The Canyon Review
I may be a few weeks late, but I finally got my hands on a copy of The Canyon on DVD. I’ll take any excuse to watch Ms. Strahovski in action, as I’m sure most of the Strahotski.com readership would.
I’m not quire sure what genre The Canyon is in, and that’s part of the problem I think it’s had with advertising. While some have called it a Horror film, it’s not really fair to do so.
Of movies I’ve watched, The Canyon is most like Open Water. It’s a story about survival, and at times that can mean horrific things happen. I would call it Survival Horror, but that seems to be the name given to Post-Apocalyptic Zombie games. This movie has no Zombies.
In a nutshell, the movie centers around two newlyweds — Nick (Eion Bailey) and Lori (Yvonne Strahovski) — who elope and choose to have their honeymoon near the Grand Canyon. For reasons not fully explored in the final cut of the film, Nick has an overwhelming desire to take a mule trip down into the Canyon.
They find a shady guide named Henry (Will Patton) and embark on their journey only to have things go horribly awry, leaving them stranded with the sun scorching overhead and a pack of wolves hot on their trail.
As fair warning, the screenplay was written by Steve Allrich. We consider both him and his wife, Karina, friends of the site. Both have contributed information about the movie to Strahotski.com.
The Canyon is not a perfect film. It went straight to DVD for a reason, and it was probably the right medium for the movie. Don’t mistake that to mean that the film isn’t good — it’s just not blockbuster material.
The writing is actually pretty solid. The script does a good job of turning back on itself and weaving themes throughout the movie. Although such devices aren’t quite as subtle as I would have liked them to be, it did tie the story together nicely and was able to bring to life the real horror of the situation.
The film benefits greatly from its three primary actors. All three give solid performances, with Yvonne Strahovski shouldering most of the burden. Her ability to emote serves her well in this role, as we can see the frustration turn to horror, despair and the loss of hope as the movie progresses.
I’ve always been a fan of Will Patton and he does a remarkable job as their guide into the Canyon. It’s hard to believe this is the same guy that helped Bruce Willis drill a hole into an asteroid so many years ago.
While doing a fine job of acting, Eion Bailey’s character always seemed a bit off for me. He never felt entirely trustworthy, and I spent an inordinate amount of time wondering what Lori saw in him. I half-expected to find out that Nick was a mobster setting this all up to kill Lori, or some other such reveal of the true nature of the character.
The wolves in the film did prove to be a menacing opponent. It was refreshing to see a lot of practical effects in this film. Though bigger-budget films would have CG’ed the entire wolf pack, we see real live animals in The Canyon.
For any flaws the movie might have, they were easily overlooked for the poignant story underneath. Though well written, most of the credit belongs to Yvonne Strahovski for really drawing the viewer into her plight. As a viewer, I didn’t really care about whether Nick or Henry made it, but Lori’s troubles hit home.
The movie left me thinking about what it would be like to be stranded in the wilderness with no food, water, or communication. The progression of Lori’s mental state throughout the film feels realistic, and that alone is what makes it horrifying.
Though I’d like to tout The Canyon as the best movie ever, I can’t do that in good conscience. It had its flaws, and its smaller budget is apparent throughout the film. If you can engage yourself in the story, however, you’ll find a truly scary story about a girl put into extraordinary circumstances.
As a first US movie outing for Yvonne Strahovski, it is a worthy entry. She delivered the A+ performance we would expect of her talent, making this movie is a must-watch for all Strahovski fans.
Verdict: B
December 2nd, 2009 at 8:21 am
i actually really enjoyed this movie. i give yvonne an a+ and the movie an a-
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:28 am
I gotta agree that Yvonne gave an A+ performance which we all expected. I’d also have to agree with Lykaon’s overall review. That said, for being a thriller, horror, whatever, it really lacked thrilling and/or horror moments. Most likely due to the budget and lack of CGI as previously mentioned.
Without Yvonne this movie probably wouldn’t have had my attention throught. Eion’s performance just didn’t match Yvonne’s emotional displays and because of that I never really bought into the relationship between them. Even the ending when they showed Nick and Lori kiss at the wedding chapel in Vegas seemed off. No emotion after the kiss, just turned and walked out.
So… Yvonne gets an A+, but the movie gets a C+ to B- for me. Not because of the writing, but mainly because the relationship between the two main characters seemed so forced.
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:59 am
Very good review of the movie. I rented it this weekend and enjoyed it. Nick was definitely was more an “I” person than a “we” person in this relationship. Although the relationship could have grown during the adversity, the injury forced Lori to the lead. Yvonne’s strong acting chops were shown off in this small cast film.
The ending was just a little disappointing to me but I can see why they wanted to make the ending something different than a happy ending.
I do suggest that a clause be put in all Yvonne’s contracts that she must do at least one scene in her underware. Its seems to be a good precedent that has been started.
December 2nd, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I have to admit I liked it too but Yvonne’s acting is what made it for me. She is such a strong talented actress. She shows much greater range than she does in Chuck.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Thanks for the review. I just put it in my Netflix queue. The movie will be available for Netflix streaming on the 17th.
December 18th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
I just watched it and I agree with you in that it evokes Open Water except for one thing. The ending of The Canyon is nowhere near as bleak as Open Water’s is. Part of the ending reminded me of Tony Soprano whacking a certain character. Those who see this movie and have seen the entirety of The Sopranos will know what I’m talking about.
I can’t wholeheartedly recommend the movie. Yvonne and Will Patton are good, but something was off about Eion Bailey. His character just seemed too eager to break the rules and go do something dangerous.
Don’t and try to fool yourself into thinking that there is a twist. Everything that you think will happen does in a methodical and rote fashion.
I don’t know what they could have added to improve the script, maybe more backstory on the couple or the guide, but the director and editor, realizing that they only have about a hour or so of material, try to flesh it out by adding nature montages whose only purpose to try and cover up the shortcomings of the script.
Having said all that, it’s better than a few theatrical releases that I’ve seen this year. I would give it a grade of 70 or roughly 2.5 stars.
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:20 am
“That said, for being a thriller, horror, whatever, it really lacked thrilling and/or horror moments. Most likely due to the budget and lack of CGI as previously mentioned. ”
I think if you’ve ever been to the Grand Canyon, it’s not lacking thrill or horror. At least, it was like that for me. It seemed almost too real… O.o
December 26th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
I bought this movie… Watched it… Loved it! Had to order because no one has it in stock. My friends were skeptical and they enjoyed the overall story, will Patton(funny Guy), and of course-Yvonne! Keep going Yvonne and can’t wait to see your next movie and of course… Season 3 of Chuck!
December 30th, 2009 at 4:26 am
congratulations yvonne stahovski fanboys! i just watched an interview on youtube (while looking for season 3 videos lol) and she specifically brought up this website…saying shes googled herself and always finds this site.. haha she reads the lil posts and such that you all put up here =P sooo try to keep it clean, guys!!
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:45 pm
I pretty much agree with your rating, Lykaon. Maybe a B-, depending. Her acting was stellar.
You really should start a thread to tell us when you update the front page. Haha. I never check. Ever.
Good review! Glad you didn’t give anything away!
So…are you going to write a review of the LEGO movie???
April 16th, 2010 at 3:49 am
I really love her that is why I watched the Movie The Canyon. Keep it up Yvonne.