Into the Grizzly Maze (2015)

***Pretty good bear attack flick with James Marsden, Thomas Jane and Piper Perabo***

Several people coalesce in a region of Alaska called the Grizzly Maze where a rogue bear is on the loose: A local man recently released from prison (James Marsden), his ex-girlfriend (Michaela McManus), his estranged deputy brother (Thomas Jane), the deputy’s photographer wife (Piper Perabo), a half-crazy hunter (Billy Bob Thornton), a compromised sheriff (Scott Glenn) and an AmerIndian poacher (Adam Beach).

“Into the Grizzly Maze” (2015) is a bear attack movie and, more generally, a wilderness adventure/thriller. When it comes to these types of films “The Edge” (1997) reigns supreme, as does the brooding “Hold the Dark” (2018), although the latter has no bear (actually “The Edge” is only partially a bear attack movie, as it goes much deeper than that, like “Hold the Dark”). While nowhere near as effective as “The Edge” and “Hold the Dark,” “Into the Grizzly Maze” is about on par with the Indie "Backcountry" (2014) in all-around entertainment; and it’s superior to the prosaic “Grizzly” (1976).

Where “Into the Grizzly Maze” excels is the locations and awesome cinematography. This might be the best-looking forest flick ever made. The cast is exceptional too. In these areas it’s superior to all the above movies with the possible exception of “The Edge” where it’s at least on par. The conflict-habituated relationship of the brothers (Marsden and Jane) is amusing and it’s nice to see Piper Perabo again, who was about 38 during shooting and looking better than ever, top to bottom. Meanwhile McManus has a stunning face and mesmerizing eyes.

The film runs 1 hour, 34 minutes, and was shot in the Vancouver area, British Columbia, and Big Bear, California (the bar scene).

GRADE: B/B-

Bare or Bear Puzzle?

Into the Grizzly Maze is directed by David Hackl and written by Guy Moshe and J.R. Reher. It stars James Marsden, Thomas Jane, Piper Perabo, Scott Glenn, Michaela McManus and Billy Bob Thornton. Music is by Marcus Trumpp and cinematography by James Liston.

Estranged brothers Rowan (Marsden) and Beckett (Jane) reunite out in the Alaskan wild. They set out into the wilderness to see if they can humanely trap the ferocious grizzly bear that has been savaging the locals.

Unfortunately in the pantheon of movies featuring Mother Nature's angry beasts stalking humans, this one is very average. Which considering the cast list is not only something of a shame, it's also surprising. The stock roll call of characters with various hang-ups, disabilities or troubled back stories, stumble through the wilderness being menaced by the awesome Red Machine (Bart the Bear the best thing in the pic). Sadly director Hackl doesn't have an eye or ear for a good fright, while his blood letting exercises quickly wear thin come the later stages of the piece.

Things aren't helped by the flatness of the digital shooting, which only emphasises the poor CGI segments. On the plus side the enviromental messages hold tight, even if the family traumas threaten to avert the points. The location photography - with Vancouver standing in for Alaska - is pleasing in making the scenery a prominent feature, while the finale is good on action entertainment terms, even if the resolution is a touch hokey.

Ultimately this just isn't suspenseful or riveting on either the "when animals attack" basis or the fractured character dynamics. 5/10

**Forgettable. Honestly, I even had a hard time not forgetting this film twenty-four hours after seeing it.**

Lately, I've seen at least two films in which ferocious wild animals end up becoming the biggest threat to a small group of humans who, innocently or without any ill intention, cross their path. This was one of those films. It brings nothing new or original to a subgenre of horror that, with the growing awareness and awareness of the protection of fauna and natural spaces, tends to become less and less interesting for the public.

One of the film's strengths is the technical aspects, in particular the cinematography, which makes the best of Alaska's magnificent natural landscapes. It is not possible to watch this film without feeling a great desire to put on a pair of sturdy boots and go experience that intimate contact with nature, in its most untouched state. Even the less adventurous will be impressed by the beauty of the locations and landscapes in which the film is set. The fact that much of the action takes place at night or on cloudy days helps to model the tension necessary to make the film work, and there are actually several moments in which the forest seems mysterious, threatening. This is one of the attributes that makes horror films work so well in the forests. The film also features a discreet but effective set of visual and sound effects, which transform each confrontation with the bear into a true spectacle, full of credibility and danger.

The cast is mixed: we have some solid actors, but also many others who add little or nothing to the quality of the final product. James Marsden and Thomas Jane lack a director to guide and help them reach their full potential, resulting in a poor and forgettable effort that neither ennobles nor harms them. Billy Bob Thornton is a good addition, but he is given frankly disappointing material and has nothing more to do than look obnoxious. Scott Glen has even more reasons to complain, since he barely appears on the scene and, when he does, he is so subdued that he has no relevance whatsoever. As for the actresses, they are damsels in permanent distress that the “knights” will save. Young Kelly Curran must feel embarrassed by this film, where the only thing she did was show her breasts in an unfortunate scene without any kind of convincing “sex appeal”.

Still, things can become worse if we add an inept director, called David Hackl, and a poor script, with a story that throws the characters into danger without much explanation. The fight between the two brothers is very poorly explained and unconvincing, the return of the prodigal brother was not convincing, the whole bar story was an obvious pretext to introduce the police brother and the contrast between the two – a cheap cliché of films with brothers – and the attack on the lumberjacks, the first attack by that bear, is reduced to the size of a footnote when it should have had more impact among the public. What happens next is a cascade of clichés and ideas common in films of this type, with the characters trying to survive and the inevitable confrontation with the threat.