Writer: Nur Safina Othman

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Watch this if you liked: "The Chronicles Of Riddick"

Based on a novel of the same name by Gred Rucka and Steve Lieber, "Whiteout" stars Kate Beckinsale as US Marshal Carrie Stetko, who's taken a post at a remote research station in Antarctica to escape a traumatic incident in her past. Soon, a dead body found nearby by pilot Delfyt (Columbus Short) prevents her from leaving Antarctica.

Kudos to the scriptwriters as they successfully build up the anticipation within audiences evidently making them wonder who the real killer is. However, they could've left out a couple of unnecessary scenes as it dilly dallies and doesn't contribute any meaning to the story. Opening to an adrenaline pumping action scene involving a Russian plane, it's unfortunate that the film fails to maintain the excitement as the story is dragged on, making you squirm in your seat anticipating the film to end. Even with this simple storyline, an improvement to the progression of the story would've made it less draggy and more entertaining.

"Underworld" star Kate Beckinsale who escapes her tight leather outfits to parkas, gives a disappointing performance failing to capture the essence of her character Carrie Stetko. Maybe director Dominic Sena banked on Beckinsale's pretty face and sexy physique a little too much, as we already get to see her strip down to white bra and knickers, then take a long steamy shower, very early on in the show.

The action scenes in the snow and blizzards are a smart idea but they aren't really done right because of all the CGI. Everything ends up looking blurry, out of focus and ultimately is just too hard to discern. On the other hand, the makeup effects executed onto the deceased bodies were well done looking almost realistic and equally as gross as the real thing.

With 1 hour and 44 minutes worth of runtime, this film just needed to be shorter to reduce the draggy moments. Moreover, it's tiring to keep on guessing who the actual murderer is.

Cinema Online, 15 October 2009