Whiteout - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 2009 at 101 minutes,this is a slick off the beaten track thriller that I'm a little pre disposed to because of the setting.That is Antarctica,a fantasy place to go from my own youth as it was the so called "geophysical year 1957/8"back when I was so young and impressionable. But enough about me,The film opens with a shoot out on a cold war era Russian plane over Antarctica with all hands dying as the plane crashes.Switch to today,as the 6 month night is coming at an international research station .Our star and main character is the hot,but it's too cold to show much of her skin but for a shower scene and a flashback to Miami,Kate Beckinsale as U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko.The staff have 3 days before they must leave and her tour of duty down there ends.I don't want to give too much away but the wreckage is found and the cargo that was abroad is retrieved and that leads to 3 deaths and Carrie herself loosing a  couple of fingers as she encounters the killer and a fight ensues in sub zero temperature where she looses a glove and grabbing a metal pole with her bear hand causing frost bite and then a doctor having to amputate the digits later.Why was she there to begin with?What was the cargo?Whose the killer?Some are simple,some are not so simple to answer.The ending is sort of similar to Point Break which I'll review at a later day.Think of that?A surfing movie and  Antarctica having something in common.All in all I felt good at the end.I only deducted the 1/2 star because is was a fun ride but not exactly what you need to talk about at the water cooler next day.As always the URL for the trailer is after the pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi315359769/