Movie Review: The Ice Road 2 (2025)
“Some roads were never meant to be crossed twice.”
Liam Neeson returns to the frozen frontier in The Ice Road 2, a gritty and suspenseful sequel that ups the ante from the original 2021 survival thriller. Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, the film plunges viewers once again into the deadly world of ice trucking—only this time, the danger isn’t just below the ice, it’s coming from all sides.
Set two years after the first film, Neeson’s character Mike McCann is lured back to the Arctic roads for a high-risk rescue mission: to deliver life-saving equipment to a collapsing research base in Greenland before a record-breaking storm traps the team beneath the ice. But things quickly spiral into sabotage and survival when it’s revealed that someone onboard the convoy is working against them.
As expected, Neeson delivers his signature blend of rugged resilience and quiet emotional depth. He’s joined by Jessica Henwick as a fearless meteorologist with ties to the stranded scientists, and Michael Rooker as a rival trucker with a dark past. Their dynamic adds tension and grit, particularly as loyalties are tested when the convoy starts losing vehicles—and people—one by one.
The action sequences are intense and visceral, especially a mid-film bridge collapse that leaves a semi hanging over a frozen abyss. The film leans into practical effects wherever possible, giving weight and realism to the icy dangers. The sound design—the crackling of ice, the howl of the storm, the creaking of metal—keeps your nerves raw throughout.
What elevates this sequel is its stronger emotional core. It’s not just about survival, but about redemption, duty, and confronting one’s limits. Mike’s journey is as much psychological as it is physical, and while the plot treads familiar ground, it feels earned thanks to Neeson’s compelling performance and the film’s high-stakes execution.
Final Verdict: ★★★½☆ (3.5/5)
The Ice Road 2 delivers exactly what it promises: tense action, bitter cold, and Liam Neeson doing what he does best—driving straight into danger with grim determination. It’s a solid, snowbound sequel that will keep fans on the edge of their seat.
