I love the Tremors franchise, warts and all. Are they good movies? Not really, but even at their worst they are entertaining as all hell. A Cold Day in Hell is no different; it’s a Tremors movie through and through, with all of the fun and questionable plot devices that entails.
This time around lovable gun nut Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) is called to the arctic tundra where climate change has released long sleeping Graboids. Burt and his son Travis (Jamie Kennedy) travel to Canada to help with the infestation where they meet Valerie (Jamie-Lee Money), the daughter of Valentine McKee (Kevin Bacon) from the first film. Burt finds he has some sort of Graboid illness, and they must capture one alive to cure him. Also, some shady government guys are trying to weaponise them for some reason. It’s all over the place.
This is a Tremors movie. Despite its numerous faults you get what you’re expecting. It’s fun, it’s dumb, and there are Assblasters (briefly). Gross is as charming as ever as Burt Gummer, and we wouldn’t have this franchise without him. Jamie Kennedy is his typical annoying self, which fits his character too perfectly. I wish we had more of Valerie and her ties to the first movie, and less of the shady government subplot. Jamie-Lee Money is quite fun in her all-too-brief and inconsequential turn as the character. The icy location is a great counter to the standard desert landscapes we’re used to, even if those scenes don’t last long.
Is A Cold Day in Hell high art? Hell no, but it’s an entertaining film that will please fans of the rest of the franchise without converting the haters. The cast and crew knew exactly who this movie was made for, and for what it is it’s exactly what it says on the tin; a silly monster movie not to be taken too seriously.
The Blu-ray features a making of featurette, as well as an anatomy of a scene and a brief look inside Chang’s Market.
Tremors: a Cold Day in Hell Blu-ray/DVD combo pack hits May 1st.
Tremors: a Cold Day in Hell
- Overall Score
Summary
Tremors: a Cold Day in Hell is a fun monster movie that despite its flaws will please fans of the franchise without converting the haters. Is it a good movie? No, but it is entertaining as all hell.