The Grey:  4 ½ out of 5

John Ottway:  Once more into the fray.  Into the last good fight I’ll ever know…

It seems like Liam Neeson has been given quite the upgrade from tall, steadfast lead actor to confident, ass-kicking action start in recent years.  Neeson has certainly been reliable in years past, but since Taken, no one seems to question whether or not Neeson has the capabilities of taking someone down if he has to.  The Grey reunites Neeson with A-Team director Joe Carnahan for a film that is almost an opposite of that ridiculous (ly fun) action flick for a gritty survival story that is every bit as focused on being a study of Neeson’s personal mental anguish as it is an intense journey for he and the other unfortunate souls to survive in the icy cold wilderness, with wolves looming on the horizon.  There may be some backlash from those expecting a more wolf-bashing-focused tale, but I really appreciated the dark level of maturity combined with the visceral nature of the survival effort, along with what I consider a top tier acting performance from Liam Neeson.

Red Tails:  1 ½ out of 5

Lightning:  How do you like that Mr. Hitler!

Red Tails is like a bad, unironic comic book movie come to life.  It could have been a number of different things, including a thrilling war-time action/adventure or a moving depiction of the turmoil faced by African American pilots during wartime, as they had to prove themselves in the face of segregation.  The film actually plays out as a really bland, by-the-numbers action/war film that is rife with clichés and one-note characters.  There is no real look deeper into its message beyond “racism is bad” and the elaborately designed aerial dogfights feel almost too overproduced to actually have any dramatic weight to them.  All of this and I haven’t even mentioned how dreadful the dialogue is.  One can surely find much more to glean from the HBO movie The Tuskegee Airmen (recently reviewed HERE), let alone a History Channel special, or just watch Star Wars if they have the desire to find something enjoyable, educational, or both; just as long as they avoid Red Tails.