‘The Grey’ again finds Liam Neeson in action-man mode. One can’t blame him as several of his similar recent movies have been huge hits due to the commanding authority he conveys. A Charlton Heston-type leading man, he is a dependable actor rarely giving bad performances. His latest provides him with another reasonably solid character to inhabit with the Alaskan wilds no match for his steely presence.
Working as a hunter shooting wolves threatening an oil drilling team, John Ottway (Liam Neeson) nears the end of his job. When he and his team finally leave the blizzard stricken place, the plane in which they travel makes an emergency crash landing. Surviving, he and a small group wander the cold and harsh landscape. Discovering wolves roaming the area, the hunter become the hunted with only the strongest surviving a vicious test between humans and beasts.
Full of dodgy logic, minimal characterisation and poor CGI, ‘The Grey’ probably doesn’t sound that flash. Making it almost work are Joe Carnahan’s atmospheric direction and Neeson’s strong performance. Both highlight the dangers the characters face as they confront the deadly trio of elements, animals and themselves. The trio has a marked effect on the mind-set of the survivors who are forced to out-smart the wolves at every turn.
Although primarily a ‘Jaws in a forest’-type scenario, ‘The Grey’s is remarkably lacking in thrills. Whilst the night-time sequences with the wolves chasing their targets are exciting, others featuring the interaction of uninteresting characters drag. This makes it difficult to care what happens with the rendering of the wolves also poor. Wisely the creatures are mostly heard and not seen with the ‘less is more’ approach making them seem more menacing than they are.
‘The Grey’ is an average vehicle for Liam Neeson’s talents. Serviced by a poorly structured script, he commendably does what he can. Hopefully future vehicles will make more use of his skills than this somewhat uninspiring effort.
Movie Review Rating 5 / 10
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
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