By Jason Simpson
Man squares off against Mother Nature in “The Grey” as Liam Neeson leads a pack of men through the Alaskan wilderness against impossible odds.
Neeson is with a group of oil workers on their final night at some remote worksite that they will leave the next morning.
The film starts off slow and it takes a few minutes to figure out what’s going on — but the wait is worth it.
Lately, there have been a lot of scripts placing man in his darkest hours. In fact, a film called “The Darkest Hour” hit theaters in last year and showed humanity losing a battle against energy-hungry invisible aliens.
Other movies in this genre involve zombies, other aliens, monsters and the like. But these are not necessarily real threats.
“The Grey” looks at man in his final hours against some very real scenarios. And this is refreshing.
The film opens with Neeson narrating a letter to a woman, presumably his wife. He then does psychological battle in his mind over her loss. In the first few minutes of the film, he even contemplates killing himself, though the distant howl of a wolf shakes him out of his suicidal act. Irony at its finest.
The film really takes off when he and his group crash in the Alaskan wilderness — a very remote part of the Alaskan wilderness where there are no people, no cell phone towers and no rescue planes on the way.
Next to the stunningly beautiful and treacherous Alaskan wilderness, the biggest antagonists in this film are several packs of wolves. These are not cuddly Taylor Lautner “Twilight” wolves or those who can transform into humans like in “Underworld” or “True Blood.” These are wild Alaskan wolves. And they are mean. They stalk, hunt, terrorize and attempt to kill the protagonists of this film one by one.
In addition to big bad wolves, there are several real things that many people are afraid of. Each character faces each challenge with strength and resolve. What will man do when someone in his group is injured? What will man do if he knows he is slowing the group down? What will man do when he is afraid of heights but the only other alternative is death by wolf?
According to makers of “The Grey,” man will rise above and put his best paw forward in this battle to the end.
Sure, the characters are torn apart by haunting memories, the Alaskan wilderness and huge wolves, but it’s all very lovely to watch. This film and its score are beautiful. The actors portray the genre specific roles well but also add character depth through personal stories you can sink your teeth into. While clearly the action in this film is what puts butts in seats, the plot and its message made it number one last weekend.
In the final scene Neeson comes face to face with the Alpha wolf, armed only with a knife and some broken bottles taped to his hand. Audiences get to finish the tale of the big bad wolf on their own due to a very abrupt end – unless they stay after the credits.
Despite sporting this thick lustrous action-packed winter coat, deep down the film portrays strength against insurmountable odds. In addition, it reminds viewers what it’s like to be human even when we are at our most savage. Much like Neeson concurs the wilderness, so too can humanity regain come back from the brink of savagery.