The Film
You've just kicked the butts of an endless line of evil guys. What's a movie badass to do? If you're Liam Neeson, you go to the dogs -- wolves, actually.
In The Grey, Neeson plays Ottaway, an oil field worker whose foe is of the four-legged variety. He's got his own wolfpack, though, which includes a dwindling crew of plane crash survivors.
The film starts off like the first episode of Lost, with the aforementioned crash. However, instead of being on a gorgeous island with a little Smoke Monster, these guys crash in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness. Oh, it's also snowing and there are wolves -- hungry ones.
The Grey is more about survival then non-stop action. That said, when those wolves attack (and they do that a lot), you'll be gripping the seat. It's a little silly. OK, it's a lot silly. However, Neeson holds the whole thing together with another gritty, scary performance and a lot of gorgeous scenery.
Want to sink your teeth into the plot of this movie? Check out Karen Dahlstrom's theatrical review of The Grey.
The Picture 
The Grey has a pretty grainy 2.40:1 aspect ratio -- one of the more grainy ones of recent memory. It's intentional though, and adds to the film's gritty overall tone. That's great for the feel, but not so much for the image in spots. During some of the film's darker, snowier scenes, there's not a whole lot of detail. That's not to say that this is a bad image. Actually, it's pretty darn terrific. The close-ups are especially impressive, with colors being this image's strongest suit. It's dominated by a lot of grays (duh) and grayish blues, and it's sharp and stylistic throughout.
The Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio track provides a much better experience, making it borderline excellent. Sometimes the dialogue gets drowned out, but this is part of the experience and part of seeing the film from the Ottaway's viewpoint, with the elements whipping around. Other than that, it's a creepy, immersive experience. There's snow blowing, wind screaming, fires crackling, of course, the wolves. As a ringing endorsement, I had my own 30-pound mutt on high alert for almost the entire film's runtime. The audio track's standout moment, however, is the plane crash. It's gripping, terrifying and (literally) explosive.
The Extras
Hello? Is there anybody out there? Universal was pretty stingy with the extras for The Grey. Director Joe Carnahan and editors Roger Barton and Jason Hellmann fill in production details on the audio commentary. It's fine, but there's no Neeson. Heck, they couldn't even get co-star Dermot Mulroney. The rest is just a bunch of deleted scenes, which are worth a quick peek.
Final Thoughts
Liam Neeson has sort of carved out a niche where you can guarantee he's going to kick some ass in almost every movie. The Grey continues some of that tradition, but in all honesty, I prefer when his foes are human. That said, this man against Mother Nature story is a real beauty, with incredible audio to match. If you're a fan of Neeson, outdoor adventures or both, you're not going to be disappointed.
Product Details
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