Quadruple Bill Mini Musings: Wolves, Muppets, Hoover, and Pirates...

The Grey:
What's it about?
A handful of Alaskan oil workers survive a plane crash that leaves them stuck in the frozen wilderness surrounded by wolves - and so they must head south, hunted every inch of the way.
Who would I recognise in it?
Liam Neeson, Dallas Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, James Badge Dale, Frank Grillo.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
Director Joe Carnahan burst onto the scene with his tough and gritty cop drama Narc, and then went on to breezier and more bombastic fare like Smoking Aces, and The A-Team, however the serious heart behind Narc was always lingering in the background with a dramatic sense of flair. With man-versus-nature action drama The Grey, Carnahan has allowed himself to show his maturing and more serious heart - there's even a poetic sensibility weaved throughout the film that speaks of loss and those raw emotions that are buried to ensure your day-to-day survival. This all said, action fans will still get their fill as a dwindling rabble of bearded, half-frozen men face-off against ravenous wolves - at one point going all MacGuyver and fashioning 'bang sticks' out of tree branches and shotgun shells. The Grey is a tense, gripping and altogether very strong outing from all involved - Neeson and his cast sink their teeth into the material which allows back stories to unfold in subtle snippets of dialogue, hallucinations, and slowly-unveiled memories. There's no shortage of action flicks out there, but while rambunctious outings such as Safe House ultimately prove to be forgettable, The Grey goes for something deeper, more satisfying, and far more memorable. Easily one of the best action/drama/survival films of the last several years, although some might not agree. Stick around to the very end of the credits for an extra snifter of footage, too. Generally pretty great.

Click "READ MORE" below for Muppets, Hoover, and Pirates...
The Muppets:
What's it about?
Two brothers (one human, one muppet) help reunite The Muppets after they discover that their studio will be razed-to-the-ground if they don't raise $10 million. Lots of self-aware humour and song & dance numbers follows.
Who would I recognise in it?
The Muppets themselves, plus Jason Siegel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, Jack Black, and loads of fun cameo appearances.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
With Siegel being a huge Muppets fan, the franchise was in safe hands. It's chock-full of silly fun, buoyant musical numbers, and fourth-wall-destroying jokes. It works in equal measure to please long-term fans (be they obsessives or passing fanciers) as well as new-comers, and breezes along rather enjoyably. Good.


J. Edgar:
What's it about?
Clint Eastwood's biopic of J. Edgar Hoover, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's head honcho for decades. It spans his adult life, mostly darting back-and-forth between his more youthful years as he struggled to establish what became the FBI, and his twilight years as he looks back on his life.
Who would I recognise in it?
Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Dame Judi Dench, Geoff Pierson.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
It's a bit starchy and dry at times throughout, and the old man make-up on Leo was initially a tad distracting, but nevertheless I found myself getting quite wrapped up in it. I'd intended on watching the first hour to fill a bit of time (meaning to finish it off later), but I watched the whole affair in one sitting after all. Not knowing much about Hoover (aside from a few second-hand snifters of info from references in shows like The Simpsons), I had to trust that the film was being honest and informative, and that some more private scenes would be fairly dramatised, so there's a grain of salt to be had with some of those moments, but it works. Certainly not Eastwood's best work as a director, but not his worst by any stretch. Good, if a bit stuffy.


The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists:
What's it about?
Aardman animation about the inept Pirate Captain who wants to win the Pirate of the Year competition.
Who would I recognise in it?
(Voices) Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton, Jeremy Piven, Salma Hayek, Lenny Henry, Brian Blessed, Russell Tovey, Anton Yelchin, Ashley Jensen.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
Surprisingly it's not as laugh-out-loud funny as Aardman's previous cinematic (and televisual) efforts ... but the grand sense of the intricately detailed work of stop motion animation is writ large across the screen here. There are some cracking little details to spot along the way (many blink-and-you'll-miss-them visual gags), and the narrative is tightly focused with plenty of scope for impressively OTT action set pieces (such as a chase scene involving a bath). Still though, as much as you enjoy the easy and likable Aardman charm of it all, you can't help but notice you're not laughing as much as you did when watching their previous efforts. Good, but not quite as good as were expecting it to be.