AllMovie

Though the marketing forces behind white rapper Vanilla Ice were mainly concerned with dispelling rumors Ice lacked thug authenticity, his whimsical movie debut Cool As Ice -- released during the decline of his fame -- instead tries to position the Iceman as a hip-hop heartthrob starring in a modern-day Elvis movie. It's shot with whimsical Day-Glo surrealism by gifted Polish cinematographer Janusz Kaminski of Schindler's List. Other inexplicable presences include Michael Gross of Family Ties, and E.R.'s Kristen Minter, saddled with the implausible role of a good girl falling for crotch-thrusting, eyebrow-cocking Ice in spite of herself. For its unnecessary cop-movie plot twists, failed catchphrases ("yup, yup") and a kind of desperate chutzpah in casting Ice as the kung-fu-capable leader of an African-American motorcycle gang, Cool As Ice has earned a cult following among fans of modern movie ignominy.