The Grey

Surprised by all the poor ratings given apparently by a bunch of wildlife/wolf/survival experts! Guys, this is a Hollywood movie! Let me emphasize - a movie. All this analysis on how much a wolf weighs and how their behavior is incorrectly depicted... please stick to NatGeo or Discovery channel programs and stay away from fiction! Going by the logic and reviews, Spielberg's 1975 classic 'Jaws' should be given just a star or two as it has a highly inaccurate portrayal of sharks. But surprise surprise, it's 8+ on IMDb! Wow how did that happen?! I enjoy a movie for the entertainment value it provides. And if the film can hold my interest for about 90 minutes, I'd say it worked. The Grey definitely worked!

I'm surprised to see the number of negative reviews here and also surprised as to the number of comparisons to Lee Tamahori's 'The Edge'; a completely different type of film in my opinion despite the similar locales. Unrelentingly bleak with almost no glimpse of warmth ( both literally and figuratively!) during the whole running time it's easy to see that this film will not be for everyone. The absence of a heroic ending and the depiction of the absolute fragility of man (and futility of machismo) will also serve to divide audiences even further. But, if you can get past these things and can overlook a couple of plot points that might seem illogical you are in for one heck of visceral cinematic ride. The story is simple - Liam Neeson is a distraught widower contracted to shoot Wolves in the Alaskan oil fields. On a flight to the mainland for R&R the plane goes down in the middle of nowhere and he and six other passengers are the only remaining survivors. The motley group must contend with a grim situation that see's them dropped in a freezing barren wasteland with no food, shelter or weapons and a pack of hungry Timber Wolves keen to pick them off one by one. I liked the AO Scott review for this film in which he pointed out that the film posed and answered a number of theological and existential questions in a very quiet and dignified way. Quite un-Hollywood. This is no Tom Hanks picture and unlike the aforementioned The Edge it's never for a minute considered an option for the men to make a stand against the Wolves in the way that Charles and Bob did with Bart the Bear in that film. They are completely at the mercy of the environment and it's predators whilst also being aware of the increasing futility of their plight. The film goes against the grain right from the outset and it's a stylistic decision from the creators that simultaneously elevates it above many of it's counterparts but also probably limits it's broader appeal - an early scene immediately after the crash where Neeson comforts a dying man is one of the most powerful and beautiful pieces of acting I've seen in recent years. To summarize, I found the film a very intense watch and it stayed with me for long time afterwards. Surely the hallmarks of a great picture?

I'll start off by saying this movie is not made for everyone. This is about a movie based off of survival instincts between man and nature. First time watching this, It's a thrill chiller. If you're wanting a movie that's depressing 90% of the time, this is the movie for you. This movie grasps way beyond an imagination of dealing with nature's worst environments after a plane wreckage. Traveling through the coldest winter, little to no food, wounded, tiredness and cold, it's a rough marry go-round. Not only the harsh environment for the remaining survivors have to deal with, the movie decided to throw in Northern Arctic Wolves and that made the survivors a living nightmare of hell. Only reason why I gave the movie a 8 star was Ottway (Liam Neeson) was a huntsman. His job subscription should have made him an expert of dealing with the current situation a little more suitable than just trying to survive with some ideas. None of the less, excellent movie for drama watchers.

If you're like me you saw the trailers with Liam Neeson strapping glass bottles to his hands and fighting wolves and thought, "Holy cow! They made Wolf Taken. Violence and wolves!" Well, they didn't. There's really not that much action in the film. The trailers really, really did a dis-service to the film. They were selling an action movie when they really made an intensely somber film about a group of desperate men as they try to survive a plane crash. The film is quietly beautiful.

I saw it in theaters and was hopping mad at how the trailer misled me. People all over the theater fell asleep (my girlfriend included). However, I think if you're looking for a non-action flick, you'll really dig this.

Those who Go Into this Liam Neeson Flick Expecting Fisticuffs, Gun-Play, and Action Tropes Leave Mostly Disappointed.

Some Actually Hostile at the "Trailer" for Misdirection and Neeson for Signing-On to this because it's NOT THAT.

It's a Macho-Man-Movie All the way with Females Only Glimpsed through a Few Flashbacks, and Memory Laden Remarks around the Numerous Fires...

Used as Shields Against a Pack of Wolves that Already Attacked and Devoured 1 of the "Human Pack" that have come in Close-Contact to the Wolves Den.

Herein Lies Bones of Contention...

Many "Experts" on Wolves and their Behavior state LOUDLY and Angrily that the Wolf-Pack in this Film do Not in Anyway Behave Like Real-Life Wolf-Packs...

If that's a Fact and You Can Not Suspend Disbelief Enough to Enjoy the Film, and Chalk it Up to "Artistic-License" than Stay Far Far Away from this "Tale".

On the Other Hand, it is a Bleak Psychological Study of Men Under Extreme Threat at the Hands of Ravenous Monsters and the Wrath of Mother Nature.

Images Stripped of Color, Signifying an Unforgiving Atmosphere on the Path to "Hell".

It's Engaging, Suspenseful, "Out-There" Entertainment with an "Edge", that's...

Worth a Watch.