# The Grey - Blu-ray Review



## Peter Rygiel (Jan 21, 2010)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=8708[/img]*Title: The Grey
Starring: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo
Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Written by: Joe Carnahan, Ian Mackenzie Jeffers
Studio: 1984 Private Defense Contractors, Scott Free Productions
Rated: R
Runtime: 117 min
Blu-ray Release Date (Canada): May 22, 2012

Movie :4stars:
Video :4.5stars:
Audio :4stars:
Extras :3.5stars:
HTS Overall Score: *82.5


*Movie:*

Working on an oil rig in Alaska, bushman/sniper Ottway (Liam Neeson) is tasked with keeping the settlement’s employees safe from wolves that wander too close. Having finished his stint on the rig Ottway and the other employees board a plane destined for home. On route intermittent turbulence rocks the plane for a while until things go horrifically wrong when the plane starts to disintegrate. 

The midair action eventually goes black and segues to Ottway bolting upright, lightly covered in snow, all [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=8709[/img] amidst a storm and the remains of the plane. Quickly shaking himself off he’s thrown back into the reality of his situation; he has survived the plane crash, but now he must survive the wilderness. Amongst the mangled bodies survivors start to appear. Ottway tells them bluntly, “Either we find shelter and start a fire soon, or we die”. There’s an urgency in the matter, and it’s displayed through a no nonsense approach to the circumstances, especially through the dialogue and the state of the wounded. The frightened and stunned group take Ottway’s advice and start to scavenge through the debris for anything useful and nestle down in front of a fire within the twisted metal. 

Before long the reminiscing and talk about being rescued is interrupted by ear-piercing and chilling howls emanating from the woods. The terrifying howls are soon replaced by multiple pairs of glowing eyes belonging to growling wolves. The wolves don’t just put on a show; their intentions are soon made clear when a survivor gets attacked, and I mean werewolf-style attacked where the unsuspecting person minding their own business gets tackled off screen in an instant, followed by quick shots of the beast tearing into the man until he’s dead. This provided for some jump-in-your-seat moments, but this style of attack felt like it belonged more in a supernatural movie rather than one based in reality. The look of the wolves at times left something to be desired also. The CGI and special effects used are average at best, and I don’t recall ever getting a clear look at any of the ravenous wolves.

As the men struggle with the entire situation, their patience starts to wear thin and tensions start to rise. [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=8712[/img] Unlike in other survival movies there’s an appreciable lack of excessive melodrama and cliché moments in *The Grey*. Ottway’s ingenuity, knowledge of the outdoors and wolf behavior and his ability to reason with the other survivors and encourage cooperation has prevented their deaths, but he doesn’t know everything. In a moment of frustration Ottway states honestly that he doesn’t know; which I find far more believable than him concocting a harebrained scheme on the fly. 

As the men continue to trek through the thick snow and woods trying to evade the wolf pack, each obstacle they approach is dealt with on a plausible level, especially pertaining to instincts and self-preservation. 

The situation the men are in is truly a living nightmare, and the actors do a fantastic job portraying each character. The simple dialogue contributes to the believability factor and there’s never any pretentiousness in their behavior. In between bouts with the wolves and having to move to stay alive the men do rest, and have extended conversations. Ottway has flashback of his wife at home, which initially I rolled my eyes at but later came to understand that it was a place he went to escape the turmoil. Getting those few seconds of solace kept his spirit from giving up. 

*The Grey* was also a physically demanding movie to make in terms of dealing with the brutal weather and topography of the location. Even if at times the blowing snow wasn’t natural, it’s still cold, uncomfortable and the knee-deep snow you’re treading through is definitely real. I like to see actors in these masochistic roles fighting the elements and/or straining their bodies to the limits (Christian Bale in both 2004s _The Machinist_ and 2006s _Rescue Dawn_). I feel that great performances can arise from self-induced hardships and the reward factor is higher. 


*Rating:*

R for violence/disturbing content including bloody images, and for pervasive language.


*Video :4.5stars:*

A dark color palette and intentional graininess creates a gritty raw look giving you an in-the-moment [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=8707[/img] perspective. Close up facial detail is great, highlighting wrinkles, pores and hair as well as fatigue and age. Characters really stand out against the white greyish snow covered landscape. Blacks are deep when required and toned down to adjust to the scene, but consistently look fabulous. Outdoor nighttime scenes look realistically lit with just a dash of moonlight, torches and a crackling fire. When the survivors take cover within the mangled fuselage the fire does a great job to illuminate the small space with its flickering flames. The white eyes of the wolves that periodically appear penetrate the total blackness of the night in an effective scary manner. The dark green trees the characters trek through add to the overall gloomy and desolate looking landscape. The rushing body of water the characters encounter looks naturally pale and crystal clear. Despite being set in a merciless dark environment, the picture in *The Grey* is outstanding; colors pop to emphasize the situation and detail is incredibly high throughout and white and black levels are very impressive. 


*Audio :4stars:*

The audio in *The Grey* takes advantage of a high quality 5.1 system. From the onset [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=8711[/img] environmental sounds are consistent, evident and utilized to create a chilling brutal atmosphere. The sound of the roaring wind is enveloping and really packs a punch to the eardrums. The rear speakers play an integral part in the constant sound activity, directional effects and overall immersive feeling. An early audio highlight comes during the scene when the plane starts to break apart. The terrifying sound of the whirring battered engine combined with metal twisting and straining, glass breaking and objects in the cabin being thrown around present a truly frightening and eerie experience. The dialogue is crisp with every breath the survivor’s take clearly audible and prioritized to match the scene. The sound of wolves howling in the distance is sporadic, never expected and truly ominous, especially when the entire pack joins in trying to assert their dominance over the struggling humans. The audio track always recreates the scene as if you were there; when the characters are outside battling the elements or under cover, the difference in the sound field is really impressive. 


*Extras :3.5stars:*


Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Clips
Interviews


*Overall:*

*The Grey* is unlike other nature survival movies in that it’s bleak from beginning to end and [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=8710[/img] never compromises on its stance of presenting a situation where the outcome won’t necessarily be favourable for the characters. The unconventional ending will no doubt result in unintentional laughs, but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and ending and even think it has repeat value.









*Recommendation: Rent it!*
*Watch the Official Trailer*


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

I really enjoyed this movie and plan on adding it to my collection soon. Without providing any spoilers there are some pretty edge of your seat intense moments.


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

*Re: The Grey*

Great review, Peter! I ended up really liking this film. Didn't quite know what to expect going into it, but I thought it was quite entertaining!


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## Peter Rygiel (Jan 21, 2010)

*Re: The Grey*

Factoring in the great audio, video and extras, I also think this is a solid movie to own.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

Peter, I think your review was spot on but yes I do believe this movie is ownership worthy.


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## ozar (Feb 12, 2012)

*Re: The Grey*

Thanks for the review, _Peter_! 

It's unfortunate that some of the CGI is not all that great but that seems to happen with too many movies. I've still not decided on purchasing this one but should a really good deal come along, I'll probably go ahead and buy. Otherwise, I'll likely rent or borrow until I've had a look.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

*Re: The Grey*

thanks for the review Peter, looking forward to watching this one


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## Dwight Angus (Dec 17, 2007)

*Re: The Grey*

Great review Peter. I will definitely have to rent this one.


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## Peter Rygiel (Jan 21, 2010)

*Re: The Grey*



Dwight Angus said:


> Great review Peter. I will definitely have to rent this one.


I don't think you'll be disappointed.


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## shifts (Mar 8, 2009)

Wow, it seems like the movie has it's fans. I'm on the other scale actually and found it practically unwatchable and unexciting. Each to their own of course and I'm glad taste differs so.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

shifts said:


> Wow, it seems like the movie has it's fans. I'm on the other scale actually and found it practically unwatchable and unexciting. Each to their own of course and I'm glad taste differs so.


Count me as a fan and it now sits in my BR collection.


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## MUCHO (Aug 26, 2006)

*Re: The Grey*

I was left quite underwhelmed with this movie. It had neither great action sequences nor deep emotional moments.

I admit it's possible I just didn't get it. Not a keeper in my opinion but worth renting if you're a L.N. fan.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

MUCHO said:


> I was left quite underwhelmed with this movie. It had neither great action sequences nor deep emotional moments.
> 
> I admit it's possible I just didn't get it. Not a keeper in my opinion but worth renting if you're a L.N. fan.


I bet most here do "get it". Great movie with much excitement.


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## MUCHO (Aug 26, 2006)

*Re: The Grey*



JBrax said:


> I bet most here do "get it". Great movie with much excitement.


I'd ask you to help me understand the movie but since you consider it an exciting movie it seems we're pretty far apart on how we saw the movie.

To me there was very little action. Plenty of suspense but really to me it was a movie more about the interaction and action of men given rather bleak prospects of survival.

To the movies credit - I rather did enjoy the backstory and ultimate conclusion of that story. It was the in between parts that were unable to keep me interested.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

I would agree with your assessment about the story mostly being about the casts survival but to me that is where this movie shined. The excitement was "edge of your seat worthy" in several parts. Without providing spoilers to our members who haven't seen it I'll leave it at that.


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## Dwight Angus (Dec 17, 2007)

*Re: The Grey*

I rented this one. I found the audio and video disappointing. The wolves seems artificial and cgi not that good. On the plus side the story was compelling and with some decent acting.


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## fanuminski (Apr 11, 2008)

*Re: The Grey*



shifts said:


> Wow, it seems like the movie has it's fans. I'm on the other scale actually and found it practically unwatchable and unexciting. Each to their own of course and I'm glad taste differs so.


Agree with this. 

One of my criteria for owning a movie is if I would watch it again (and again -lol).
This one did not do it for me at all. I'm a big Liam fan (Taken) , but was extremely disappointed
in this movie. Liked the first half hour - then it went steadily downhill from there (to an
unforgetable ending)
My wife and I both agreed on this one - should have rented it instead of going to the theater
to see it. just imho
-M


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## phreak (Aug 16, 2010)

I may be in the minority here but I thought this was a great exercise video. I just finished watching it and my body is starting to relax after two solid hours of every muscle tensed. 

I borrowed this one from a coworker. I rarely watch DVD lately, but I thought the A/V was decent. Surround effects were used well to portray the events on screen, but not overblown when the scene didn't call for it. In a few of the whiteout snow scenes the picture seemed quite grainy, I couldn't tell if it was intentional cinematography or an artifact of the upconversion. 

Overall, not a top tier movie. But I will watch it again when my dad comes to town.


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## phillihp23 (Mar 14, 2012)

*Re: The Grey*



phreak said:


> I may be in the minority here but I thought this was a great exercise video. I just finished watching it and my body is starting to relax after two solid hours of every muscle tensed.
> 
> I borrowed this one from a coworker. I rarely watch DVD lately, but I thought the A/V was decent. Surround effects were used well to portray the events on screen, but not overblown when the scene didn't call for it. In a few of the whiteout snow scenes the picture seemed quite grainy, I couldn't tell if it was intentional cinematography or an artifact of the upconversion.
> 
> Overall, not a top tier movie. But I will watch it again when my dad comes to town.


Also felt some of the scenes seemed grainy, and am unsure if it was a cinematography decision. I just chalked it up as such....i mean why else would one push out footage looking like that. :huh:


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## phillihp23 (Mar 14, 2012)

*Re: The Grey*

I agree the audio sound effects were done nicely in this movie. The wind blowing and fire crackling .


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## ozar (Feb 12, 2012)

*Re: The Grey*

I wound up buying this one but wish I had only rented it. Will try it again in a month or two and hopefully will like it better the second time around...


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## barbarajon (Jun 25, 2012)

*Re: The Grey*

Hey it was awesome experience viewing this movie.


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

We just have this one a spin. Really enjoyed it. Loved the grainy video - very much added to the texture of the movie. Thought the audio was well done... Some nice thunderous LFE.... Wind whipping around was immersive.

Rarely can we start a movie near 10 on friday night and stay awake - this kept us awake.

Not a stellar movie, but a fun watch!


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

You appear a bit behind on your movies. I especially enjoyed the ending. After all of the trials and tribulations to end up where he did.


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

Yeah, a bit behind. I've been meaning to see it for a long time, but there's always other options!

I agree about the ending. The flashbacks combined with the poem... And the look in his eyes. Very cool.


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