148 reviews
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.
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.
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,
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,
- lastliberal-853-253708
- Jun 12, 2015
- Permalink
Spectacular film about Cold War filmed mostly in study that won two Academy Award nominations : Cinematography and special visual effects. Captain James Ferraday (this was Rock Hudson's favourite film of his own, and also of Howard Hughes ; Charlton Heston was originally offered the role but turned it down, saying there was no characterization in the script) , Commander of the nuclear submarine called USS Tigershark, is assigned to the polar ice region on a rescue mission when an emergency signal is heard from a research station, Ice Station Zebra (in real life, there was no "Ice Station Zebra", but there was an "Ice Station Alpha" which was situated in a Arctic's Ice Island). On board there is a civilian and possibly a spy named David Jones (Laurence Harvey was originally cast in Patrick McGoohan's role) , whose orders are dark . Ferraday doesn't like being kept in the secret but Jones is strongly secretive and doesn't give much away . Along the way, they collect two additional passengers, a Russian veteran named Boris Vaslov (the recently deceased Ernest Borgnine) , likely also a spy, and an African-American Marine Captain (Jim Brown) . Based on the novel (1963) by Alistair MacLean, Scottish author of Best-seller novels such as "The Guns of Navarone" . It's one of two Alistair MacLean filmed adaptations released in 1968, the other was ¨Where Eagles Dare¨. Changes made from the Alistair MacLean source novel of the same name for this film included the name of the nuclear submarine, the Dolphin, which was re-named the USS Tigerfish and the names of two characters: Submarine Commander Swanson became Commander Ferraday and spy Dr. Carpenter became David Jones .
It is one of the most thrilling and exciting films set on the years of the Cold War. Great superproduction with all-star-cast , impressive scenes , shimmer photography and a vibrant sound , the time has increased its documentary value. The acting of the interesting characters is believable and convincing, especially by Patrick McGoohan and the Russian Colonel well played by Alf Kjellin . Special appearance by Lloyd Nolan and film debut for Ron Masak .The film's story has similarities with the real life events, reported in the media in April 1959, of the Discoverer II experimental Corona satellite capsule that went missing and was recovered by Soviet intelligence agents after it crashed near Spitsbergen in the Arctic Ocean ; Spitsbergen is in Norway's Svalbard archipelago of islands which is where both Alistair MacLean 's novel and the film of Bear Island is set. The screenplay has eloquent dialogue, continuous tension and surprising twists that keep the viewer's attention .The soundtrack by singer and French composer Michel Legrand -"The Umbrellas of Cherbourg"- , is full of vibrant sound , brings a solemn score, cutting edge, played by an orchestra of wind . Colorful cinematography in glimmer color by Daniel Fapp. Unique and innovative underwater camera equipment was developed for this movie by 2nd unit cameraman and cinematographer 'John M Stephens', a former U.S.A. Navy diver, who is billed in the credits for additional arctic photography , the camera system enabled the first ever filming of a continuous submarine dive and this technical innovation produced some outstanding photography for the picture.
The visual effects, despite its quality, not 'see that snow is artificial, that the landscape of the polar station is mounted on set ; his picture is the first of two movies based on an Alistair MacLean novel set in rugged icy and snowy terrain , the second would be Bear Island about eleven years later. John Sturges' filmmaking is absorbent and entertaining , a good job , It's one of two filmed Alistair MacLean adaptations directed by Sturges , the other was ¨The Satan Bug¨ made and released about three years earlier . The production shoot for ¨Ice Station Zebra¨ went for nineteen weeks, from Spring 1967 until October 1967. Rating : Very good , wholesome seeing .
It is one of the most thrilling and exciting films set on the years of the Cold War. Great superproduction with all-star-cast , impressive scenes , shimmer photography and a vibrant sound , the time has increased its documentary value. The acting of the interesting characters is believable and convincing, especially by Patrick McGoohan and the Russian Colonel well played by Alf Kjellin . Special appearance by Lloyd Nolan and film debut for Ron Masak .The film's story has similarities with the real life events, reported in the media in April 1959, of the Discoverer II experimental Corona satellite capsule that went missing and was recovered by Soviet intelligence agents after it crashed near Spitsbergen in the Arctic Ocean ; Spitsbergen is in Norway's Svalbard archipelago of islands which is where both Alistair MacLean 's novel and the film of Bear Island is set. The screenplay has eloquent dialogue, continuous tension and surprising twists that keep the viewer's attention .The soundtrack by singer and French composer Michel Legrand -"The Umbrellas of Cherbourg"- , is full of vibrant sound , brings a solemn score, cutting edge, played by an orchestra of wind . Colorful cinematography in glimmer color by Daniel Fapp. Unique and innovative underwater camera equipment was developed for this movie by 2nd unit cameraman and cinematographer 'John M Stephens', a former U.S.A. Navy diver, who is billed in the credits for additional arctic photography , the camera system enabled the first ever filming of a continuous submarine dive and this technical innovation produced some outstanding photography for the picture.
The visual effects, despite its quality, not 'see that snow is artificial, that the landscape of the polar station is mounted on set ; his picture is the first of two movies based on an Alistair MacLean novel set in rugged icy and snowy terrain , the second would be Bear Island about eleven years later. John Sturges' filmmaking is absorbent and entertaining , a good job , It's one of two filmed Alistair MacLean adaptations directed by Sturges , the other was ¨The Satan Bug¨ made and released about three years earlier . The production shoot for ¨Ice Station Zebra¨ went for nineteen weeks, from Spring 1967 until October 1967. Rating : Very good , wholesome seeing .
Big-budget, all-star, action-packed adventure about an American submarine sent to the North Pole to retrieve a downed satellite which contains a roll of film. The Russians want it as badly as the Americans because the film contains high-orbit pictures of BOTH country's missile sites.
Rock Hudson is the sub commander, Patrick McGoohan is the cynical secret agent with a dry wit (a roll he made famous in two famous British TV shows, `The Secret Agent' and `The Prisoner'), Jim Brown is a hard-nosed Marine captain, and Earnest Borgnine is a Russian defector working with McGoohan and the Americans to retrieve the valuable film.
The special effects of the Russian jets could have been much better, even in 1968. But the fantastic exterior arctic sets create a stylized North Pole as appealing as the sets of Altair 4 in `Forbidden Planet'. Sure they don't look `real' -- but that's doesn't mean they don't look good. And brother, they sure look BIG. Furthermore, these sets don't just sit there, they actually DO neat stuff: hugh blocks of ice converge and threaten to crush the sub's conning tower, and the conning tower raises and lowers through cracks in the ice!
Dynamite score by Michel LeGrand. Sterling screenplay by Douglas Heyes, riddled with sharp dialogue that the fine cast delivers perfectly (I love it when McGoohan tells Hudson that the film invented by America's German scientists was put into the camera invented by Britain's German scientists and sent up in the satellite invented by the Russian's German scientists. Funny.
Based on Alistair MacLean's best-selling novel. A genuine techno-thriller that predated Tom Clancy's work. And it was originally released at Cinerama theaters! Gotta love it . . .
Rock Hudson is the sub commander, Patrick McGoohan is the cynical secret agent with a dry wit (a roll he made famous in two famous British TV shows, `The Secret Agent' and `The Prisoner'), Jim Brown is a hard-nosed Marine captain, and Earnest Borgnine is a Russian defector working with McGoohan and the Americans to retrieve the valuable film.
The special effects of the Russian jets could have been much better, even in 1968. But the fantastic exterior arctic sets create a stylized North Pole as appealing as the sets of Altair 4 in `Forbidden Planet'. Sure they don't look `real' -- but that's doesn't mean they don't look good. And brother, they sure look BIG. Furthermore, these sets don't just sit there, they actually DO neat stuff: hugh blocks of ice converge and threaten to crush the sub's conning tower, and the conning tower raises and lowers through cracks in the ice!
Dynamite score by Michel LeGrand. Sterling screenplay by Douglas Heyes, riddled with sharp dialogue that the fine cast delivers perfectly (I love it when McGoohan tells Hudson that the film invented by America's German scientists was put into the camera invented by Britain's German scientists and sent up in the satellite invented by the Russian's German scientists. Funny.
Based on Alistair MacLean's best-selling novel. A genuine techno-thriller that predated Tom Clancy's work. And it was originally released at Cinerama theaters! Gotta love it . . .
- Bruce_Cook
- Mar 3, 2002
- Permalink
Commander James Ferraday (Rock Hudson), the captain of the nuclear submarine USS Tigerfish, receives the assignment to get three persons to North Pole: the civilian David Jones (Patrick McGoohan), the Russian deserter Boris Vaslov (Ernest Borgnine) and the marine Capt. Leslie Anders (Jim Brown). Their secret mission is to recover an American film from an English camera in a Russian spy satellite, which felt close to the Ice Station Zebra. The persons who work in the station are not responding to the radio call and nobody knows what might have happened with them. Along the voyage of USS Tigerfish, there is some sabotage on board meaning that probably one of the new passengers is a Russian spy. A tense and cynical end finishes a long but attractive story. Although the cold war is gone in the present days, this movie is still a good film. Rock Hudson and Patrick McGoohan have a great performance. My vote is seven.
- claudio_carvalho
- Nov 12, 2003
- Permalink
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.
After re-discovering Patrick McGoohan, I decided to give this film a try. I had heard the title mentioned for years, but had no clue what it was about.
The overall look of the film was rather impressive. I appreciated most of the technical aspects. You really feel like you would NOT want to be stationed on(in?) a submarine! The special effects weren't bad for 1968. The soundtrack is good as well.
When you have Borgnine and Jim Brown in a movie, you automatically think in terms of "The Dirty Dozen". They both did better in that film...
I have never been at all impressed with Rock Hudson, and found his acting to be rather wooden here. He does a good job with the regulation "sub speak", but, for example, in the post-flooding scene with McGoohan, he is very obviously not as impressive an actor as the Englishman (ok ok, McGoohan was born in the US to Irish parents, but they moved back to Ireland, then to England).
In fact, I (and so many others) feel McGoohan steals the movie. Of course, he had many years experience playing "secret agents", so this film may have been a cake-walk for him... just speak a bit more and trade in a black & white blazer for a warm parka! (He did, in fact have to take time off from filming "The Prisoner" to make Zebra.) His character's comments regarding bullet velocity in cold climates is a fan-favorite, along with "the coffee cup" and post-flood explanation. I swear the other actors were just standing there, watching his performance, forgetting the cameras were rolling.
In short, if you like submarines, spies, and mild action, you should like Zebra.
The overall look of the film was rather impressive. I appreciated most of the technical aspects. You really feel like you would NOT want to be stationed on(in?) a submarine! The special effects weren't bad for 1968. The soundtrack is good as well.
When you have Borgnine and Jim Brown in a movie, you automatically think in terms of "The Dirty Dozen". They both did better in that film...
I have never been at all impressed with Rock Hudson, and found his acting to be rather wooden here. He does a good job with the regulation "sub speak", but, for example, in the post-flooding scene with McGoohan, he is very obviously not as impressive an actor as the Englishman (ok ok, McGoohan was born in the US to Irish parents, but they moved back to Ireland, then to England).
In fact, I (and so many others) feel McGoohan steals the movie. Of course, he had many years experience playing "secret agents", so this film may have been a cake-walk for him... just speak a bit more and trade in a black & white blazer for a warm parka! (He did, in fact have to take time off from filming "The Prisoner" to make Zebra.) His character's comments regarding bullet velocity in cold climates is a fan-favorite, along with "the coffee cup" and post-flood explanation. I swear the other actors were just standing there, watching his performance, forgetting the cameras were rolling.
In short, if you like submarines, spies, and mild action, you should like Zebra.
- NellsFlickers
- Sep 29, 2019
- Permalink
- ShadeGrenade
- Sep 19, 2011
- Permalink
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.
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.
- bkoganbing
- May 8, 2007
- Permalink
Now I have always steered from watching this film most notably because of the distinctively average reviews it appears to get. A perfect example of ignore other reviews and enjoy it. After all a certain late Howard Hughes did! There are plenty of examples of films I liked better than the critics!
It has plenty of Cold Ward action as the US (aided by Britain) and the old USSR race towards a crash landed Soviet spy satellite with some juicy photos on board, in the Polar landscape of the North Pole. With a screenplay based on a literary work by Alistair MacLean who has had several successful films based on his books to note. If you like submarine films (like me) then this film is for you with a US nuclear powered sub racing to the North Pole under the ice-cap.
The director John Sturges had plenty of experience with ensemble casts and big budget films and this film doesn't disappoint in that respect. I'm thinking along the lines of The Great escape (1963) and The Magnificent Seven (1960).
I watched the film on a large screen TV. Watching some of the photography and seeing it was filmed in the old Cinerama, 70mm process I bet it looked amazing on big cinema projections? Indeed I believe it got an Oscar nomination for its cinematography.
The music has one of those chords that you just hum for hours. It also had an intermission in the cinema which I bet was amazing.
The cast put in good performances including Rock Hudson and Patrick MacGoohan, better known to British television audiences perhaps? (The Prisoner).
In my humble opinion a Cold War thriller worth the viewing.
It has plenty of Cold Ward action as the US (aided by Britain) and the old USSR race towards a crash landed Soviet spy satellite with some juicy photos on board, in the Polar landscape of the North Pole. With a screenplay based on a literary work by Alistair MacLean who has had several successful films based on his books to note. If you like submarine films (like me) then this film is for you with a US nuclear powered sub racing to the North Pole under the ice-cap.
The director John Sturges had plenty of experience with ensemble casts and big budget films and this film doesn't disappoint in that respect. I'm thinking along the lines of The Great escape (1963) and The Magnificent Seven (1960).
I watched the film on a large screen TV. Watching some of the photography and seeing it was filmed in the old Cinerama, 70mm process I bet it looked amazing on big cinema projections? Indeed I believe it got an Oscar nomination for its cinematography.
The music has one of those chords that you just hum for hours. It also had an intermission in the cinema which I bet was amazing.
The cast put in good performances including Rock Hudson and Patrick MacGoohan, better known to British television audiences perhaps? (The Prisoner).
In my humble opinion a Cold War thriller worth the viewing.
- tonypeacock-1
- Aug 4, 2023
- Permalink
Then this is your movie. The entire first half seems like nothing more than technical blabber about the workings of the sub. The real mystery is not to be revealed until after intermission. However by then the audience suffering in the dark will be totally indifferent. The final confrontation is confusing and absolutely anticlimactic. I like Patrick McGoohan, but even his presence cannot save this 150 minute clunker. To top things off, the Arctic scenes look more like the set for a high school play than the frigid outdoors. In summary, "Ice Station Zebra", despite a respectable cast, is a total waste of a considerable amount of time. - MERK
- merklekranz
- Jun 27, 2016
- Permalink
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!
- davyd-02237
- Jun 19, 2020
- Permalink
John Sturges brings his deft movie touch to this cold-war actioner by Alistair McLean.
It's got all of the novelist's usual stuff: hand-picked individuals, impossible mission, traitor in the camp and so on. Both McLean and Sturges knew how to keep a story moving.
A rogue commie satellite has been photographing strategic allied locations. Unfortunately; it has also turned on its makers and photographed commie locations too, making it the most valuable/dangerous piece of political/military gear in the world. It has crashed in the arctic at a civilian research site named 'Ice-Station Zebra'. Whoever finds it has the world in his hands. So; it's a race against time.
There's an interesting mix of players led by Rock Hudson as captain of a US nuclear submarine, and Patrick McGoohan doing his devious special-agent routine from British terrestrial TV's 'Danger Man' - later reprised in his immortal 'The Prisoner'. The chemistry between them is very good, emphasised by a witty and intelligent script. Ernie Borgnine also features well as a Russian-born double-agent.
It's a lavish movie. There's plenty of wide sweeps of the submarine both at sea and under it, with some interesting camera angles. These help offset the rather claustrophobic interior. That interior looks sufficiently realistic to pass muster to the uninformed as a genuine nuclear submarine of the time, with its curious mix of solid machinery and tacky 'modern' accommodation. Add to these a decent sound-effects and music package and little else is missing.
It's a taut, plot with lots of nice twists and a satisfactory conclusion. The most disappointing aspect is the rather stagy presentation of the arctic. The disintegrated base looks believable enough - though not a patch on Carpenter's later work in his 'Thing', but there's a little too much salt-n-Styrofoam for genuine plausibility. It's a pity they didn't spend the extra bucks and go on location big-time.
Still; like most of McLean's novels brought to screen, it's a worthy effort that still entertains today. The plot, script and characters see to that.
It's got all of the novelist's usual stuff: hand-picked individuals, impossible mission, traitor in the camp and so on. Both McLean and Sturges knew how to keep a story moving.
A rogue commie satellite has been photographing strategic allied locations. Unfortunately; it has also turned on its makers and photographed commie locations too, making it the most valuable/dangerous piece of political/military gear in the world. It has crashed in the arctic at a civilian research site named 'Ice-Station Zebra'. Whoever finds it has the world in his hands. So; it's a race against time.
There's an interesting mix of players led by Rock Hudson as captain of a US nuclear submarine, and Patrick McGoohan doing his devious special-agent routine from British terrestrial TV's 'Danger Man' - later reprised in his immortal 'The Prisoner'. The chemistry between them is very good, emphasised by a witty and intelligent script. Ernie Borgnine also features well as a Russian-born double-agent.
It's a lavish movie. There's plenty of wide sweeps of the submarine both at sea and under it, with some interesting camera angles. These help offset the rather claustrophobic interior. That interior looks sufficiently realistic to pass muster to the uninformed as a genuine nuclear submarine of the time, with its curious mix of solid machinery and tacky 'modern' accommodation. Add to these a decent sound-effects and music package and little else is missing.
It's a taut, plot with lots of nice twists and a satisfactory conclusion. The most disappointing aspect is the rather stagy presentation of the arctic. The disintegrated base looks believable enough - though not a patch on Carpenter's later work in his 'Thing', but there's a little too much salt-n-Styrofoam for genuine plausibility. It's a pity they didn't spend the extra bucks and go on location big-time.
Still; like most of McLean's novels brought to screen, it's a worthy effort that still entertains today. The plot, script and characters see to that.
- JasparLamarCrabb
- Mar 9, 2010
- Permalink
I first saw this film when it was released in 1968 at the Summit Cinerama theater in Detroit, and it was a fantastic movie going experience. I think the first thing that draws you into this film is the rousing score by Michel Legrand and the marvelous cinematography. The engrossing story moves along at a good pace aided by some very intelligent and witty dialogue. A superb cast of seasoned professionals including Rock Hudson, Ernest Borgnine, Jim Brown and especially a very suave and droll Patrick MacGoohan create fully realized characters that act and react in very real human emotions to some extremely tense and suspenseful situations. The next time you see this film in the TV listings, be sure to check it out and I think you will find it superior to many films of the same genre that have been made since. One thing I find puzzling is the fact that this classic has not been released on DVD, and I only hope it is very soon.
- qwingedserpent
- Jan 18, 2004
- Permalink
- robertmaybeth
- Dec 29, 2020
- Permalink
I belong to this category, definitely, my all time period- sixties, till mid seventies, but I must admit that this film is more than a bit overlong, so predictable too. I prefer SATAN BUG, from the same director and also adapted from an Alistair Mc Lean's book. It could have been shorter, and the cast is OK. Mc Goohan is here at his best for a long length feature, I don't remember him better in a movie. Typical Cold war espionage movie from this very era, decade. Photography, score, acting, nothing to deny, only the length is a bit too much for me. Not the best of Sturges, with MAROONED, which suffers of the same symptoms.
- searchanddestroy-1
- Mar 3, 2022
- Permalink
I saw this film when it was first released and thought I'd give it another viewing for nostalgia's sake.
I don't remember what I thought about it at the time so neither loved nor hated it. I do remember asking a friend if she'd like to join the group of us who were going to see it and she replied that she would as 'I like films about animals'. I don't know now if she was disappointed!
Anyway, I rewatched and made it to the finish (albeit in two sessions) and am in two minds about it. Patrick McGoohan was spot on with his role but the rest acted with the usual 'I do this now, then I do this and now I say this' method prevalent in most films of that era.
The premise was good - after all, it was based on an enjoyable yarn - but it was overlong and drawn out. It only really came to life when PM was explaining to RH what had happened to the satellite.
Silly mistakes jarred - Arctic storm with freezing temperatures and bare faces? Using oxy acetylene without goggles? Etc etc
Pleased I gave it a second viewing but there won't be a third.
I don't remember what I thought about it at the time so neither loved nor hated it. I do remember asking a friend if she'd like to join the group of us who were going to see it and she replied that she would as 'I like films about animals'. I don't know now if she was disappointed!
Anyway, I rewatched and made it to the finish (albeit in two sessions) and am in two minds about it. Patrick McGoohan was spot on with his role but the rest acted with the usual 'I do this now, then I do this and now I say this' method prevalent in most films of that era.
The premise was good - after all, it was based on an enjoyable yarn - but it was overlong and drawn out. It only really came to life when PM was explaining to RH what had happened to the satellite.
Silly mistakes jarred - Arctic storm with freezing temperatures and bare faces? Using oxy acetylene without goggles? Etc etc
Pleased I gave it a second viewing but there won't be a third.
Oh sorry - did I say "splendid" twice?? Well, that sums up what I feel about this film. Particularly "splendid" in my humble opinion was the portrayal of David Jones by the wonderful Patrick McGoohan, who is my favourite actor, so OK I'm a little biased here - but he really stood out for me. I love the way he seemed genuinely shaken after the "sabotage" act on the sub - drinking whisky-laden coffee with trembling hands. And of course Number 6's dry sense of humour, and heroic deeds.
And everyone else was pretty good too :) I know some of the scenery was obviously fake, but the sense of space across the ice flow, and the scenes of the sub trying to emerge from the ice were pretty impressive.
Anyway, I bought this yesterday on DVD and it was £16 well spent.
9/10.
And everyone else was pretty good too :) I know some of the scenery was obviously fake, but the sense of space across the ice flow, and the scenes of the sub trying to emerge from the ice were pretty impressive.
Anyway, I bought this yesterday on DVD and it was £16 well spent.
9/10.
- carolv_brady
- May 8, 2005
- Permalink
Ice Station Zebra was not exactly a huge success in its day, but it did have one major fan in reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. So much so that he would call the Las Vegas television station under his ownership and ensure that it was playing whenever he wanted it to, which in effect meant over a hundred times. What's ironic about that is that if he had lived into the eighties and beyond, he need not have bothered requesting it because the film is surely playing somewhere in the world at each minute of the day, and indeed there are those who follow Hughes' lead and watch it just about every time it airs.
While the film represents the work of some extremely talented people-the special effects are often stunning, the actors are uniformly outstanding, and the underwater and second-unit photography are of the highest order-it is simply too long. Any movie longer than ninety minutes really needs to earn its length, and this one does not. Some of the longest movies-Gone With the Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, The Leopard-truly justify every minute of their running time by never slackening the pace and never being less than transfixing at every moment.
Ice Station Zebra is only intermittently attention-grabbing and would have made for an exhilarating thriller at a slim ninety minutes, but the epic scale of a less-than-epic story, combined with an overture and entr'acte, drive the movie right up to the edge of tolerability. Yet, for better or worse, this is how movies like this were being made in 1968.
While the film represents the work of some extremely talented people-the special effects are often stunning, the actors are uniformly outstanding, and the underwater and second-unit photography are of the highest order-it is simply too long. Any movie longer than ninety minutes really needs to earn its length, and this one does not. Some of the longest movies-Gone With the Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, The Leopard-truly justify every minute of their running time by never slackening the pace and never being less than transfixing at every moment.
Ice Station Zebra is only intermittently attention-grabbing and would have made for an exhilarating thriller at a slim ninety minutes, but the epic scale of a less-than-epic story, combined with an overture and entr'acte, drive the movie right up to the edge of tolerability. Yet, for better or worse, this is how movies like this were being made in 1968.
- robfollower
- Aug 2, 2020
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Ice Station Zebra is an adaptation of an Alistair MacLean book. Spies! Submarines! Suspense! Well, not really suspense. The very first scene shows a satellite dropping a payload into the arctic that is obviously of some importance. Then, the next two thirds of the movie involves our fearless captain tasked with taking a British agent to the scene of the drop. Could it be that the agent has something to do with this capsule? Gee, I wonder? Our brave captain doesn't know, but of course we do, since the director bizarrely lets us in on this little secret, ruining about an hour and a half of suspense.
The actual bits of the movie inside the submarine are well done. The crew is professional and the technical jargon they use impressive. While some may find this boring, I found it nice to watch a believable captain command a believable ship.
And then, they make their way to the ice, and it all falls apart. Plot holes big enough to drive a submarine through. MiG 21s that magically turn into F4s through lazy use of stock film, greatly confusing the viewer. Spies that do things so illogical you'll just be shaking your head in disbelief. Acting so wooden and arbitrary you'll have trouble differentiating the corpses.
And of course, the fakeness. There is something so artificial in this movie that it just hurts. No, I'm not talking about the fact that the last third was obviously filmed in a sound studio with Styrofoam ice. Rather, it's Ernest Borgnine (you know, the captain from McHale's navy TV shows) trying to fake a Russian accent. Really and truly painful.
Ultimately, the bad accents, wooden acting, and Styrofoam ice would be forgivable if the plot made sense. Alas, it does not. It's as if the good scriptwriter was fired or took to drink halfway through. Unfortunately, the unsatisfactory feeling that results is enough for me to confidently give you a recommendation of "don't bother."
The actual bits of the movie inside the submarine are well done. The crew is professional and the technical jargon they use impressive. While some may find this boring, I found it nice to watch a believable captain command a believable ship.
And then, they make their way to the ice, and it all falls apart. Plot holes big enough to drive a submarine through. MiG 21s that magically turn into F4s through lazy use of stock film, greatly confusing the viewer. Spies that do things so illogical you'll just be shaking your head in disbelief. Acting so wooden and arbitrary you'll have trouble differentiating the corpses.
And of course, the fakeness. There is something so artificial in this movie that it just hurts. No, I'm not talking about the fact that the last third was obviously filmed in a sound studio with Styrofoam ice. Rather, it's Ernest Borgnine (you know, the captain from McHale's navy TV shows) trying to fake a Russian accent. Really and truly painful.
Ultimately, the bad accents, wooden acting, and Styrofoam ice would be forgivable if the plot made sense. Alas, it does not. It's as if the good scriptwriter was fired or took to drink halfway through. Unfortunately, the unsatisfactory feeling that results is enough for me to confidently give you a recommendation of "don't bother."
- LydiaOLydia
- Dec 23, 2007
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I've seen my share of movies, and Patrick McGoohan's performance in this one is my favorite of all time. Rock Hudson-led American sub ventures to remote arctic weather station on what is thought to be a rescue mission. Innocent trip develops into search and struggle for film that threatens the survival of the free world. Hudson's characteristic bluster fits sub captain role to a "T", and we finally get to see McGoohan in action as a British spy in a full-length film. McGoohan's chilling explanation to Hudson of the true purpose of the mission, which comes well into the film, is the crowning moment of the cold-war/spy movie genre ("and that is when the lights began to burn in the Kremlin...."). McGoohan is awesome throughout, although Hudson nearly upstages him in the finale if such a thing is possible. Good supporting cast includes the always-welcome Jim Brown. Deserves a DVD!! 10 out of 10
For a film of this period I was pleasantly surprised, movies of this genre made at this time have the tendency to feel rather dated and while there is a bit of that here on the whole it all looked good. The special effects were good and there was some interesting use of miniatures. The sets looked great, the latter part of the film is set in the polar icecaps and the set that was constructed for these scenes is brilliant. Inside as well the submarine, the main location used in the film, feels substantive and makes sense geographically, there is also some fun attention to detail with how the entire set tilts whenever they are diving. The acting is decent but in the end the way I'd describe this film is charming. You know it's all fake and some scenes do feel quite cliché but in the end it's a fun Cold War Thriller with a good cast and interesting mystery. Something nice to settle down and watch for a spare couple hours. 7/10.
Why is it that Hollywood have such a problem with scripts? What is the horror of making a movie that actually has the same story as the book it took it's title from? This MIGHT be a good movie provided that you haven't read the book but if you have, -don't bother.
The really good plot from the book that makes it impossible to put down the book until you have finished it is here transformed into a sad action caper with actors playing stereotypes.
Sorry but i really don't like this movie. The only DECENT McLean film is "Where Eagles Dare", probably because he wrote the book AFTER the script for the movie.
The really good plot from the book that makes it impossible to put down the book until you have finished it is here transformed into a sad action caper with actors playing stereotypes.
Sorry but i really don't like this movie. The only DECENT McLean film is "Where Eagles Dare", probably because he wrote the book AFTER the script for the movie.