I will admit that I went into the movie with very low expectations. It is, after all, a direct-to-video ski movie, and frankly, the majority of movies in this category probably should never have been filmed. Searching the ratings that Deep Winter received from other sources, it seems that many other critics think the same of this movie. However, I actually enjoyed this film. The plot is predictable and the young leading cast did have some difficulty in finding their characters, but fine supporting roles by Michael Madsen, Robert Carradine and Luke Goss, along with absolutely breathtaking scenery and some really fantastic ski/snowboarding footage gave the movie just enough to put it ahead of the class. The lack of bonus features was a bit of a disappointment. If nothing else, I would have enjoyed a quick behind-the-scenes featurette documenting any on-location filming in Alaska and Utah.
Deep Winter will likely not be in the running for any Oscars, but from a purely enjoyment-based standpoint, I would recommend this movie to anyone that is a fan of this genre.
