One of the most underused genres is the man vs. nature film. This is a good thing on a lot of levels as most of them fail, but when they work they can easily be more entertaining than the best action movie. The latest attempt at this genre is The Grey starring Liam Neeson. Will Neeson’s star power and new found status as an action star be enough to make this film work or will it freeze before finding new ground?
The Grey follows a group of oil-rig roughnecks that are stranded in the arctic after their plane crashes. As they try to fight through the injuries, starvation, and blistering cold they are hunted by a pack of rogue wolves hell-bent on killing them off one by one. After his turn in Taken, A-Team and Unknown, Neeson has made a real mark on the action world. Once again he brings his every man persona to the forefront creating a believable hero that is both flawed and bad ass all at once. What works most about this film beyond the action and tension is that the hero isn’t just some tough unstoppable guy who knows everything. He is just as much in danger as the others in the group, just with a better understanding of what to do. The film builds suspense as the journey continues leading you on a truly terrifying journey. This isn’t so much a horror film, but is horrific due to the realism of the subject matter. The rest of the cast step up to the task and round out the film well each having their own issues to deal with beyond their current situation. The visuals in this film are what make it work even more than it may have under someone else’s control. Director Carnahan takes some daring chances with the camera shots will make the viewer somewhat uncomfortable, but in a good suspenseful way.
Neeson has done it again with this film creating one of the best movies so far of 2012. Filled with action, creepy moments, beautiful visuals, and a simplistic story that is an adrenaline filled adventure to see what the human spirit is really made of. Some people will not like the ending, but make no mistake it doesn’t leave you hanging.
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