Nope, not that Gray Davis bio-movie we've all been hoping for, but the now annual February release of a Liam Neeson movie. Seriously, last year it was " Unknown", and the year before it was the far better "Taken". They actually believe in this stuff you know - that's its good luck and big bucks if a guy does well in a movie, release the same basic story with the same guy, same time the next year.

       And Neeson is liked - I see him as an "Abe Lincoln" type (maybe that explains the February release time?). He's big, strong, silent, but troubled. The guy you want on your side, but don't get too close, he's got issues.

       Here he plays John Ottway, a petroleum company worker in "way out there" desolate Alaska. Yep - he's a loner again, keeping his distance from his co-workers, a motley outlaw band of guys dressed like lumberjacks who wile away their off hours drinking and fighting. In the opening voice over from John, we learn they are mostly ex-cons and other cast offs who come for the high pay.

       But isn't the movie about hungry wolves? Yes, but be patient. There's almost an artistic bent to the way this movie was filmed, with many quiet moments to reflect on the scenery and John's lonely life, which we soon learn is haunted by a woman presented in flashbacks.

       Soon it's time for one team of guys to fly back to civilization for a break, and that's when the terror begins. The plane goes down and I must say what a job they did presenting it in one horrific and realistic fashion. There's this back and forth between pure quiet and ear splitting crash sounds that puts this a cut above - I felt like I was going down too.

       From there it's the seven survivors against the elements, and yes, "the grey". It's a nice diverse group - 2 Latinos, a black man and 4 white guys, and each has his own distinct personality which will help you remember them. That way you may care a bit more that they make it through this.

       John becomes the de facto leader, mainly because he seems to know the most about surviving and wolf behavior. He's not without challengers though, a point I respect because there's always somebody not willing to give over control when their life is on the line. The writing is surprisingly terrific as this ragged band of guys go back and forth joking and arguing the way guys like this do - it felt unscripted. It's also a twist for Liam's character John, in that he's not a loner anymore and is forced to care about people again in an effort to get them all out alive.

       As for the wolves - well, there is action there, mostly "amped" up by loud music and sound effects. Let's face it - they can kill you, but it's not like facing a massive bear. A few times it's clear it's a mechanical contraption they are grappling with, but what are you going to do? It passes for terrifying, even when it's clear its a game of one by one they go down.

        What in the end stands out is the passion and humanity in the characters presented in this movie - it took me more than halfway through to realize Dermot Mulroney was playing one of the plane crash survivors. These guys are so bearded and so heavily clothed - who knew? Liam is his usual strong and silent tough guy self - I give "The Grey" a "7".

        All right – so we finally take a look at a 2012 movie. Yes, this one – the “man on a ledge”. I have this vision that there is this story room where they whip up these scripts , but next to it is the lesser known “concept room”. And, one day a guy got a brainstorm – let’s make a movie about a “man on a ledge”, and they all applauded. Now what?

        Like word association (because that could be the only explanation for this jumble of a movie), others added “a hotel ledge, New York City, threatening to jump”, and they all got excited.

        Sam Worthington is Nick Cassidy, the man on that ledge. He spends the first, I don’t know, twenty minutes, getting out on that ledge (which, by the way, is remarkably wide, can you even get most hotel windows open anymore to even try this?). An old lady sees him in what seems like seconds, which is also remarkable as he’s over twenty stories up. A crowd forms, police arrive, its game on.

        But what game? Yes, the problem with a concept. They send the hostage negotiation team and assign Edward Burns (easy payday for him), but Nick wants Lydia Mercer, another negotiator cop/shrink played by Elizabeth Banks. We are introduced to her when she’s awakened with the call, surrounded by pills and booze bottles - yes, she’s a wreck. Seems her last suicide call went through with it.

         Talk about miscasting – Banks plays it so straight and dry it adds to the boring tone this movie already took on. I was counting the minutes till finish time. Remember, I do this for you – I stayed the whole way through with this and other than me telling you how awful it is, I really am not supposed to tell you much more because “twists and turns abound”.

         Not really – this movie is a transparent mess. I’ll say this – Nick wanted Lydia on the scene because she’s known to let these situations go on for hours if not days. Yes, Nick wants to stretch this out so he can accomplish something besides his suicide.

         They must have thought they were quite the groundbreakers here by filling up much of the movie with the police response and the crowd. There’s plenty of time spent watching cops bark orders and people on the street yelling “jump”. Quite clever – but, wait, they did add an “Occupy Wall Street” element to the happenings, wasn’t that contemporary? Really – people got paid for this movie?

         Speaking of which – it’s an easy payday too for veteran actors Ed Harris and Kyra Sedgwick. He’s the rich villain and she’s the TV reporter down below with the crowd, stuff that may have only made things worse. And Jamie Bell, playing Nick’s brother, what happened? He looks 40 years old – didn’t he just play “Billy Elliott”?

         “Man on a Ledge” is hopeless – remember, its January. It might have been worth more of my time and money if he did just jump right there in the first twenty minutes. I give it a “2”.