Whiteout is a crappy would-be thriller

A formulaic story directed and acted with bland competence, Whiteout is yet another would-be thriller that fails to raise the pulse. Carrie (Kate Beckinsale) is a U.S. Marshall haunted by a "Tragic Event From the Past." Her way of coping is to take a posting at an Antarctic science station where it’s too damn cold for much in the way of serious crime to take place. But with three days to go before the station shuts down for the winter, Carrie finds herself involved in a murder investigation. As more bodies start to pile up, it’s a toss-up whether Carrie is in more danger from the killer or the savage Antarctic weather. The script does its best to take advantage of its frigid setting, which is it’s only remotely original element, but the way director Dominic Sena films it all is pedestrian and devoid of suspense. Maybe with a little bit of style or a cast that tried to rise above the material they were given this could have been fun, but as it stands Whiteout is nothing more than filmmaking by the numbers. **