It's the near future and nearly everyone on Earth has died due to plunging temperatures and continuous snow. It's an Ice Age out there! Food ran out, people starved, the situation seems hopeless. At least two groups manage to survive though, living deep underground, and they agree to watch out for each other. There is always the worry about contagious disease wiping out a colony and so if someone falls ill, they are quarantined. If they don't recover they have the option of being shot or walking off into the snow - not much of an option, is it? - but a ruthless guy called Mason (Bill Paxton) doesn't even want to give the sick that much. When Colony 7 receives an SOS from Colony 5, the leader of Colony 7, Briggs (Laurence Fishburne) decides to investigate and takes Sam (Kevin Zegers) and a youth, Graydon (Atticus Dean Mitchell) with him, leaving Mason and all the others behind. But what they find at Colony 5 is far more worrisome than the discontent they left behind at Colony 7.

The Colony (2013) has received very mixed reviews with some rightly stating that it seems like a lot of horror movies grouped together. I don't want to write any spoilers here (and be warned, the trailer is a bit of a spoiler) but it is true. However, I enjoyed the movie and I found the tension was building up nicely after the first half hour or so. Some of the science is a bit out of the window, I think. I mean, is it possible to have endless snow in a world that has frozen solid? Doesn't there have to be some warmth somewhere for water to evaporate, rise, cool, and fall as snow? Just asking.

Anyway, as I say, I enjoyed the movie and I did find myself holding my breath at times which is quite unusual for me. There are a couple or so of really graphic violence scenes which the squeamish might not like. I suggest you watch it with an open mind, give it a chance, and see what you think. For me, it was great, ghoulish, fun.

Due to some form of disaster (which is explained) the remainder of human civilization must survive arctic conditions whilst searching for a safe-haven. The colony itself is lead by Laurence Fishburne (he of calm authority) who to be fair probably raises the film from 2 stars alone. His second in command (played by Bill Paxton) has a harsh way of dealing with people who may be ill and thus a threat to the colony from the common cold etc. The plot, script and characters are what you would expect from the genre - fairly predictable and lacking any depth.

All communication has been cut off from one of the other colonies so Laurence and a couple of others set off to investigate. Well you can imagine, things go horribly wrong which then becomes a fight for survival. I don't want to give any spoilers but if you have seen the trailer then you kinda know what to expect. And that is exactly what you get. The film doesn't offer any suprises and quickly becomes formulaic. There really isn't anything more I can say about the film, not the best but certainly not the worst.

Not quite the horror some have tried to make out. This is more an action adventure movie with a fairly unique setting. The script isn't particularly strong, the characters are very familiar and whilst the budget isn't blockbuster, the sets look good and they have been well dressed. At the dawn of a new ice age, the earth's population retreated below ground in order to survive the harsh weather. We join one of these colonies and see that lack of food and medical supplies are a constant blight to the community. They're forced to make harsh choices when someone gets a sniffle! When radio communication from their neighbouring colony stops, a small band of heroes goes out in search of answers. They return with the bleak news that the other colony has come to a sticky end. Unfortunately, the gang of adventurers is followed back home! The general premise capitalises on this seemingly never ending apetite for zombie type rampages but the madness here is brought on by extreme circumstance and hunger rather than a virus. Paxton and Fishburne are dependable but ultimately, despite one or two impressive visuals, the movie doesn't deliver enough 'flash bang' entertainment in any department. Don't get me wrong, it's very watchable, just not as gripping as I had hoped.

If this film was released in the cinema, you may come away regretting paying for having to sit through that. But it wasn't. It was released straight to DVD. And, among the other offerings that find their way into `bargain bins' up and down the country, this one actually stands out.

Basically, the world has suffered another ice age and the few survivors are left to fend from themselves in their `colonies.' The first thing that makes this movie nice is the setting. Yes, snow is pretty bleak and uninspirational, but it works well here and adds to the feel. Plus you have Lawrence Fishburne and Bill Paxton, who both turn in fine performances.

The story is slower in the first half and then changes pace when the action kicks off, so be prepared for that. It's also a bit of a mish-mash of other movies (you can play `spot the movie rip-off' a fair few times - I noticed bits borrowed from Day of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead 2004 and 28 Days Later), but you have to remember that it is just a B-movie.

It may be that `The Colony' is one of those movies that has a concept which actually exceeds its capabilities. Normally, when I watch a movie, I tend to want to cut out about half an hour of pointless bits from the middle. However, here's a film that I thought should have been longer. There are quite a few plot threads which could have been expanded on. However, because of the short running time (probably due to budget constraints), the film does feel a little rushed.

If you accept it for what it is - a B-movie - then you should enjoy it. It wouldn't stand up against Hollywood's big budget action movies, but it's not a bad way to spend an hour and a half of your time.

A generous 4/5 (maybe really a 3.5).