The Grey

Directed by Joe Carnahan
(R)

***

“The Grey continues what has become a welcome seasonal tradition”—Liam Neeson showing up at the multiplex to kick some butt, said A.O. Scott in The New York Times. As in last winter’s Unknown and 2009’s Taken, Neeson “conveys a ferocious and absolute seriousness” here “even when the going gets silly.” Playing a sniper who’s employed by an oil company, Neeson quickly establishes himself as the alpha male among a group of rugged men who survive a plane crash in Alaska only to be stalked by a pack of killer wolves. “The Grey falters in a few areas,” said Cary Darling in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “At times, the animatronic effects used to create the wolves are too obvious,” and at nearly two hours, the film is simply too long. But this “impressively visceral survivalist tale” is “just as satisfying” in between its heart-pounding action sequences, when the men slow down to ponder mortality, said Ann Hornaday in The Washington Post. Though all the actors are good, the tough, sensitive Neeson easily holds center stage. “Even pushing 60, the kid’s still got it.”