How do you review a movie that wasn’t great, but didn’t suck? A movie that pulled you in, but not far enough in that you were absorbed? A film that wasn’t bad, but didn’t feel like it was made for you? Such were the questions I asked myself before I sat down to review The Grey, a movie about a group of men trying to survive in the cold harsh winter (of their discontent) of Alaska, wolves circling around them ready for dinner. It’s an interesting character study, with the group of tough guys slowly breaking down one by one. But gorgeous views of Alaska and the well-done animatronic wolves weren’t enough. For me, I wanted more.
The Grey is a man vs. nature film, and you need to be a dude (or in a dude frame of mind) to really get into this film. Or perhaps it just that this film suffers from a lack of dramatic structure. You can easily pick out the movies director/screenwriter Joe Carnahan (The A Team, Smokin’ Aces) loves as this movie unspools. Go ahead; you won’t miss much if your mind wanders. The Thing (scary!cold), Alive (dudes survive a plane crash!), Ghost and the Darkness (scary!animals), Wolfen (wolves! eek!), Solaris (dead wife visions!) Cliffhanger (daring feats of ice bravery!) But I like to think of The Grey as Deliverance. With wolves. Cue the banjo music…oh wait, wolves don’t have opposable thumbs. No wonder they’re pissed.
