Blue Ice (1992)

Director:

Russell Mulcahy

Writers (WGA):

Ted Allbeury (character)
Ron Hutchinson (written by)

Release Date:

9 October 1992 (UK)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

If Harry's past ever catches up with him, he won't live long enough to regret it.

Plot:

A former British secret service agent falls for an American woman and becomes entangled in a web of espionage.

Plot Keywords:

Affair | Blackmail | Spy | Love | Murder

Cast

Michael Caine	...	Harry Anders
Sean Young	...	Stacy Mansdorf
Ian Holm	...	Sir Hector
Bobby Short	...	Buddy
Alun Armstrong	...	Osgood
Sam Kelly	...	George
Jack Shepherd	...	Stevens
Philip Davis	...	Westy
Patricia Hayes	...	Old Woman
Mac Andrews	...	Trans Cab Driver
Alan MacNaughton	...	Lewis Mandorf
Todd Boyce	...	Kyle
Peter Forbes	...	Medic
Peter Gordon	...	Mortuary Attendant
Oliver Haden	...	Stacy's Driver

Runtime:

105 min | USA:96 min (DVD)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

M&M Productions

Trivia:

Sharon Stone originally had the Sean Young part. But when Basic Instinct (1992) was a success, she backed out.

Quotes:

[after a police officer tries to coerce him]
Harry Anders: You frightened me so much, I'm spilling my tea.

Movie Connections:

References The Ipcress File (1965)

Soundtrack:

Blues For S.J.

above average spy thriller from above average director

I was recently on a Russell Mulcahy kick and decided to view his second hard to find direct to video film BLUE ICE after being pleasantly surprised by SILENT TRIGGER with Dolph Lundgren. BLUE ICE has a very engaging storyline but ultimately falls short in the ending. Michael Caine plays ex-British operative Harry Anders unexpectedly and unofficially brought back into action after a traffic accident with mysterious beauty Stacy (Sean Young). A mutual attraction leads Harry to do Stacy a seemingly small favor involving Stacy's ex boyfriend. What follows is a intricately weaved scheme involving arms dealing and some very high ranking "w******". Caine is excellent as the lead character and reminded me of Roger Moore in his heyday as Bond. Sultry and convincing, Sean Young definitely heats up the screen. Look for a good but shortlived cameo by Bob Hoskins. Russell Mulcahy once again puts some effective visuals onto the screen including a hyper intense torture/interrogation sequence and effective lighting.

However, the time it took to create such an effective story and relationship between the two leads is wasted with a conclusion that emphasizes what Michael Caine is not: an action hero. Although the fight scenes in Harry's bar were forgivable, Michael Caine running around with a gun (albeit a cool gun) in the final showdown just struck me as awkward. The action also was a unnecessary reminder that the film was done on a low budget...a very low budget. Yet another film that came into fruition with a strong story and performances but would ultimately run out of steam with uninspired and unspectacular action. Of course Mr. Mulcahy would come back in fine form later with direct to video films SILENT TRIGGER, TALOS THE MUMMY, and RESURRECTION.