|
|
 |
Alynda Wheat, People: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "A promising setup leads to a standard-issue disaster plot that picks off the nearly indistinguishable survivors one by one." (Read the full review...) 164 words, 01/26/12 Richard Corliss, Time: MODERATE "If it ran about 80 mins., 'The Grey' could be a smartish man-against-the-elements thriller. Unfortunately it ambles in at nearly two hours, an arid expanse padded with sad stabs at characterization..." (Read the full review...) 872 words, 01/27/12 Jake Coyle, Associated Press: MODERATE (cg) "...deserves credit for looking for gravity in genre tropes. But, ultimately, the film feels less like a genuine existential thriller than a movie aping the conventions of one." (Read the full review...) 673 words, 01/26/12 Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) " 'Alive'? '127 Hours'? Lightweights compared to this white-knuckle survival thriller.... the film is at its most chilling when the men just quietly converse about their mortality." (Read the full review...) 102 words, 01/26/12 Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "There are eight, and then there are seven, and then there are fewer than that.... He can't go on. He sees another vision of his wife tangled in sexy bedsheets. He goes on. So, apparently, do these Liam Neeson action passion plays..." (Read the full review...) 440 words, 01/27/12 Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD (cg) "...terrifically exciting, deeply unsettling.... full of beauty and terror and a healing sense of grace... brings us face to face with our own worst fears. Hold on tight. It's a true call of the wild." (Read the full review...) 343 words, 01/27/12 Claudia Puig, USA Today: MODERATE (cg) "The computer-generated wolves have more personality than any of the dull characters... What starts as a tense and moody survival thriller fairly quickly becomes tedious, forced and far-fetched..." (Read the full review...) 455 words, 01/27/12 Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...advances with pitiless logic. There are more wolves than men. The men have weapons, the wolves have patience, the weather is punishing. I sat regarding the screen with mounting dread." (Read the full review...) 683 words, 01/27/12 Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: VERY GOOD (cg) "...certainly doesn't lack for testosterone bluster... But the picture makes to examine that quality more than celebrate it, and also tries to come to terms with what one really needs, steely attitude aside, to survive in an environment in which literally everything is against you." (Read the full review...) 704 words, 01/23/12 James Berardinelli, Reel Views: VERY GOOD (cg) "...a welcome surprise - a suspenseful survival tale that eschews the cheesiness of 'The Edge' in favor of something a little more thoughtful and contemplative." (Read the full review...) 945 words, 01/30/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a simple story that ventures into some profound existential territory without making a big fuss about it.... It takes death seriously, and partly as a consequence, every moment, every frame, feels alive." (Read the full review...) 940 words, 01/27/12 Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT (cg) "...stays steely to the end, even as its grizzled winners take nothing.... The gristle inside this movie is one of the things that save it from being simply a series of challenges. Neeson is perfect for this stuff." (Read the full review...) 422 words, 01/27/12 Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD "Tough situation. Frostbite. Wolf bite. Drowning. Falling from great heights. Harsh outcomes abound for both man and beast.... Call 'The Grey' 'Deliverance Lite,' with snow, and wolves." (Read the full review...) 581 words, 01/27/12 Kyle Smith, New York Post: VERY GOOD (cg) "...arm wrestles rather than tackles the harsh riddles of manly existence that were so memorably anatomized in its fellow subzero odysseys 'The Edge' and 'Runaway Train'... an unusually reflective blood-and-guts saga." (Read the full review...) 488 words, 01/27/12 Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE (cg) "Brutal violence and softhearted sentiment make for an uneven mix... watchable but frustrating..." (Read the full review...) 330 words, 01/27/12 David Edelstein, New York Magazine: MODERATE "Neeson's gravity elevates the action, and there's a fine, prickly performance by an actor new to me, Frank Grillo, as the asshole of the group.... But 'The Grey,' despite moments of sublimity, is as predictable as a funeral." (Read the full review...) 340 words, 01/30/12 Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...advances with pitiless logic. There are more wolves than men. The men have weapons, the wolves have patience, the weather is punishing. I sat regarding the screen with mounting dread." (Read the full review...) 683 words, 01/27/12 Brian Miller, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...there is the expectation -- nay, the requirement -- that Neeson punch as many wolves as possible.... There's too much Jack London, and, as they systematically pick off the stragglers, too many CGI wolves go unpunched." (Read the full review...) 212 words, 01/25/12 Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD (cg) "...urges contemplation on man as the human animal... There are many moments in 'The Grey' that make your heart pound. But it also insists that we engage our brains..." (Read the full review...) 590 words, 01/27/12 Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "...implies intriguing connections between the wolf leader and Ottway as a grizzled lone wolf making his last stand. As the men keep getting picked off, the narrative slides toward a refreshingly grim and ambiguous ending." (Read the full review...) 578 words, 01/27/12 Josep Parera, La Opinion: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "...apuesta por un tratamiento simple aunque efectivo de la eterna historia de supervivencia..." (Read the full review...) 402 words, 01/27/12 Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "...undermined by unconvincing wolf effects (a mixture of CG, animatronics and real animals) and a clumsy backstory for Neeson's character... has just enough gravity to make you wish it delivered more fully on its potential." (Read the full review...) 183 words, 01/26/12
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: VERY GOOD (cg) "...packs as much visual ingenuity and emotional meaning as it does raw-boned physical derring-do.... keeps the sometimes graphically gory action beats coming at a crisp pace. But the moments in between turn out to be just as satisfying..." (Read the full review...) 916 words, 01/27/12 Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "There are witty nods to other such films (Werner Herzog's 'Grizzly Man,' Ethan Hawke's Andes plane crash-cannibal tale, 'Alive'), but the wit stops there." (Read the full review...) 495 words, 01/27/12 Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...unusually hard, tense, cruel, intelligent and straightforward.... it entirely holds you. You quickly forget that it's just a movie... it's terrific." (Read the full review...) 515 words, 01/27/12 Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD (cg) "...director Joe Carnahan, who co-wrote the script with Ian Mackenzie Jeffers, based on Jeffers' short story, tries to infuse the proceedings with a what-is-life-worth vibe, which is sporadically effective.... Neeson carries the film, as he carries the action in it." (Read the full review...) 554 words, 01/27/12 Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: MODERATE (cg) "It's cheap the way 'The Grey' wants to be both a Liam Neeson 'Quit Taking My Stuff' movie and an existential thriller about survival. We've come, in vain, to see him danse-macabre with wolves..." (Read the full review...) 592 words, 01/27/12 Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "Neeson is, as always, a formidable presence... The rest of the cast, however, is mostly wolf chow, marked only by a few details -- guy with thick glasses, nice guy, black guy." (Read the full review...) 596 words, 01/27/12 Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: POOR (cg) "...the characters are far from memorable. Their main purpose is to trudge through the cold, or occasionally just sit in it, while bickering and waiting for the wolves to reappear and have their little fun. This goes on until the ending, which stinks." (Read the full review...) 360 words, 01/27/12 Soren Andersen, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD (cg) "...harshly beautiful... Saw-toothed mountains, frigid rushing rivers and snowy forests stretching as far as the eye can see are captured with such vividness by director of photography Masanobu Takayanagi that you feel you can practically see your breath as the story unfolds." (Read the full review...) 453 words, 01/27/12 Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT (cg) "...simple but not shallow, focused but not constricted, pointed but not single-minded.... a genuinely entertaining thriller that puts a chill through you in more ways than one." (Read the full review...) 550 words, 01/27/12 Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: POOR (cg) "If you're ever stranded in a frigid wilderness after a plane crash and wolves are stalking you, don't do what people do in 'The Grey.' You will die, either from animal mauling, exposure or boredom." (Read the full review...) 507 words, 01/26/12 Tom Long, Detroit News: POOR (cg) "Directed and co-written by Joe Carnahan with a macho-existential tone that becomes laughable... may appeal to those who like entrails, tough talk and bad endings. All others beware." (Read the full review...) 307 words, 01/27/12 Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: POOR (cg) "...ridiculous... so leaden and dull that the more substance Carnahan tries to give the movie, the more you wish someone would turn into a werewolf. Is there anything more boring than a respectable B-movie?" (Read the full review...) 614 words, 01/27/12
Brian Miller, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...there is the expectation -- nay, the requirement -- that Neeson punch as many wolves as possible.... There's too much Jack London, and, as they systematically pick off the stragglers, too many CGI wolves go unpunched." (Read the full review...) 212 words, 01/25/12 Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: VERY GOOD (cg) "...has exciting ambition and the highest emotional stakes imaginable, but it also feels like a bit of an overshot; if this is the welcome new direction Joe Carnahan is taking his career, here's hoping he tones it down a bit next time around." (Read the full review...) 581 words, 01/26/12 Betsy Sherman, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD (cg) "...outstanding sound design creates and sustains tension... Neeson and Carnahan explore the nature of heroism (a pet theme of co-producer Ridley Scott) in a film that's both visceral and thoughtful." (Read the full review...) 148 words, 01/26/12 Scott Tobias, AV Club: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "Neeson brings gravitas to the table, acting as a legitimizing counterweight to the overwrought dialogue and flesh-tearing lupine hysteria. But in a scenario this persistently ludicrous, he can only do so much." (Read the full review...) 405 words, 01/26/12 Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: EXCELLENT (cg) "What is surprising is how poetic the movie is, partly thanks to its high-lonesome sound design and the desolate beauty of its visuals, but mostly because of its star, Liam Neeson. He knows what the wolves know, only he's not telling." (Read the full review...) 1,157 words, 01/26/12 Jesse Cataldo, Slant: VERY GOOD (cg) "...an old-fashioned, neatly arrayed survival story... a film where plans still have the utmost importance, but they're finally integrated organically into the fabric of the plot, which charts a continuing back and forth between their formation and collapse." (Read the full review...) 816 words, 01/23/12 Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "...undermined by unconvincing wolf effects (a mixture of CG, animatronics and real animals) and a clumsy backstory for Neeson's character... has just enough gravity to make you wish it delivered more fully on its potential." (Read the full review...) 183 words, 01/26/12 Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "Neeson's haunted countenance and gruff delivery can nearly take all the guilt out of watching a guilty-pleasure movie." (Read the full review...) 646 words, 01/27/12 MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: EXCELLENT (cg) "Genuine, positive manliness squares off against bullshit macho posturing... This ain't no turn-your-brain-off popcorn flick. It's a look-into-the-void popcorn flick. We don't see many of them." (Read the full review...) 1,056 words, 01/25/12
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "...certainly an adventure film but one with a spiritual ingredient that is both surprising and fiercely resonant." (Read the full review...) 202 words, 01/27/12 A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a simple story that ventures into some profound existential territory without making a big fuss about it.... It takes death seriously, and partly as a consequence, every moment, every frame, feels alive." (Read the full review...) 940 words, 01/27/12 Ian Buckwalter, NPR: VERY GOOD "...a tough-as-nails study of hardened men struggling with the ostensibly conflicting pulls of stoic masculinity on one hand and love, faith and fear of death on the other." (Read the full review...) 681 words, 01/26/12 Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Tough situation. Frostbite. Wolf bite. Drowning. Falling from great heights. Harsh outcomes abound for both man and beast.... Call 'The Grey' 'Deliverance Lite,' with snow, and wolves." (Read the full review...) 581 words, 01/27/12 Dana Stevens, Slate: EXCELLENT "I pretty much loved this movie from start to finish -- risible implausibilities, insufficiently explained premise and all..." (Read the full review...) 995 words, 01/26/12
Joe Leydon, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...emphasizes detailed characterization as much as lupine mayhem while depicting the life-or-death struggle of air-crash survivors pursued by humongous wolves.... dialogue-heavy stretches and an ambiguous finale could leave ticketbuyers impatient for less chatter and more chomping." (Read the full review...) 846 words, 01/17/12 John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...a man's-man of a genre pic that will satisfy the action audience while reminding more discerning viewers what they saw in director Joe Carnahan's decade-old breakthrough, 'Narc'.... Plenty of chase scenes and gory encounters keep tension high." (Read the full review...) 560 words, 01/17/12 Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Tough situation. Frostbite. Wolf bite. Drowning. Falling from great heights. Harsh outcomes abound for both man and beast.... Call 'The Grey' 'Deliverance Lite,' with snow, and wolves." (Read the full review...) 581 words, 01/27/12 Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: GOOD (cg) "...a well-executed survival thriller.... Neeson pulls you into the story, even if it's a familiar (and trashy) one. Due to his physical stature and moral gravitas, he is credible even in adventure tales that are not exactly coherent or realistic." (Read the full review...) 877 words, 01/23/12 A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a simple story that ventures into some profound existential territory without making a big fuss about it.... It takes death seriously, and partly as a consequence, every moment, every frame, feels alive." (Read the full review...) 940 words, 01/27/12 John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "...certainly an adventure film but one with a spiritual ingredient that is both surprising and fiercely resonant." (Read the full review...) 202 words, 01/27/12
Thank you for following MovieReviewIntelligence.com |
Opening Soon (Early Figures)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
