Liam Neeson thriller "The Grey"hammered by animal rights activists

[JohnDeereGreen]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2012/01/the-grey-slammed-for-bloodthirsty-portrayal-of-wolves.html

This popped up on google news this morning. Apparently some animal rights groups are crying foul over the films portrayal of wolves. I have not seen the film but apparently the plot follows a group of oilfield workers in the far north who survive a plane crash in the wilderness, only to be stalked by a pack of wolves as they struggle to reach civilization. Now, PETA and a few others are calling for a boycott of the movie.

I can't help but chuckle when I see things like this happen. It makes these groups look unbelievably foolish when they send up a shrill cry of protest over something like this, a work of fiction intended solely as entertainment. You would think by now they would have learned when to pick a fight, and when to leave it alone. But no, they just can't help themselves...

 

[2rocky]

The following is a review from an acquaintance of mine from Atlanta area. Mid 30's ultra marathon runner (Pretty liberal bunch, though he is moderate)

The Grey

I have a personal ethos that has manifested itself in many a situation. Even when I know that a situation is hopeless and even when I'm too drained of energy to offer much, I keep moving and I never stop trying to succeed. Life, through good times and bad times, is too much of a gift in itself for me to do otherwise.

The Grey encapsulates that ethos in a story that just pulls no punches. The trailers are misleading, because they make The Grey look like a fast movie of flashy action scenes, but there's a lot more emotional resonance at play here, and the movie leaves a scar. This is one of those films that makes me want to pace back and forth in my apartment for a couple of hours when it's over, just to get my mind around what I've just watched.

"Once more into the fray
Into the last good fight that I'll ever know
Live and die on this day
Live and die on this day"

This is a poem that features prominently in the movie, and it's one that I may very well quote to myself at the beginning of races in the future. It all comes together in a scene with Liam Neeson facing wolves. This moment looks over-the-top in the previews, but it's outstanding and haunting in the context of the movie.

The Grey begins with a rather melancholic opening scene, then gives way to the most horrific and disturbing plane crash scene that I've ever watched in a movie. After that, nothing is safe and nothing is a given. Imagine walking wounded through a freezing snowy forest while the sounds of approaching wolves surround you from just behind the tree lines. I hope that I'm never in a real life situation where I'm limping across a vast blizzard-white field with the sight of grey wolves rushing over the snow towards me in the distance.

This is good stuff.
One one hand, The Grey is the type of movie that makes you want to beat your chest and eat a slab of barbecue ribs when it's over.
On the other hand, it's also the movie that burrows into a dark corner of your mind and remains there long after the credits roll.

This one has my highest recommendation.


P.S.: Stay in the movie theater while the credits roll. There's a brief additional scene after the credits.

Roger Eberts review....

Review by Ebert

from his review:
He is a marksman for the oil company. His job is to shoot wolves. When I learned of Sarah Palin hunting wolves from a helicopter, my sensibilities were tested, but after this film, I was prepared to call in more helicopters. I was also stunned with despair. It so happened that there were two movies scheduled that day in the Lake Street Screening Room (where we local critics see many new releases). After "The Grey" was over, I watched the second film for 30 minutes and then got up and walked out of the theater. It was the first time I've ever walked out of a film because of the previous film. The way I was feeling in my gut, it just wouldn't have been fair to the next film.

 

[drahthaar]

Huh, interesting.

I haven't seen the film, the trailer makes it look cheesy to me. Maybe I will have to see it. I thought the libs would be feaking out at wolves being portrayed as people killers. That was my first thought after seeing the trailer.

 

[Lawnboy]

While I don't believe that wolves target people it does happen. I suppose just as bears, gators or any other wild animal can. There is the possibility that we all could have an encounter in the wild.
I wish I could get my hands on some of the pioneer journals of those heading west. I know they mention the fear each night of wolves that came around camp.

This happened just over a year ago.

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/wolves-killed-alaska-teacher-2010-state-says

 

[dhottell]

Get a STICK!!

Watched the movie last saturday and from the first scene i knew it would drive the wolf huggers craaaaazy! the main character seems to be fairly ignorant for a professional wolfer(tries to fight wolves with broken airline bottles and a knife, hokey "bang sticks"), and refuses to make a club or spear or any of the things you could do to increase your odds of not being eaten by a computer generated wolf.
I was not impressed, it was about the same as The Edge only swapped the man eating bear for a pack of territorial wolves. I spent the whole movie telling them to GET A :BLEEP: STICK!!!!!!!

 

[tjones]

Absolute waste of time and money. 2 plus hours of my life I can never get back.

 

[recon6036]

Not what I thought it was going to be. Had all I could do to sit through the whole movie without leaving. Told my wife as we were leaving the theater...."the wolf lovers will have a field day with this movie"

 

[Southwind]

I wanted to see it this weekend but couldn't make time. I am definitely going to see this flick. I also have a wolf tag for spring while I'm bear hunting in Idaho. If I could only get a crack at one.

 

[Sabot]

Intense, but not my style

Saw this movie Saturday night. As the reviewer in the OP said, the movie was just as emotional as it was action filled. I personally cannot endorse this movie because of my Christian beliefs.

Please don't misunderstand, I am not a judgemental holy roller, but I don't appreciate sitting for 2 hours being told that there is no God. The deaths in the movie were dramatic, depressing, and basically meaningless. It offered no hope or positive message at all, and that's just not for me.

The acting was good, and the action was powerful. I don't mind having alternate points of view presented, but in the end, this one was more depressing than anything else.

 

[noharleyyet]

Absolute waste of time and money. 2 plus hours of my life I can never get back.

Good enough for me not to go....will wait on the blue ray. Thanks for saving me 40 bucks Tony!

 

[Southwind]

I enjoyed the movie very much. I know I could have made some dandy snow shoes from the wreckage along with some effective weapons and snares to protect my camp.

 

[belly-deep]

I saw it last night and thought it was worth watching.

If you walk in there thinking its not going to have some hollywood aspect, you'll probably be disappointed. If you view it as purely an action movie, you'll probably be disappointed as well. There are a few hokey scenes, but its not really any worse than most movies that portray some aspect of the outdoors.

If you concentrate on the underlying themes in the movie, as the critics mentioned, it is a very powerful commentary on the struggle of life. In fact, when viewed from this angle, the movie isn't really even about the wolves. There were two parts of the movie that I thought really broke from previous similar films. The first was when Neeson's character told one man that he was dying and the other was when he told his companions it was ok to be scared.

If you can wrap your head around the deeper themes and meanings of the movie, its quite good.

 

[tjones]

There are a few hokey scenes, but its not really any worse than most movies that portray some aspect of the outdoors.

.

Now there is the understatement of the year! The whole movie was a hokey scene.