The Ancestor

Gold prospector Wyatt Barlow, the hero of this mediocre thriller from Goldberg (The Mentor), became frozen in the Alaskan ice in 1898, but somehow managed to stay alive until 2020, when he breaks free. After killing a wolf for food and its pelt, he wanders into the nearest town, where he confronts countless things that are new to him, such as unfamiliar food and technology. Wyatt encounters a bigger shock when he spots a man who appears to be his double, who he eventually realizes is his great-great-grandson Travis Barlow. Wyatt gradually works his way into his descendant’s life, while holding back his real identity. The prospector finds a prostitute with a heart of gold and struggles with substance abuse and his propensity to violence. Flashbacks to his life before the ice are of little more interest. Along the way, Goldberg doesn’t bother to sweat the details. Though Barlow went into suspended animation before there was an IRS or federal income tax, he understands the tax implications of being paid off the books in cash. This spin on “Rip Van Winkle” doesn’t make its premise pay off. (Aug.)