The Grey (2012)

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The Grey

5/10

Starring:
Liam Neeson
Frank Grillo
Dermot Mulroney
Dallas Roberts
Joe Anderson
Nonso Anozie
James Badge Dale

Directed by Joe Carnahan

Distributed by Open Roads Films




The first thing that attracted me to this movie is the marketing strategy; they makers try to pass this on as a spiritual movie to the Christian public.

I hate to disappoint the Christian viewers, unless a rage against God and debate about his existence thrills you, then this is a movie for you. And if that “THRILLS YOU AS A CHRISTIAN” then you need spiritual counsel.

The Grey for most part is half captivating, as not only are you watching a movie about the Grey Wolf, (who just moved away as part of the Endangered Species) we get educated about how wolf hunts and how they act and lots more.

The Grey is from the stables of Ridley Scott and the main character was originally meant to be played by Bradley Cooper, before Liam Neeson was casted on the role.

If you want to know about the ‘Grey Wolf’ go watch a documentary, this movie has so much pause, that I started to think the makers wanted to make sure the movie will be 2hrs long.

Directed by Joe Carnahan (Smokin Aces, A-Team), who felt a movie about man and nature has to have other things to keep interested. I was already interested from the get go watching Neeson being depressed, a bunch of oil rig workers cramped in a plane that is flying through a blizzard and then crashes, and we have a handful of survivors alone in the Alaska deep snow with glowing eyes and howling to keep them up and alert.

That alone is a recipe for a classic, and you have Liam Neeson as lead you got it already. Although I must add Liam Neeson did a good job in this movie, hats dip to you sir.

The first person to be taken by the wolf happened when he was suppose to be watching over the pack of survivors, from there I knew it was a battle and the wolves had the upper hand as they will start taking them one after the other.

If this was all The Grey was about, I will rate it an 8, but NO… Carnahan decided that having men talk about God and “Why is he doing this to us…? and does this He exist” have to be added to make the movie hit home, instead anytime they sit and start talking, I found myself hoping a wolf will just attack.

Why does every movie about survival, always have to have a smart ass?
Let’s imagine, I am trapped in Alaska hunted by wolves and with me is a man who kills wolves for a leaving (that was Liam Nelson’s job in the movie to protect the oil rig from wolf attack), and I go shouting things like “who made you the leader? I’m going off on my own” that is just bull; he is the leader he is the only one who knows anything about wolves.

There is a saying, “in the land of the blind a one eyed man is the leader”, this guy had two eyes and a blind man was questioning his authority. I believe this gimmick is old and has been flogged enough.

Also during production the cast were made to eat wolf meat, so they can get into character easily.

I just think that is sick.

The camera captions and action scenes were well choreographed. What do you expect, it is Ridley Scott.

I guess the other side of the movie was to question the divinity of God. At a point, Liam Neeson asked God Almighty to come down and save him. You can bet God had no time for anything that doesn’t glorify Him, so Neeson was on his own.