Trailer Story – The Grey

Welcome to our latest trailer story – where we predict the (usually obvious) plot of a film based on the trailer. This time we’re dissecting action thriller, The Grey, starring Mr Neeson.

Synopsis

In Alaska, an oil drilling team struggle to survive after a plane crash strands them in the wild. Hunting the humans are a pack of wolves who see them as intruders.

Trailer Story

In a nut shell. Alive with wolves! (As opposed to cannibalism.)

Liam Neeson as a sensitive hard man type with many a slick trick up his sleeve to annihilate the enemy. We have seen him in this type role of a number of times,  this is just a different setting/different enemy. But lets not make any judgments too soon… Lets dissect the trailer first at least.

(00:18)

A wolf howls, Liam spots it and reaches for his gun.

“I work security, protecting men from the dangers they cannot see.”

What a set up!  We know our protagonist is largely isolated from the world. We know (at least some of) the dangers he protects men from are wolves and we get he his strong and capable of survival in tough terrain. Wow! No more introduction needed. On with the action!

A couple of wolf related quibbles though… I wasn’t aware that wolves were a danger that men cannot see??? I’ve definitely seen a wolf, maybe only on TV but I’ve seen one. And, ok so we know that when it comes to life or death they can take on bison and win for a feed, but are they really such a threat to man? In reality how many wolf related human killings have you come across? This is the stuff of fantasy and fairytales, surely. Think G’mork from The Never Ending Story or The White Witch’s secret police in The Chronicles of Narnia.

(00:53)

Liam sees his beloved when he’s unconscious post plane going down. Just in case we don’t feel invested in his character by now its good to be reminded he has something to fight for. Come on Liam don’t let those freezing conditions and death defying mountains slopes get in your way. Walk back to your beloved… I said WALK back man. Live or die on this day! (As the tag line says). Don’t worry about getting peckish, I’m sure some of these lesser men who went down with you will die along the way, providing you with some sustenance.

01:06

“Nobody’s going to find us, not here. We figure out what way is south and we start walking.”

But hey, what’s this? Perhaps no need for cannibalism after all. There be wolves in these here mountains. Spark up the campfire, wild dog is on the menu!  I’m going off track. There is no indication that these men will eat each other or the wild animals but they do decide they will freeze to death if they don’t begin their treck for survival. Then, one night whilst around the campfire, they meet (dun, dun, daa) the wolves.

01:20

I may have been right about other worldy, fairytale type wolves, their eyes glow like fireflies and their fur is as black as night. I would have thought being in the mountains these wolves would have white fur but what do I know. Suspend disbelief this is a fairytale… I think. Although I almost do suspect this film could be more interesting were they to be fleeing/fighting things that “Men cannot see”. Where are the trolls and giants to accompany the wolves?

01:33

The wolves are incessant, numbers have gone down and they are not the only danger. Well, we already knew this, they are in the mountains. They climb down them with inappropriate equipment, they treck in the blizzards, swim in freezing rivers and, finally, they decide to “…take them (the wolves) on one at a time.” its nothing but non-stop tension and drama, one obstacle down and another one appears. And… it seems… each obstacle takes yet another life.

01:59

Liam is alone. Has he been separated from the group or is he the only one left? I’m guessing the latter but you make up your own mind. I would have expected at least one other survivor though. Perhaps there will be a surprise return at the end of a fellow survivee, presumed dead who makes it back missing a limb or something. Anyway… Liam is alone face to face with man’s unknown enemy. The Wolf. Man on Wolf… who will survive? Liam these dudes fight bison you better have a good trick up your sleeve. O good, you brought the empty miniatures from the plane, good thinking. If only you had some… a-ha electrical tape… where did you get that from? No time to answer, smash those knuckle dusters and fight for your life Mr!

This trailer story needs little prediction it is pretty much spelt out for you. The (non-stop action) fight for survival in the snowy, wolfy mountains is lost by all but our main protagonist who continues his fight alone. I doubt very much that he becomes wolf chowder and expect some overly sentimental scene to finish, maybe a mountain rescue first or the discovery of some remote cabin somewhere. Liam is finally reunited with his beloved, exhausted, bruised and battered from his experience and appreciating his beloved all the more for the fight to get there.

This trailer depicts solid enough action and we know Liam is more than capable of carrying such a role but I’m left with the question, will we be invested enough in his character to care whether he survives the Big Bad Wolves to make it in time to Grandma’s for tea?

I’m not feeling it and non stop action isn’t my cup of tea so won’t sustain my attention, but I guess for action lovers this will be the film to watch in January to wash away the suicide month blues.

The Grey is out on 27^th January.