In the Ming Dynasty, there lives four orphans, Ying, Sao, Yuanlong and Niehu. Raised in Taoyuan Village, the four are as closed as brothers. Their exceptional martial arts skills allows them to reach the highest rank within the imperial guards. After the four successfully killed the Japanese troop leader, the Emperor orders Ying to escort the Golden Wheel of Time from Sindu (now India) back to the capital, which is said to have the power of time travel and foresee into the future. Now in 2013, Squire Tang, funded by a mysterious financer, digs up three ancient icemen from the outskirt of China; they are Ying, Sao and Niehu. As he is transferring the icemen to Hong Kong for further studies, the vehicle involves in a traffic accident which, unexpectedly, defrosts Ying...
The 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.
– Ernest Hardy,
Village Voice,
16 Sep 2014
fresh:
The delirious blend of over-the-top wire work and comedy recalls the To classic "The Heroic Trio," and a sense of brash, goofy invention prevails.
– Andy Webster,
New York Times,
18 Sep 2014
rotten:
Simultaneously overblown and underdeveloped, "Iceman" fails equally at showcasing the talent of its star and resolving its baroque plot.