Rated R, 117 minutes
"The Grey" is a fairly conventional, but entertaining and tense action thriller led by a prolific, superb actor in Liam Neeson, who has made hits out of wintery movies like "Taken" and "Unknown." Another gruff but textured performance from him carries a film that nearly veers off too much in the final act. Neeson leads an unruly group of oil-rig roughnecks when their plane crashes into the remote Alaskan wilderness. Battling mortal injuries and merciless weather, the survivors have only a few days to escape the icy elements – and a vicious pack of rogue wolves on the hunt – before their time runs out. Neeson is reunited with his "A-Team" director Joe Carnahan that plays to Neeson's strengths, chiefly his rough, everyman quality. On that note, "The Grey" works best as a survival piece than horror film, and the first half of the film, featuring a stunning plane crash and the introduction of the nasty canines, is better than the overlong second half, which veers off into some depressing monologues about faith and family. However, the frigid Canadian scenery is breathtakingly photographed and is just as essential to the plot as the wolves. Character actors Dallas Roberts and Dermot Mulroney help balance out the movie in supporting roles, but really this is Neeson's movie, and he carries it on his back just fine. For that reason "The Grey" is worth a look, and you'll want to stay over to the end of the credits for something a little extra.
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