Boy, Liam Neeson’s career sure has taken a turn over the last decade, hasn’t it? He’s gone from a bad-ass Jedi Knight who’s offed merely to move the story forward, to a surprising turn in Batman Begins (and, fingers crossed, The Dark Knight Rises) and beaten Paris to a bloody pulp in the likable action flick Taken (which, oddly enough, is getting a sequel that ISN’T called Taken Again). But it’s with roles like the one has occupies in The Grey that you really see what a versatile actor he’s become. Here, he’s not only drawn in to his character, but also his environment. He really blends in, whether he’s scurrying along in a fight for survival, or ready to face off against an adversary with cocktail bottles strapped to his fingers, like stabbing weapons. This isn’t Taken In the Woods, not by any means. This is a meatier role, one that a guy like him can certainly pull off. And does, with aplomb and guts. The Grey isn’t an easy film to watch. As you can sense in the trailers, it’s a fight for survival, and all bets are off as far as the adversaries are concerned. In this case, it’s not a giggling supervillain or even a drug lord with a knack for whores. It’s wolves.
These natural creatures have been surviving for years using their instincts, not necessarily carrying an evil nature, but doing anything it takes to assure they stay alive – just like the humans they hunt. Ottway (Neeson’s character) has been keeping these wolves at bay in an Alaskan oilrig, working his sharpshooting skills as a marksman while the others toil away. He’s not in the greatest of shape, having thought about suicide and all, but he still manages to fit in with the crew anyway, as shown in an early bar scene. Then they load up in a plane, ready to return home, and Ottway looks forward to reconciling with his wife and maybe rebuilding his life. No such luck. The plane crashes, and most of the folks die in the wreck, save for Ottway and six survivors. They find themselves in the middle of Alaskan woods, where a tracker is going to have a hell of a time finding them, especially with their plane covered with snow. Taking charge, Ottway states they need to keep moving, occasionally lighting fires to keep warm and sparingly eating any food they have from the plane. And then the wolves come in. The battle between them and the humans is purely fascinating, and something that truly makes The Grey worth watching. This is survival at its best, something that the Cabela’s Big Game Hunter series just can’t seem to nail down, despite the release of last year’s aptly named, well, Survival.
These guys are on foot, with limited weapons, facing off against these beasts, and yet Ottway has enough leverage, in his mind and sheer will to live, that they might actually stand a chance. Might. The elements also play a huge part in The Grey, as weather and conditions in the land itself manage to threaten the group, leading to a series of exhilarating moments, especially amongst collapsing snow. Of course, the wolves remain a constant threat, so you’ve got that making the hair on the back of your neck stand up as well (or chills shivering down your spine, if you’re clean-shaven). Director Joe Carnahan, who worked with Neeson before in the campy The A-Team, strikes much more realistic ground here alongside co-writer Ian Mackenzie, making no guarantees for survival while keeping the battle of man versus beast evenly buoyed, so you’ll always wonder what’s going to happen next. And by the time the film reaches its abrupt, jarring conclusion (won’t spoil it, but you probably have a good idea from the trailer), you might find yourself shaken by it. That’s when you know when you’re in for a hell of a film. The Grey may not be easy for some folks to watch, but one of the biggest reasons you should go is Neeson.
Over the years, this guy has really prevailed in his roles; even lighter ones in Krull (yep, he was in that) and Darkman. Now, at age 60, he still hasn’t worn off any of his edginess, as his Ottway becomes a man reborn under the circumstances, doing whatever it takes to survive. The rest of the cast is game as well, but this is really Neeson’s show. Does the film have problems? Well, some folks won’t be comfortable with the second half of how the movie unfolds, though that’s just personal perspective. And while the wolves are every bit as equal as the humans, there are times you can tell when an animatronic double was used in place of the real thing, particularly with up-close shots. It’s not fake enough that it ruins the movie, or has you doing a double take like “Hey, I saw you at Chuck E. Cheese’s”, but you just get the slight notion from it. Oh, and there’s blood to go around for sure. It is an R-rated movie, after all. But some of you are likely to be more shaken up by the tension. That’s when you know you’re in for a rush, though, when something catches you off-guard and shakes you like crazy. It’s these movies that actually give you an experience for your dollar, rather than flooding the screen with special effects and little story to lean on. The Grey is a breath of fresh air for the 2012 movie season, between Neeson’s jarring performance and the overall sense of dread that sets in. Hey, it wouldn’t be an accountable survival movie otherwise, now would it?
