Ice Station Zebra

Oh what happened to those saturday evenings with great films? This was one such film, a great cast, riveting from start to finish, its not totally clear as to what is really going on at "Ice Station Zebra" and the 3 chaps on the sub may or may not be who they say they are (brown, borgnine or mcgoohan). All becomes clear as you continue to watch, so dont expect me to spoil it all for you. A great "spy" type thriller with good action scenes and dialogue that fits the film. One of the 1st films which does not have a female actress anywhere in the cast, so its to be hoped no one tries to remake it....really great entertainment....catch this!

In each year of the 60s MGM seemed to release three $10 million dollar movies. I have never seen a film company so dedicated to ensure their output was simply colossal. With this aim, some good ideas were boosted up and into mega colossal whopper H-U-G-E ambitions that were presented in 70mm, ran over 2.5 hours and commanded luxury picture palace sized first release cinemas world wide. As such an experience they all looked sounded and presented with this aim intact. Today the lion is in a cage at Warner Bros and Foxtel screens the films in the centre panel crippled by pan and scan only. I can hear the poor beast crying. ICE STATION ZEBRA is the MGM version of a James Bond film and succeeds in the experience offered above. On TV it is a compromised "TV show" and faults become so apparent that you might switch off. I suggest any chance to see this film on a large cinema screen will allow you to be swept up in the excitement of a pensive thriller. By the time we get to the location of the title, and the hilariously silly set made clearly of plastic icebergs and santasnow to see what seems to be a cold war picnic at the North Pole, you will be more aghast that the climax could be so shoddy and lame. It looks like a TV station Santa-set with fur parkas and guns instead of helpers. But, under the spell of the cinema, belief is suspended and the film succeeds. On TV you start wondering why there is no frosty breath and warm heads under beanies.

This film is very underrated on this site. It is in a genre that is not really made very often any more--action adventure that is plausible both in plot and technology. And the action adventure plays equal footing to the actual acting and dialog. It is closer to an World War II action film than to, say, one of Arnold Schwartzeneger's action films.

As an artistic piece of work, the lack of women (and any romantic story) keeps this cold war picture completely focused on the primary story, and makes the actors work all that much harder to keep the viewer engaged.

There is also a good bit of spectacular on-location filming that still takes your breath away with its beauty. The actual polar icecap scenes (with actors) where the focal point of the movie's action takes place is a set. And it is a glorious one. No CGI imagery here! I bought this DVD for this film in a bargain bin. If you get the chance snap one up, or rent it and watch it on a decent TV. Great transfer.

Good score as well.

The very first film Rock Hudson did after finishing his contractual obligations at Universal Studios was no cheapie. Ice Station Zebra was spared no expense by MGM in bringing the Alistair McLean Cold War novel to the screen. Unfortunately this and some other ill conceived projects are what brought MGM to bankruptcy in the next decade.

Though it got only so-so reviews and didn't have the box office that MGM wanted and needed, Ice Station Zebra has stood up well and is really best seen on the big screen. Even a letter boxed version doesn't do the vast polar landscapes justice nor the underwater shots neither. The film was nominated for special effects and color cinematography.

Watching Rock Hudson in command of the U.S.S. Tigerfish was like watching James T. Kirk in charge of the Enterprise. I wouldn't be surprised if Hudson took a few cues from William Shatner in his performance.

Hudson has an Enterprise like mission and later on leads an away team on a polar icecap where a Russian spy satellite has been busy photographing all of the U.S. missile launching sites. The film is wanted by both sides and both sides send teams to get it.

It's a curious bunch that Hudson has to deal with on his team. A Russian defector scientist Ernest Borgnine, British agent Patrick McGoohan (wasn't that ever natural casting) and spit and polish Marine captain Jim Brown. They've all got varying agendas and one in his crew is a double agent.

The highlight of the film is the standoff with Hudson and Russian colonel Alf Kjellin. They are an evenly matched pair, I would not like to be playing poker with.

Ice Station Zebra is far better than the reviews it got at the time. Even with the Cold War over, it's still an exciting and suspense filled film.

I don't know how I missed this film for 40 years, but I corrected that mistake.

Not a blockbuster, with the only outstanding features being the cinematography and special effects, it is nevertheless a taut cold war thriller.

The interplay between Rock Hudson, Ernest Borgnine. Patrick McGoohan, and to a lesser extent, Jim Brown made this a film where you are constantly focused on who is the good guy, and who is the bad.

Long at 148 minutes, it never lags. There is a very good reason why Alistair MacLean novels make good pictures,