'The Iceman' Trailer: Michael Shannon Kills A Lot Of People

Michael Shannon is second to none when it comes to channeling intensity, but as the lead of Ariel Vromen's The Iceman he could be more frightening than ever. Shannon stars as real-life mob hitman Richard Kuklinski, whose touching devotion to his family masks a knack for cold-blooded killing. (Though he maintains a soft spot for women and children in both lives.) The brutally effective Kuklinski is believed to have murdered over a hundred people before his four-decade career ended in 1986.

There was a little back-and-forth on the film last year, when it looked for a while like it might fall apart altogether after James Franco dropped out of a major role. But they've managed to make it work, with Chris Evans taking over for Franco and Franco returning a smaller part. Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, David Schwimmer, and Stephen Dorff are also among the supporting cast. Watch the first trailer after the jump.

[via Collider]

I think I'd watch this just to watch people like Evans and Schwimmer play against type. The first trailer looks pretty cool, but if you're getting the feeling you've seen this all before you aren't the only one. The first reviews from The Iceman's Venice bow have hit the web, and so far they're mixed.

That Vromen has style doesn't seem to be in doubt, but some reviewers couldn't quite seem to connect with the movie as a whole. The Guardian was frustrated by how "weirdly opaque" the story felt, while The Playlist felt that Shannon could never "get his teeth into the part." Others complained about its lack of originality; even Variety's positive review called the premise "well-worn material." On the plus side, most people seemed to like the performances, as you might expect with a cast list like that.

The Iceman has not yet announced a U.S. release date.