Cool as Ice (1991)

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Blistering performances.

Once you understand that it's going to be cheezy, the movie sinks in as a good time. Vanilla Ice is funny. He's the epitome of "cool" in the 90s. The movie is not supposed to be taken seriously, the whole premise is just silly. Instead of hating on Cool as Ice, just sit back, relax, and laugh at the jokes. Plus, my boy Vanilla can actually spit fire and dance like a boss. Great movie, would recommend to friends.

Hip Hop Artist/Rapper, Robert Van Winkle AKA Vanilla Ice's first big attempt at acting in Hollywood, ultimately got left out in the cold, as 1991's 'Cool as Ice', bombed at the box office. The reasons, why, are very clear. This movie directed by David Kellogg was just not that good. It's a shame that this action, romantic musical film was loosely based off 1953's memorable biker movie, 'The Wild One', because it fails as a good old-fashioned teen rebellion movie. Instead of having the protagonist, Johnny Van Owens (Vanilla Ice) be the anti-hero, like the original movie; fighting against the crude-over-controlling conservative establishment, in which, he encountered in the town. The movie chose to go really far in the left field, and have Vanilla Ice in the second act, be the hero, in a generic, out of place, action movie, hostage-situation, rescue mission that literally has, little to do with anti-authority themes of the first part of the film. It's really jarring. It doesn't help that the action scene, look way, over the top, with Johnny's crashing his motorcycle, through walls and jumping over, cars. To make it worst, the love story between, honor student, Kathy Winslow (Kristen Minter) and bad boy, Johnny is also very unrealistic. After all, it's pretty hard to get with somebody that nearly tries to kill you by making you fall off, a horse!? Better yet, breaks into your house, unannounced, and wakes you, up, by pouring ice cold cubes on your body, steal your book to find out, more about you or try to poison your fishes with brass rings when you break up with him! Its call stalking. Does Vanilla Ice do this, with all, the girls, he had relationship with!? There just something creepy about it. To add on the cringe-factor, Johnny also performs 'Get With it', one of the most misogyny songs in Vanilla Ice's album, while his love-interest is in the audience, while pseudo dry humping and groping other women. How is that, not a sign to drop the zero, and get with another hero!? In short, all the musical performances in this film are horrible, as Ice's mic skills is rhythmically stiff & off-tone, throughout the movie. Those rap sequences really does expose his flaws, both as artist & actor. It's doesn't seem raw. It's sad, too; because all, Vanilla Ice had to do, is show some range and act like himself, not his cocky on-stage persona. Show some true weaknesses of Johnny, while building on his strengths. Instead, the movie chose to shallowing avoids that; in its place, they create, this cartoony, over-the-top childish character. Since, Johnny doesn't have, any emotional depth. He really doesn't bring you, in. In short, nothing, seem genuine. Of course, since this movie is out of touch with reality, Kathy finds this charming as opposed to not buying into, pathetic fake-looking childish call for attention. I really can't stand, Kristen Minter's character, because of this, even if her acting wasn't that bad, and she was semi-attractive. Her character's blind ignorant toward Johnny is frustrating to watch. Well, at least, the audience wasn't sway, as they knew, all of this, was indeed phony. The Improbable Hairstyle, awkward bright, neon clothing and cheesy catchphrases were getting tiresome & dated, even for the time. The gangsta movement was just the corner, waiting for the main spark, the acquittal of four policemen on trial in beating of Rodney King to bring them, into the mainstream. Sooner than later, Vanilla Ice's style, was going to go to the back-burner & along, with this movie. Another thing, about this movie, that hasn't aged well, besides the music; is the outlandish sound effects. All of those, record scratching & tape-recorder rewinds, throughout the film, really does come across, as gimmicky & annoying. As for the camera work & the editing. All of those fast & slow motion montages really seem, not needed. It made the film, a little more unwatchable. It's highly in your face, cheesy. Even, the set design is, out there. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind, the Cloud Cuckoo Land surrealism of the background, but it does, come across, as a bit, distracting. Despite that, I do like the bright dance number & neon opening text, even if it's ripping off, the beginning of director, Spike Lee's 1989's 'Do the Right Thing' & has super-model, Naomi Campbell lip-syncing. I also don't mind, most of the scenery, the film has. After all, cinematographer for this movie, Janusz Kaminski, would later win two Oscars for the films, 1993's 'Schindler's List' & 1998's 'Saving Private Ryan'. Still, that wouldn't be enough to save this movie for me. I really don't like this movie. It's really notoriously dreadful to the point, that even director, David Kellogg, completely disowned it. All the annoying acting, confusing plot-lines, and ear-bleeding rap sequences, makes this, really hard to watch. It's not even that good to call 'So bad, it's good'. In the end, this movie need to store in frozen carbonite, and never be open, again. Better yet, it will be best to destroy this movie with liquid nitrogen if you got a copy. It's just plain old awful! Highly don't recommended.

Johnny (Vanilla Ice) raps and rides his motorcycle with his gang. He tries to show off for Kathy Winslow (Kristin Minter). Small town bumpkin Roscoe tries to fix his sidekick's leaky bike. Johnny sees Kathy fighting with her boyfriend Nick and tries to move in. She's a senior honors student with no interest in the brightly colored rebel. Her parents (Candy Clark, Michael Gross) are in witness protection hiding from two corrupted cops (Jack McGee, S.A. Griffin) looking to be paid $500k.I remember those days of Vanilla Ice. One has to laugh looking at him and his crew. He's all smirk and no acting skills. This is a terrible movie in laughable ways. The problem is that the attempted comedic jokes are not funny and things that aren't suppose to be funny turn out to be stupid funny. Yes I laughed as I shake my head in disbelieve. It is funny to see a couple of real actors popping up in this movie.

I just saw this movie again today. The first time was last night hahah. I can't get enough of it. I find that the more I view it, the better it becomes. I don't see it as ridiculous at all. Except maybe for the elderly couple mechanic, especially when they started break dancing! I think the movie is utterly sincere and very heartfelt. Though I didn't see this movie when it came out for various insignificant reasons (I was in the Phils and not sure if it was shown there. If it was, I wouldn't be in a habit of going to the theaters as a college student. I could only afford one movie at the time and I chose to see Jurassic park then. OK, yeah you're not interested in my teen life). I'm not exactly a fan but heck we had a legit intramural cheer song number to the tune of Ice, Ice Baby. And the "rave" reviews didn't deter me from choosing to view this on Hoopla. I wasn't expecting much. I was looking for something light and moderately entertaining. What I found is an earnest appreciation for it. The opening scene sets the tone for the movie. Dark room but not moody, some strobe lights, but it's not the disco. Dudes and dudettes (terms inappropriate for this genre) were on the dance floor. The energy is apparent. The steady almost graceful kind of motions that won't be mistaken for the hyperactive seizure dance of today, if that may be called as such. I reflected slowly and surely that Robert Matthew Van Winkle captivated my heart. First he can act. He's not awkward on camera. He exudes a kind of "steelness" quality only someone dubbed as him could warrant. He can dance and not completely unpleasing to the eyes either. Tall, blond and with striking good looks, who wouldn't be enthralled. Not just that, check out the wardrobe and the hairstyle! That haircut alone deserves a separate commentary. Lines shaved with asymmetrical geometric patterns and lightning bolts that extend to the eyebrows! His style is truly like a chemical spill, in Chernobyl!This movie was made 25 years ago and so much in our society have changed since. And people who questioned those scenes have got to understand that it was nonetheless still a different culture back then. Ghettos on motorbikes weren't so scary and suspicious. In this movie, they're simply a band of artist. A rapper and his break-dancing home-boys and well one home-girl. The representative kid in this movie, a 10-yr old boy, is aware of sex nut not obsessed about it even when he often chides his sister about i). The word "sex" is spoken but not done, even off camera. The romantic montage, which could very easily be littered with soft porn slow motion takes and salacious poses, was kept clean. (Considering the director's previous playboy flicks). There was not even tongue! It was GP. The movie simply isn't interested in sex. Come to think of it, I don't believe there were any curse words either. I don't recall hearing the 4-letter F word. The editing was smart using ingenious camera angles combined with tongue-in-cheek props (green eggs, Quotes on wallpaper, crazy fun-house cum garage). Cinematography is on par, nothing less to be expected from a future academy holder. And the writing? Words of wisdom such as ... "If you ain't true to yourself then you ain't true to nobody" "Live your life for someone else, you ain't livin'" "It's not where you're from, it's where you're at" "Can you put it back together with quickness?"... it's like Shakespeare! Of the 20th century. I don't care what any body else thinks, I love this movie.