30 Days of Movies: The Grey

Or, as I call the movie: Liam Neeson: Wolf Puncher

I hate football. So I decided that seeing a movie I knew NOTHING about rather than watch the Superbowl. I cannot emphasize that enough, I knew nothing about this movie.  Hadn't seen a single trailer, had no idea what the plot was, and I honestly thought the title was Wolf Puncher. I had just been expecting a simple film about a guy fighting wolves somewhere....like some kind of weird hobby, or fight club.

Needless to say, I was a bit confused when the whole plot thing showed up. The plot is interesting, don't get me wrong, but also predictable. It's an action/thriller so there is plenty of tension, action shots, and shaky camera work. But for all the beautiful scenery, breathless moments, and touching flashback scenes, the movie still felt like it was lacking something. I never truly felt drawn into the story, the entire film I was very aware that I was an observer watching a film in a theater. 

I didn't feel much for any of the stranded men. Even as they [spoiler alert] one by one are killed in horrible [and almost humorously predictable] ways, I just didn't care. They had cheated death already once when they survived the plane crash, and you CANNOT cheat Hades for long without any repercussions. As the pack of wolves picks off the survivors one by one and with nature taking care of the ones the wolf pack misses, I decided it was best to root for the killers so as not to incur the wrath of Hades on myself. I liked the more creative deaths and rolled my eyes as they slowly became more ho-hum.

But for all the things I didn't like about the film, there is something I couldn't complain about. It was shot magnificently. The setting really helped tell the story, and I found myself admiring the trees and rocks more than even Liam Neeson. And I adore Liam Neeson.

Now, all that being said, I think this film would be brilliant in the perfect setting. It would be a great movie to watch with a group of friends to make fun of it, while also allowing for a more serious discussion of the battle of man vs nature and the futility of the human struggle. I was lucky in seeing it with a friend who didn't mind talking during the show, so we naturally made snarky remarks for most of it.

My rating: 2.5/3 stars. Best seen only when the time is right.

Live or die on this day. Live. Or die.