
During the Ming Dynasty four orphans; Ying, Sao, Yuanlong and Niehu are raised in Taoyuan Village and become close to being brothers. Their exceptional martial arts skills allows them to reach the highest rank within the imperial guards. After a successful attempt to kill a Japanese troop leader, the Emperor orders Ying to escort the Golden Wheel of Time from Sindu back to the capital, which is said to have the power of time travel and foresee into the future. From the corres... (Full plot summary below)
Enjoy FREE movies and series with your Prime (USA) subscription or when you start a 30-day free trial!
Links compiled using automated software. Availability of offers subject to change / might be region specific / out of date.
During the Ming Dynasty four orphans; Ying, Sao, Yuanlong and Niehu are raised in Taoyuan Village and become close to being brothers. Their exceptional martial arts skills allows them to reach the highest rank within the imperial guards. After a successful attempt to kill a Japanese troop leader, the Emperor orders Ying to escort the Golden Wheel of Time from Sindu back to the capital, which is said to have the power of time travel and foresee into the future. From the correspondence between Japanese and Ming officials seized from the mission, Mr. Tu - the Chief of National Defence - reveals that he can identify the traitor by the handwritings. On the way of escorting the Golden Wheel of Time in the snow, Ying is surprisingly confronted by Sao, Yuanlong and Niehu. They inform Ying the news of the murder of Tu's family with Ying as the killer. The Emperor believes that Ying killed Tu in order to conceal his identity as the traitor, and orders to have Ying and his clan killed. With the Trio sent out to catch Ying, a separate troop is sent to Taoyuan to kill the villagers. From the evidence presented to Ying, he comes to the conclusion that the traitor has to be one of the trio and also the one behind the ruthless killing. Desperate to save the Taoyuan villagers, Ying chooses to fight his way out. The intensity of the duel has shaken the earth causing an avalanche that buries the four during the heat of battle. Now in 2013, Squire Tang, funded by a mysterious financer, digs up Ying, Sao and Niehu. As he is transferring the icemen to Hong Kong for further studies, the vehicle is involved in a traffic accident which, unexpectedly, defrosts Ying. Frozen for 400 years arriving to modern day Hong Kong, Ying accidentally meets an intoxicated woman named May on Halloween evening, who later gives him shelter. With his intelligence and hard-work, Ying soon becomes more familiar with the idea of modern society with the help of the internet. While adapting to his new life, Ying and May also gradually starts to fall for each other. Ying still never forgets about the injustice that framed him. He comes across a historical record on the internet stating that he plotted a revolt which branded him with the reputation of a traitor in history. However, there is no information regarding the fate of the villagers. For Ying to correct history, he must use the Golden Wheel of Time. However, Sao and Niehu are now also reanimated at present time. They continue to take up the chase they left behind in the past, eventually leading to several showdowns around Hong Kong.
Leave your thoughts about Iceman.
| The New York TimesAndy WebsterBest of all, Mr. Law doesn’t skimp on wide-screen compositions; this is one movie designed for the theater, not the couch. |
| Examiner.comChris SawinIceman is an inconsistent mess that features Donnie Yen in his action packed prime but spends too much time dragging its audience through unnecessary and disgusting comedy. |
| The Straits Times (Singapore)Yip Wai YeeHopefully, the second instalment of this two-parter film, slated for release later this year, has got the puerile humour out of its system to focus on only the action. |
| Los Angeles TimesCharles SolomonSimultaneously overblown and underdeveloped, "Iceman" fails equally at showcasing the talent of its star and resolving its baroque plot. |
| Village VoiceErnest HardyThe story is unnecessarily muddled and confusing in the telling, and the athletically gifted Yen is overshadowed by largely mediocre CGI effects. Revisit the original instead. |
| The DissolveMatthew DessemA poorly stitched together Frankenstein’s monster of a film: crass one moment, grandiose the next, and dead from head to toe. |
| User ReviewLeslie GAlthough the movie can't be called "good" I was absolutely entertained. Don't watch it as an action movie, watch it as a comedy. The plot is only basic material, the fun lies within Donnie Yen's straightman-role which does EVERYTHING EPICALLY. Everything. You need a glass of water? He will run up the skyscraper wall, salti on the penthous, split-jump through a window to get it. You have a back pain? His chiropractics will look like Picasso tries to kill someone with a paintbrush. Everything he does is over the top and intentionally done in the most epic way possible, just as he is the most serious and honorful man possible in a world full of idiots and gangsters. (Also, do I hallucinate or is Donnie more attractive than ever before? Age suits him well, guess his zodiac is red wine) The only thing I really found wanting is the sudden ending. It is not really an ending. It is clear a second part comes because without it, there just is no ending, the movie basically stops when the actual plot starts to add up some pace. All in all, an entertaining popcorn movie you should watch with friends and maybe some beer. |
| User ReviewRene MA good movie. Not the best, but if you want a movie with good fights and good effects and are not worried about an unresolved plot, then this movie will not disappoint. |
| User ReviewTim MHong Kong's hottest club is Iceman. It's got everything; wuxia urination, jousting with a Lamborghini, and a linga. What's a linga? It's that thing where Mingdiana Yen and the Crystal Penis. A lot of the green screen looks like The Daily Show. It's an action comedy with an epic climax, and an awesome cast. Simon Yam as a police official, Suet Lam, Wang Baoqiang (Lost in Thailand), and of course, Donnie Yen. A great tribute to Biao's Iceman Cometh, HK action fans won't be disappointed. |
| User ReviewJose Miguel Ggood genre bender film mixing martial arts, sci-fi & some humor good job Well-Go USA. |