Newlyweds Nick (Eion Bailey) and Lori (Yvonne Strahavski) stumble into the honeymoon-from-hell when they innocently and foolishly allow a grizzled old cowpoke to talk them into taking an unauthorized mule-trip into the heart of the Grand Canyon. When Henry (Will Patton), the guide, is bitten by a rattlesnake, the couple is left to fend for themselves in this unfamiliar and brutally hostile terrain with little or no survival skills to help get them through the experience.
Based on a number of recent movie going experiences ("127 Hours," "Gerry" and "Open Water" ) there seems to be a real genre developing here - which, for lack of a better term, we'll call the cocky-outdoorsman-gets-his-ever-lovin'-butt-kicked-by-Mother-Nature scenario. Like those other films, "The Canyon" really makes us empathize with the plight the citified couple is going through, offering cringe-inducing scene after cringe-inducing scene of their often ham-handed attempts at staying alive. Also, like those previous works, this movie explores the themes of how easy it is to find ourselves without warning at the mercy of an uncaring and capricious Fate; of how quickly stupid decisions made in the heat of the moment can lead to long-term, disastrous consequences; of how ill-equipped modern Man is at grappling against the forces of an impersonal Nature; and of how indomitable the human spirit can be in even the most dire and hopeless of circumstances.
Replete with an "ironic" ending that will have you throwing things at the screen in frustration and dismay (think of it as the ultimate anti-deus ex machina), "The Canyon," which was written by Steve Allrich and directed by Richard Harrah, makes for gripping and grueling, if not always, edifying or uplifting viewing. It will also make you think twice before ignoring signs posted at national parks. And, oh yes, perhaps the biggest lesson of all is to always give heed to women's intuition.
Based on a number of recent movie going experiences ("127 Hours," "Gerry" and "Open Water" ) there seems to be a real genre developing here - which, for lack of a better term, we'll call the cocky-outdoorsman-gets-his-ever-lovin'-butt-kicked-by-Mother-Nature scenario. Like those other films, "The Canyon" really makes us empathize with the plight the citified couple is going through, offering cringe-inducing scene after cringe-inducing scene of their often ham-handed attempts at staying alive. Also, like those previous works, this movie explores the themes of how easy it is to find ourselves without warning at the mercy of an uncaring and capricious Fate; of how quickly stupid decisions made in the heat of the moment can lead to long-term, disastrous consequences; of how ill-equipped modern Man is at grappling against the forces of an impersonal Nature; and of how indomitable the human spirit can be in even the most dire and hopeless of circumstances.
Replete with an "ironic" ending that will have you throwing things at the screen in frustration and dismay (think of it as the ultimate anti-deus ex machina), "The Canyon," which was written by Steve Allrich and directed by Richard Harrah, makes for gripping and grueling, if not always, edifying or uplifting viewing. It will also make you think twice before ignoring signs posted at national parks. And, oh yes, perhaps the biggest lesson of all is to always give heed to women's intuition.