The Grey (2012)

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

After their plane crashes in Alaska, six oil workers are led by a skilled huntsman to survival, but a pack of merciless wolves haunts their every step. The Grey is perhaps one of Liam Neeson's best films from the last few years (alongside the amazing Taken of course) it's very stunning, beautiful looking and has an ending that although it does cut kind of sudden it just makes you question of what might happened or what could have happened in general, the cinematography is breath taking and the cgi in the wolves really good. If you love action movies with a mix of drama in it you will not be disappointed by 'The Grey' and Liam Neeson's terrific and powerful perfomance. (10/10) (A+)

This is one of the deepest movies I have ever watched. Point is not about the wolves, location or anything else. Point is about him loosing the loved one. And only If you lost someone you truly loved you will be able to understand what he felt. He went to take his own life but he couldn't, subconsciously he wanted that someone else does it, in this case it was the wolves.

I would like to start off this review by saying that this movie is not perfect, but the negative hype that it received was not warranted. The first time I watched this film, I was simply disappointed by the ending, because lets be honest, I wanted to watch Liam Neeson kick some wolf ass. I was mad, angry, and bitter about how the film ended. But fast-forward a few months to the second watch, and this is where the real beauty of this film presented itself to me.Before I get into the heart of this review, I want to offer some quick explanations for my high praise of this movie. Yes, I would recommend this film to anyone looking for an entertaining and suspenseful action film. The cinematography is beautiful, the script is well written, Neeson provides an outstanding performance (along with great supporting performances from the other actors), and the music and sound is exceptional, especially in sending chills down your spine whenever the wolves howl. Watch this movie in a dark room at night with surround sound, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.Now to the truth of the issue. THIS MOVIE IS NOT ABOUT THE WOLVES. This film is an emotional, suspenseful, and extensively metaphorical journey through the will of man to survive. Yes, wolves would not brutally hunt down humans. No, this film was not made to paint wolves in a bad light. The wolves in the film are simply a vehicle to convey one of the most masterfully crafted metaphors I have ever witnessed in a film.This is a story of survival. Each wolf represents a different fear that the men face, all of which try to kill them. The alpha wolf represents death, the leader of all fears that man must face. Since black is associated with death, it makes sense that the alpha wolf is black to complete the picture. Each man throughout the film struggles against his deepest fear, and eventually dies at the hands of it. It becomes clear on the plane that Flannery's biggest fear is being left out/excluded, and he dies when he gets separated from the group. Burke's biggest fear is being alone, which is supported by his struggle with the death of his sister. He dies alone during the storm before Ottway tries to wake him. Talget fears heights, and dies from a fall crossing the canyon. Even Diaz, who's biggest fear simply is feeling fear itself, dies alone while waiting for the wolves to come to him, whispering to himself "I'm not afraid".Now to Ottway. After almost committing suicide at the beginning of the film, I wondered why this man would go to such incredible lengths to survive. And I believe it is because his biggest fear is not having a purpose. After the plane crashes, he feels a purpose to help the other men survive. Even after they all die, he carries their wallets (essentially their souls) and feels the need to defend them against death (the alpha wolf) in the end.I would also like to point out how the entire film is about Ottway and the men running from their fears (the wolves). But they always catch up. Even when Ottway seems to escape all of these, he ends up in the den facing death (the alpha). This is a parallel to how no matter what, every person will eventually face death. It cannot be outrun. The beauty of how a man on the brink of suicide fights death in the bleakest moment really resonated with me on the second watch, when I could truly figure out what this film meant. Ottway is essentially a Christ figure, which is supported by the cut after the credits showing him putting his hand on the alpha as it dies (he conquers death and saves the wallets/souls of the dead), along with his call to God to help him after Henrick's death.All of this to say look closer. This is not about Liam Neeson killing wolves. This is not about wolves being portrayed as vicious creatures. This is about fear, death, life, and the human spirit. This is a metaphorical journey into the purpose of life, religion, and survival. Look past the superficial, and find the deeper meaning. You will not only appreciate the film, you will love it. I encourage you to watch this film again, to travel once more into the fray, and to truly understand the magnitude of what is being explored in this exceptional film.

Explicit language has been used. Reader discretion is advised. !Spoiler alert! Summary of the movie:"Hey we just crashed in the middle of nowhere, but this huge metal plane with huge metal parts that could be used to make a barricade and keep us safe in, doesn't sound like a very good idea so let's leave and head to the woods where a huge pack of bloodthirsty wolves is waiting for us, but somehow we'll be safer there.Also don't even bother getting some sharp metal parts of the plane as the ones we used to beat the wolves with in order to save our professional wolf hunter who magically survived after being mauled by two huge wolves. ZERO further need for weapons!We managed to kill a wolf because 12 Gauge shells exploding in open air at about 1 feet from our face, miraculously only kill what's in front of us, and we're good to go.Now we suddenly have a huge fire and we cook him and have a laugh, giving a total of zero damns about our friend who got mauled to death before our eyes a few minutes ago. All of us look in one direction during our happy episode in the forest, and the top predators hunting us in huge numbers don't attack us from behind.Next, we find a way to safely jump off a cliff over 400 meters tall, but when we reach down, the wolves are already waiting for us. They probably discovered a way of telleportation! A guy pretty much breaks his knee but is still able to walk through snow and keep up with two healthy guys for several miles, however he gets bored because he's a drunk loser, so he decides to give up by sitting ON A HUGE LOG NEAR A DAMN RIVER. We don't even consider going downriver on the log.All three of us are being chased by the same wolves, but we decide to stay and have a little fun talk, shake hands, and everything. Finally we get ourselves chased by two wolves, while we're slowly moving through huge snow, but somehow we can outrun them, until we fall in freezing water where one of us drowns and the last one gets back to land, giving a total of ZERO damns about being wet in below freezing temperatures.After magically drying off, he has a small existential crisis, but he shortly decides to keep moving until it reaches a wolf den.(IN WINTER WHEN WOLVES MIGRATE TO FIND FOOD) However despite being occupied with wolf cubs, the den it's unprotected, and our wolf hunter has plenty of time to go through a ton of memories until the wolves show up. The last survivor doesn't get mauled to death instantly by the pack, because the leader of the pack wants to show off in a 1v1, this of course after allowing our hero to make some glass knuckles."