Ice Road: Vengeance is a fun action thriller that makes good use of its setting, and cleverly lays out a simple narrative. Jonathan Hensleigh, who wrote Armageddon, The Punisher, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, wrote and directed this feature as a sequel to his 2021 Netflix film, The Ice Road. However, if you haven’t seen the original movie, the story here is self-contained.

Mike McCann, played by the incredible Liam Neeson, is looking to honor his recently deceased brother. They had previously dreamed of conquering Mount Everest together, but now that Gurty has pᴀssed away, Mike is determined to make the journey for both of them. Unfortunately, his trip is interrupted when some mercenaries hijack a bus taking him to the mountain.

Ice Road: Vengeance Has All The Ingredients For Awesome Action

Ice Road: Vengeance has a strong story, great performers, beautiful backdrops, and a gripping action plot. The writing and director are excellent, and the film balances action and high thrills with humor and emotional moments. And while the visual effects are a little clunky, it’s easily forgivable due to everything else working together smoothly.

It’s clear that Hensleigh knows how to tell a story, and how to make the action work in a film. And with collaborators like Neeson, with whom he has worked with previously, the film achieves everything it sets out to do. There are some slower moments, as Ice Road: Vengeance tries to follow the emotional connection to Mike’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅ brother, but even these make sense within the film. And despite a tonal shift, it complements the overall piece.

As opposed to other independent films which land a big name in a leading role, Ice Road: Vengeance still makes a huge effort to ensure the supporting cast and the narrative shine bright. As a result, Liam Neeson’s presence is not out of place, and the rest of the characters have their moments. There are minor glimpses of blank stares when there should be emotion, but these are rare and brief.

Thrilling Action & Convincing Performances Make Ice Road: Vengeance Exciting

The fact that Ice Road: Vengeance is a sequel film leads to one of the most erroneous issues with the piece — it has very little to do with any ice roads. But Mike McCann joins the ranks of other action characters like Neeson’s own Bryan Mills from the Taken series.

Besides Leeson, another standout performance is delivered by Bingbing Fan, who plays Dhani. She holds her own in every scene she appears and delivers some of the biggest and best action sequences throughout. The antagonists of the story are also incredibly menacing, and it makes for a compelling and intense journey from start to finish.

Ice Road: Vengeance is an overall excellent action film, with all the qualities of a Hollywood blockbuster. The unique story highlights interesting ethical issues for individuals in a less-developed country, and Leeson’s Mike is a convincing action hero. Hopefully Hensleigh will continue his work with Neeson to deliver more thrilling stories just like Ice Road: Vengeance in the future.

Ice Road: Vengeance is playing now in select theaters across the US.