The Grey: A Frozen Thriller of Man vs. Wolf
Imagine a plane, packed with oil workers, crashing in the desolate Alaskan wilderness. Temperatures plummet to thirty below zero, and the survivors find themselves stranded in a snow-covered expanse, stalked by a pack of ravenous wolves. A small group of men, led by a seasoned hunter (Neeson), band together to seek salvation in the face of overwhelming odds.
Liam Neeson, portraying a man burdened by grief, downs a shot in a bar before stepping out into the frigid air. He raises a rifle to his mouth, but the howl of a wolf stops him in his tracks. With a sob, he retreats to sleep. From this moment on, his emotional and physical journey mirrors the harshness of nature and the relentless pursuit of the wolves. However, to call “The Grey” poetic would be as much of a stretch as calling last year’s “Sanctum” profound, despite its characters’ lofty pronouncements and predictable demise due to their own blunders.
Despite its survivalist theme, the film feels less like “Lost” and more like a “Final Destination” installment. The main attraction is watching modern man crumble under the pressure of an exaggeratedly vengeful nature. The wolves, each the size of a small bear, seem to have no other purpose than to hunt down the oil workers who fell from the sky.
Behind the Scenes
- Originally, Ottway was intended to be younger, and Bradley Cooper was considered for the role.
- Carnahan and Neeson previously collaborated on “The A-Team.”
A Pack of Unlikable Survivors
Unfortunately, with the exception of Neeson’s character, the survivors are so unpleasant that you might find yourself rooting for the wolves. In some instances, the wolves even appear smarter than the humans, or at least less prone to idiotic decisions. For example, when faced with the need to travel downstream while being pursued by wolves, the survivors opt to leave their injured companion to die rather than build a raft from the readily available trees and rope.
Neeson’s Performance: A Lone Beacon
To his credit, Neeson carries the entire frozen narrative on his shoulders, injecting meaning into the proceedings with his signature steely gaze. However, due to the similarities between the actor’s and his character’s personal lives, the monologues addressed to his deceased wife feel uncomfortably intimate, as if we’ve stumbled upon a private confession. Perhaps this is unintentional, and Neeson and director Joe Carnahan simply set out for a walk in the tundra.