stories this is definitely worth watching.

A solid icy wilderness adventure film, based on a true story about a Danish expedition to discover the extent of Greenland. It's not quite up there with Mads Mikkelsen's ARCTIC but it's nonetheless an enduring and very well made production, with a good eye for detail throughout and fine performances from the two leads.

"Against The Ice" is a movie that explains why Greenland belongs to Denmark and part of it was contested by the Americans. This is the plot and storyline, very simple. Ejnar (played by Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Iver (played by Joe Cole) were real people who embarked on a grim expedition in 1909 to follow up on a previous Danish expedition in 1907. The movie is slow paced but thanks to the cinematography it did not bother me at al. Don´t look forward to great dialogues because the most sound you will hear, will come from the wind howling. The acting performances from Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Joe Cole were very convincing as opposed to the unconvincing CGI polar bears. If you´re a history buff or nature fan, you will definitely like this movie.

Engaging story that hooks the viewer from the start. This adventure movie doesn't disappoint mainly because it takes place in one of the most forbidding places imaginable.

It's a triumph of the human spirit; a tribute to man's audacity, tenacity and raw courage. Capt. Ejnar Mikkelsen and Ivar Iverson achieved the impossible their sanity intact despite the danger, hunger and extreme cold for more than 2 years and 4 months. They are true heroes, and the impact of Mikkelsen's exploits is far-reaching to Denmark. It debunked foreign claims to parts of Greenland.

Nicolas Coster-Waldau and Joe Cole portray their roles admirably. No fancy acting but believably honest depiction of their plight in the icy wilderness.

Incredible story, but I think I would die of absolute boredom. That is a long time to be stuck on a desolate frozen piece of land.

As for how that story was portrayed on film. Very much so-so. They still did it justice and all, but it honestly just seemed void of any real tension. The cinematography is pretty decent, but asides from that there's nothing that really stands out.

If you enjoy survival movies, or the arctic like I do than it's alright, but if you don't it's sure to be a bore.

'Arctic' with Mads Mikkelsen was better.