Maybe it happened in "Taken" or "Unknown", but somewhere, somehow, Liam Neeson became an action star.
Synopsis
In one of his latest installments, Neeson stars in "The Grey" as Ottway, a man who works as a "hired killer" of sorts for an oil company in Alaska. His job: to kill wolves that may get too close to other company workers.
The oil company rough-necks appear to be taking some sort of break and are flying from their location to Anchorage. During the flight, the plane has electrical problems and crashes leaving only seven survivors. These survivors soon find out they're not alone and are looking either really tasty, or not from the neighborhood of the local wolf pack.
After some arguments, it is determined that Ottway, being the expert on such matters, should be put in charge. He decides at daybreak they need to make a beeline to the woods where they can better protect themselves.
By the time they get to the woods, they're down to five people. They need to keep moving through the snow and vast Alaskan wilderness hoping to get back to civilization while they continue to be stalked by the locals.
Review
I'm not sure I understand the reason for this movie, but the landscapes from Alaska is breathtaking in many of the scenes, and makes it almost worth the price of admission.
There are many side stories in the movie: Ottway's wife, dying of some disease, leaving him suicidal and him remembering about his dad being a poet. It all makes the movie even more confusing as it goes.
Liam Neeson is an excellent actor and he has made some very good movies in the past few years. Unfortunately, this one doesn't quite live up to those. The good news is, based on the coming attractions before this movie, he'll be starring in many more movies, including "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" in 3D opening Friday!
I told a friend of mine I'd share my dad's viewpoint on this movie as well, which was, "After seeing that, I'm never going into the woods again without a gun." Dad and the second amendment, you've got to love it!
Other actors include Dermot Mulroney, Dallas Roberts, Joe Anderson and Frank Grillo. The film is rated R for profanity & violence. There were some pretty good suspenseful moments in this movie, so I did like some parts of it.
Overall however, I scored “The Grey” a 3 out of 5 stars.
We never miss a showing of Grease or the Molly Ringwald trilogy - Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink.
http://pabsttheater.org/show/greasesingalongbaam I did like LA Confidential...great cast. And Three Kings and Hurt Locker were very good. I wrote a review on Three Kings when it came out.
I fell asleep during Inception.
Thanks for the YouTube link. I enjoyed. I seem to recall he does like to dance. I have to watch The Prophecy series yet too. I think I like him because he is so creepy :)
You already know that my definitive 'Batman' was Michael Keaton in the Tim Burton films :-) For some reason, I just can't get into the Bale/Nolan films. I love Ringwald too, but more so for her roles in 'The Pick-Up Artist' (1987), 'Fresh Horses' (1988), and other appearances.
No surprise that you'd love 'Norma Rae' (1979)! You should really check out my review of 'Country' (1984), as I think that'd be right up your alley as well! You'll probably get shivers running down your back when watching the posted preview clip - trust me :-)
I also find it extremely difficult to make a definitive numerical list of my favorites, as there's so much variety available and so many factors upon which to judge films. Not to mention that one's enjoyment of a particular film can vary greatly just by the mood that they're in and the surrounding circumstances of the moment while viewing the film.
From what I am able to ascertain from what I've seen and read, it sounds like nothing more than a rip-off combination of the plotlines from 'Alive' (1993) and the independent psychological thriller 'Frozen' (2010), with elements of Steven Seagal's 'On Deadly Ground' (1994) thrown in for good measure. As such, it looks to me to be nothing more than a Neeson paycheck vehicle that was made to capitalize off his current fame and recent box-office successes. However, it appears to have found an audience that loves it for what it is, having received a 7.7 rating on IMDb to date. Perhaps there's something more to this film that can only be experienced from a proper viewing of it, but until I know for sure, I'd personally recommend the unique psychological insights offered by 'Frozen' over 'The Grey,' unless you’re a big Neeson fan and in love with the whole 'man banding together to conquer nature' sub-genre of films. I'm also partial to wolves, so I'd be very critical of this film if it does not depict them in true form or over-relies on the needless goring of such creatures for mere shock value.
Come on mau - you have to start renting some of my selections from Netflix, as they'll probably never offer them on the streaming service :-) BTW - 'Stigmata' was horrible, and admittedly not a very good example of Byrne's talent. For a fun-filled Byrne led film, I strongly recommend the gambling/grifting adventure 'Shade' (2003), that also stars Stuart Townsend, the gorgeous Thandie Newton, and a supporting cast of big-name familiar faces!