Blu Review: The Grey (2012)

by

17, May 2012Blu Review, Home Video

Cast: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo
Director: Joe Carnahan
Country: USA
Genre: Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller
Official Trailer: Here

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Editor’s Notes: The Grey was released on blu ray and dvd on Tuesday May 15th by Entertainment One in Canada.

Man often reproves the world, especially at the time of crisis or after the loss of a loved one. Man with tears question the existence of God sometimes, and some even slowly lose faith. The truth is that life is unforeseeable and it challenges us in many ways. If man decides to turn the pages of history, he will comprehend, and if he commences comparing the history with the contemporary society, he will realize that man, no matter how big the challenges, have always been in the center of battle. Ottway (Liam Neeson) in The Grey helmed by Joe Carnahan (Smokin’ Aces, The A-Team) is the perfect example. The Grey is about seven oil workers, who are led by a skilled huntsman (Neeson) to survive after their plane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness. It is freezing and these survivors are exposed. Not only are they challenged by the impact of the crash and the freezing snow and wind, they are being watched and one at a time hunted by a pack of remorseless wolves.

If one decides to dismiss the film as a pop-corn horror flick, he/she must like me give the film a chance first, for the film presents much more than just man against wolves.

Prior to crash landing in the wilderness, Ottway one night outside in the cold puts the rifle in his mouth; mourning for the death of his wife (Anne Openshaw) who we see in flashbacks several times. If one decides to dismiss the film as a pop-corn horror flick, he/she must like me give the film a chance first, for the film presents much more than just man against wolves. Besides the portrayal of beasts hunting freezing men, the story has a clang of philosophical that raises some important questions. – Does God exist? And, if God does exist, why God is not doing anything about it? In one scene, Ottway in tears looks up at the grey sky and yells as he questions God. He commands God to do something. There is no reason to have faith since God is silently watching the chaos. “Earn it,” as he cries to God. Carnahan’s vision is clear from the beginning; it is just that he puts us all to the test in a way. In the first act, in a scene after their plane crash, which by the way is beautifully shot, Ottway is standing next to one of the gravely wounded man inside the wrecked plane. “You are going to die,” says Ottway. The wounded man realizes that it is the end for him and as he refuses to comprehend the gravity of the moment. ;Let it slide over you’, says Ottway. “Let your thoughts go. All the good things”. When he slowly shuts his eyes and moves no muscle ever again, “I felt him go,” says another man.

There is a message of hope as the story unfolds slowly, hidden deep in the film’s spiritual subtext. Carnahan is giving us the opportunity to figure out how to survive. The film also brings the spotlight on the impact and importance of unity. In the snow hidden behind trees, wolves are united as they slowly hunt men. And, men amidst chaos and danger often argue and even attack each other with knives. It is essential to take note that “Together we stand divided we fall”. This rules must be followed everywhere in every circumstance. Carnahan is not shy to define some weaknesses that man possesses. And when it comes to issues of faith and the will to survive, The Grey jumps up and above the bar for its genre. The story is told in such a way that when people die, it’s not for our entertainment, but to highlight the unpredictable nature of life and death. As Ottway wrestles with these same issues, it’s Neeson’s ardent performance that makes it to the destination.

Carnahan is not shy to define some weaknesses that man possesses. And when it comes to issues of faith and the will to survive, The Grey jumps up and above the bar for its genre.

The Grey is now available on Blu-Ray released under the banner of Universal Pictures. It is presented in 1080p/AVC (2.40:1), mixed in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The two-disc set also includes a DVD copy, as well as a Digital Copy and an UltraViolet cloud streaming copy of the film. Carnahan has shot the film on Super 35, and it is intentionally framed with film grain. Personally, if you ask me, I don’t like film grain and it bothered me at first. It was distracting, yet the brightness of the scenes once the characters are trapped in the beautiful Alaskan landscape you will hardly see the grain. Audio and the sound design aggressively growls and often at few scenes the audio shows its strength as it becomes too loud that makes one feel they are in the scene with characters. The special features contain six impressive deleted, extended, and alternate scenes and the audio commentary with director / co-writer Joe Carnahan and editors Roger Barton and Jason Hellmann. Unfortunately, the consumers are not treated with behind the scene clips, something I began to look for after the end credits, but The Grey is still a beautiful disc to own.

The Grey is fun and realistic in terms of story and characters. It puts the man’s mind to think and questions man’s ability. As Ottway commands God to do something and yells “Earn it” as he is no longer a man of faith. He sits and realizes what man is capable of. “F*ck It, I will do it myself,” he says. The Grey is a film with heart, and pulls the strings of our emotions, yet told and captured in a dashing manner.   “Once more into the fray … Live and die on this day. Live and die on this day.”  Raise your fists, and look fear directly in the eye.

88/100 ~ GREAT. The story is told in such a way that when people die, it’s not for our entertainment, but to highlight the unpredictable nature of life and death. As Ottway wrestles with these same issues, it’s Neeson’s ardent performance that makes it to the destination.

Rohan Mohmand
Follow Me on Twitter / View My Other Posts


Rohan fell in love with the environment of the cinema hall and moving images on the big screen at a young age. As an screenwriter, he venerates the work of Alfred Hitchcock, M.Night Shyamalan, Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan. The reverence of directors, actors, stories, art and cinema allows him to experience films with an open mind and leads him to believe strongly in the correspondence of films with the occurrences of the real world.