Are you in the mood for a movie? Is there nothing that interests you out in theaters at the moment? Perhaps you should rent a DVD from Redbox or Blockbuster. If you are looking for a good movie to rent from one of those venues, I suggest you set your sight on the action-thriller “The Grey” starring Liam Neeson.
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Information
Title: The Grey
Film length: 117 minutes
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama/Thriller
Staring: Liam Neeson
Average online rating: 7.0-8.5
Rating: R
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Synopsis
This film takes place in the arctic wastes of Alaska. John Ottaway is a sniper employed by a large oil company to protect its workers from wolves and other hazards as they work in the freezing plains. We see from the very beginning of the film that Ottaway is a very troubled man. Unlike the common camaraderie we see among other employees Ottaway is socially withdrawn and often silent. Within ten minutes of the film starting, the depth of this man’s troubles are revealed, as he tries to kill himself.
Obviously he doesn’t (or else that wouldn’t be much of a movie), and the next day, when it comes time for vacation, Ottaway boards a small jet-liner with various other roughneck employees from the company, due to fly to Anchorage. Unfortunately, the plane never reaches its destination, as a snow storm causes it to crash somewhere on the edge of the tundra. Ottaway and seven others survive the crash, and are forced to rally together and find a way to make it back to civilization, as the option of being rescued seems unlikely.
On the very first night, the men find out that their troubles are far from over, as they managed to have crashed in an area that is prowled by a vicious pack of wolves. After the death of a watchmen, Ottaway, who is well learned about wolves and their habits suggests that they head to the tree line where they might have better defense from the wolf pack. Armed with nothing more than a few bullets, the men cross the treacherous environment to seek solace. Faced with deadly cold, deadly terrain and even deadlier hunters, the men are pitted to survive, resorting to primal instincts with the hope that they might leave the wolves 30 mile kill zone and make it back to the family that is waiting for them on the other side of the wilderness.
This is a film that shows how a group of strangers can unify and fight to the death. Towards the end of the film, the audience will question which is the fiercer animal: the wolves, or the men.
Review
This epic film boasts brilliant cinematics that never fail to highlight the sense of doom that surrounds these men in their hostile environment. With a good script and great actors, The Grey is a need-to-see movie. However, I will extend a word of caution to those who are weak of stomach, as the film does not hide the ferocious gore that hunting wolves summon.
The studio did an amazing job with the visuals; the environment and the wolves came together as a masterpiece. Much like Rise of the Planet of the Apes, while the actors’ performances were note-worthy, it was the depiction of the animals that were truly amazing. While on one end of the spectrum, this film is a portrayal of the human condition in times of desperation, the other end looks at the wolves.
There are several scenes in which the nature of the wolves are spoken of. The complexity of wolf society and psychology comes through in this film, as it touches on the protectiveness of home, as well as the various levels of wolf culture, ranging from the Alpha-wolf, to the Omega-wolf. The combination of animatronics, complex puppets, CGI and actual wolves makes for a very convincing portrayal of these great beasts.
The film deftly combines aspects of horror, action, drama and even poetry to create a brilliant work of art that makes for an action packed two hours of biting, running, jumping, praying and preying. This combination of an epic story, gripping social dynamics (in both man and wolf), great actors and breath capturing visuals makes The Grey a ground-breaking film that is definitely worth watching. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, go watch it, and if you have seen it already, watch it again to catch subtleties.
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