A newly married couple, who just got hitched in Vegas, decide to take their honeymoon trip to the Grand Canyon. This is Lori (Yvonne Strahovski of CHUCK) and Nick (Eion Baley) But once they get there they find out that they needed to get a permit months before, to go down to the bottom. However, while they are getting drinks in the local bar, Henry (Will Patton), offers his services. He tells them he has the gear, the mules and can get a permit. Lori is reluctant because Henry looks like a bum, but her husband convinces her to go.
Everything is fine at first. Then, one their way to some ancient cliff drawings, Henry is bitten by a diamond back rattlesnake and breaks his arm when his horse throws him.
The other mounts are also spooked and run away, so that the trio are left without supplies. Now, they are in a very dry section of the canyon with a very sick guide.
Henry downplays his injuries but he knows his number is up. After he dies and they bury him under some rocks, the couple try to find their way back out but become hopelessly lost. At night they make a fire--and while Lori is sleeping Nick sees one of the wolves they've heard howling. He doesn't mention this at all in the morning because he doesn't want to scare her.
When they come to a dead end and face a rock cliff, Nick things they can climb it so they can at least get cell-phone reception. Lori is reluctant but after Nick tries and it seems doable, she follows him up. However, he loses his grip and falls straight down, wedging his foot in some rocks below. He's stuck and the leg is horribly broken. The only way to free him is to cut off that part of his leg--but is this something Lori can do?
THE CANYON is a well-crafted, suspenseful film that is entirely plausible. I also didn't have a problem with the pack of starving wolves wanting to eat them--it makes total sense. Here's this injured, bleeding guy right in front of them in this desolate area and it's like an open buffet. And they actually used real wolves for all the attack scenes, which was very cool and added realism that computer animation can't compete with.
Rent this if you're a fan of Strahovski--she gives quite a different performance than in CHUCK. Or rent this if you just want to see a good movie.
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Rating: 8.5 out of 10.0 - 2 votes cast total
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