Two hunters are attacked by giant spiders. When they don’t come home on time, their wives notify the ranger service. Ranger Rick Dickerson (K. Danor Gerald) asks the ski instructor at Lost Mountain lodge, Dan “Dash” Dashiell (Patrick Muldoon) to help him search. Dash used to be an Olympic skier until an injury sidelined him. Now he works for Frank Stone (Stephen J. Cannell) at the ski resort. The lodge is currently hosting some Olympic trainees.
On a restricted side of the mountain is a government research facility. Dr. April Sommers (Vanessa Estelle Williams) is one of the researchers and works for Professor Marks (David Millbern). The project involves some prehistoric spider DNA found in Afghanistan. The scientists spliced the ancient DNA with several current spider species trying to develop a strong spider silk that can be used for military defense. April learns that some modifications were made to the spiders that caused them to grow to outrageous proportions. They have also developed a ravenous appetite.
After running an errand at the lodge, April returns to the lab to find that all but one of the spiders has escaped and there are bits and pieces of top-secret scientists everywhere. She pulls the alarm switch which notifies Professor Marks and Army Captain Baker (Thomas Calabro). Baker and his team provide security for the facility. Baker and his squad begin searching for the spiders. April returns to the lodge to warn them of the escaped spiders but is too late. The spiders, now starving, begin killing and eating everyone they find. Several of the Olympic trainees, along with resort owner Frank, manage to make it to a bus. While trying to flee they crash. Frank diverts the spider’s attention, and the kids race back to the lodge.
Dash and Rick find the two hunters dead. They are attacked by one of the spiders. Rick is killed and Dash races back to the lodge. Now everyone is trapped in the lodge and the spiders are outside. Their only hope is that the soldiers can find a way to either kill or trap the spiders.
“Ice Spiders” was released in 2007 and was directed by Tibor Takacs. It is a made for television film for the Syfy channel.
The movie is high in camp and low in plot. The plot is, scientists make big spiders, big spiders get loose, big spiders eat everybody. The spiders are all CGI and actually decent looking for the most part, which is good since you get to see a lot of them. Patrick Muldoon plays a dumb ski bum who has the hots for a way out of his league, beautiful scientist. Everything in the movie is your typical Syfy channel horror movie fodder, right down to the blood, guts and gore. All of which look more intense spattered across snow.
It’s not a truly great movie and not a truly bad movie. Since I wasn’t looking for anything deep, I was actually entertained. My only complaint about the movie was the ending. It was annoyingly stupid. Other than that, I had fun watching it. The only aspect of the film that is out of the ordinary is that the female hero of the story is black, and, spoiler, she survives the movie.