The Grey

It is truly man versus beast in Liam Neeson’s latest film, “The Grey,” a gritty action thriller about a group of roughnecks who get stranded in the frigid Alaskan wilderness after their plane crashes. The fatal crash leaves only seven survivors. Among them Ottway (Liam Neeson), a broken man haunted by a personal tragedy from his past, and six other oil riggers. This group of men soon discover that the battle with the elements is only the beginning of their fight for survival. Packs of vicious wolves become their most formidable foe, as these territorial animals mercilessly hunt them. Ottway is a marksman whose job is to protect the other oil riggers from attacks by wolves and other predators, while they are on the job. After the plane crash, Ottway puts his expertise to use as he leads this group of men through the Alaskan wilderness. Ottway and the other oil riggers come to terms with their own mortality, as they fight for their lives in the vicious Alaskan tundra.

“The Grey” is an apologetically grisly action flick that more than earns its R-rating. The profanity in this film is pervasive, with the Lord’s name taken in vain well over a dozen times, including several pairings with the words, d—-n and d——t. There are well over 100 uses of the f-word, in its various forms (I lost count). Nearly every line of dialog uses the f-word in some form. There are also more than 40 uses of the s-word. Vulgarities such as b——h, a—-, b——-d, h—-, and others, also litter the dialog. In one scene, Ottway, who is at the end of his rope, begins to curse God and cry out to Him asking God to show Himself to him.

The dialog is also peppered with several crude sexual references. One of the men says he hopes he makes it out of the wilderness alive, because the last woman he slept with was overweight and unattractive, and he doesn’t want her to be the last woman he is ever with.

Director Carnahan does not sugarcoat his depiction of gore and violence in his cutthroat tale of survival. There are a number of scenes that show mutilated and bloody bodies. Several of the bodies have very gory wounds, and, in a few of the scenes, the camera lingers on those wounds. There are a number of scenes where wolves are shown attacking the men. These attacks are mostly presented in a series of fast cut close-ups of the wolves’ teeth and the men fighting them off. There is also a rather lengthy shot that shows one of the men aggressively cutting off a wolf’s head that they have killed and eaten. The man then holds the bloodied wolf’s head up into the air, as he taunts the pack of wolves that are lying in wait in the wilderness. One man attempts to loot dead bodies for valuables in the aftermath of the plane crash. A few fights and power struggles break out amongst the men.

This film isn’t completely devoid of redeeming moments. There are several rays of light, in this otherwise grim and gritty movie. This film reveals our fallen human nature, but it also shows the men often choosing to do the right thing, in many situations. For example, when one of the oil riggers wants to loot the dead bodies for valuables, after the plane crash, Ottway forbids him to do this and tells him that they will “not be looting bodies.” Ottway and most of the men have great respect for the gift of life. Ottway tells the men that he wants them to collect all of the wallets of the deceased, so they can give them to their families.

One of the men tells the group that he wants them to say a prayer of some kind, out of respect for the lives that have been lost. In his prayer, he also thanks God for sparing their lives and asks him “to keep it up.” Ottway stays by one man’s side, after he is mortally wounded by the crash. Ottway holds the dying man’s hand, comforts him, and tells him to think of his loved ones as he passes away. When these men are not being hunted by wolves, their thoughts go to their loved ones, and they discuss the deep love each of them have for their families. It is clear that their wives, girlfriends, and children are the most important things in each of their lives.

Many secular critics are singing “The Grey’s” praises, hailing it as a “must see” action thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat. I disagree with these mainstream assessments. While I agree that Neeson and the supporting cast deliver solid performances, my displeasure for this film lies in its story’s lack of depth and surly dialog. The film’s exploration of the deeper moments feels hollow and falls short. Some of the elements of the film could have been handled in better taste. This film did not resonate with me in the same way that other comparable survival films such as, “127 Hours” did.

At times, the dialog felt more like a series of tasteless one-liners, than a thoughtful script constructed to build a tragic and gripping story about the human spirit, as this group of men deal with the reality of their mortality and question the existence of God. This film had potential to be the kind of story that leaves audiences talking about it for days after they see it. But this story didn’t leave me on the edge of my seat; rather I found myself bored with what I feel is just another foul-mouthed action flick that will be quickly forgotten. The film lacks depth of emotion and does not pull the viewer in, but leaves the audience on the surface in a movie full of foul language and crude dialog. In my opinion, it did not succeed in being an exciting and introspective tale about life and death that leaves its audience captivated by its gripping story. Even though “The Grey” is not completely devoid of more redemptive and poignant moments, overall, I feel that this film falls short on many fronts, and I cannot recommend it.

Violence: Heavy / Profanity: Extreme / Sex/Nudity: Moderate

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