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THE GREYMovie Reviews
Action adventure about a group of oil-rig roughnecks who must fight to survive when their plane crashes in the remote Alaskan wilderness. Cast:Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, James Badge Dale, Joe AndersonDirector:Joe CarnahanRelease Date:January 27, 2012DVD Release:May 22, 2012From:Open Road FilmsRating:RLength:1 hr 57 min
The Grey played to good not great reviews. • Shawn Levy wrote in the Portland Oregonian, "...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." • And Emanuel Levy wrote for Cinema 24/7, "Neeson pulls you into the story, even if it's a familiar (and trashy) one." More Reviews Below...
The Grey Positive Reviews (48 Reviews, reviews below)
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..."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(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."(See all of Jake Coyle's reviews...)(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."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(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... He can't go on.... He goes on. So, apparently, do these Liam Neeson action passion plays..."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(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."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 343 words, 01/27/12
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: OUTSTANDING(cg) "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."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 683 words, 01/27/12
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the film 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."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(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."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 945 words, 01/30/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a simple story that ventures into some profound existential territory... It takes death seriously, and partly as a consequence, every moment, every frame, feels alive."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 940 words, 01/27/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "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."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(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'..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(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... an unusually reflective blood-and-guts saga."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 488 words, 01/27/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "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."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 683 words, 01/27/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...urges contemplation on man as the human animal... There are many moments that make your heart pound. But it also insists that we engage our brains..."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 590 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..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 183 words, 01/26/12
KEY CITIES (12 Reviews)
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..."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(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."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(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."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 515 words, 01/27/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "...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."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 554 words, 01/27/12
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...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..."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(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 is mostly wolf chow, marked only by a few details -- guy with thick glasses, nice guy, black guy."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(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..."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 360 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..."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(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..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(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."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 307 words, 01/27/12
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..."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,157 words, 01/26/12
Jesse Cataldo, Slant: VERY GOOD(cg) "...old-fashioned, neatly arrayed... a film where plans still have the utmost importance, but they're finally integrated organically into the fabric of the plot..."(See all of Jesse Cataldo's reviews...)(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..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(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."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 646 words, 01/27/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a simple story that ventures into some profound existential territory... It takes death seriously, and partly as a consequence, every moment, every frame, feels alive."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(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."(See all of Ian Buckwalter's reviews...)(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'..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 581 words, 01/27/12
Joe Leydon, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...dialogue-heavy stretches and an ambiguous finale could leave ticketbuyers impatient for less chatter and more chomping."(See all of Joe Leydon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 846 words, 01/17/12
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...will satisfy the action audience while reminding more discerning viewers what they saw in director Joe Carnahan's decade-old breakthrough, 'Narc.' "(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(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'..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 581 words, 01/27/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a simple story that ventures into some profound existential territory... It takes death seriously, and partly as a consequence, every moment, every frame, feels alive."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 940 words, 01/27/12
18.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Grey's reviews are separated by an average 18.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Grey (48 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Grey's reviews cover 95.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 26,665 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 556 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Grey Coverage, Volume & Length (48 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 14.3 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Grey's reviews on average broke 14.3 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Grey's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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