When Dr. Will Freeman, a struggling, widowed university professor, is laid off from his position at the local university his life begins to take a sharp downward spiral. A reprieve comes in the form of a one foot long claw which is proffered to him; along with a substantial amount of money and an offer to join a team in search of the creature to which the claw may belong. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, he accepts the invitation to join the expedition to the Canadian Arctic.