Run All Night (B or 3/4 stars)
Liam Neeson? A late-Winter action thriller in which he kicks butt? No way!! We all know the actor has fallen into a bit of a trend since 2007 what with Taken (his 1st smash hit), The Unknown (meh), The Grey (good!), Taken 2 (disappointing), Non-Stop (entertaining), Walk Among the Tombstones (blech), Taken 3 (ughhh), and now we've got another film in the same vein as the others, 'Run All Night' (directed by Jaume Collet-Serra). But. BUT ... this is one of the better ones. I actually really dug it; as did my dad, who I saw it with. It's grim & gritty. But it's also entertaining, it's well-acted, and I actually cared about the characters.
Neeson plays damaged, world-weary ex-assassin, Jimmy Conlon. After a lowly life in which he's killed somewhere around 20 people (good & bad) while working for his only friend, mob boss Shawn Maguire (the great Ed Harris), Jimmy has settled into a miserable existence filled with whiskey, sins, & regrets. He lives alone in his grimy NYC apartment & never sees his estranged son, Mike (Swedish actor, Joel Kinnaman), until dire circumstances force their reunion. Situations arise in which Mike - a limo driver - witnesses a brutal double-murder committed by Shawn's ne'er-do-well son, Danny (Boyd Holbrook). Knowing that Mike is a witness, Danny shows up at his house to kill him. But Jimmy shows up in the nick of time to kill Danny, saving his son's life, but making a deadly enemy of his old friend at the same time. Jimmy tries to smooth things over with his old pal, but Shawn is determined to kill both Jimmy AND Mike to avenge his son's death.
He sends his hitmen out after them; even hires a professional killer, "Mr. Price" (rapper, Common -- who is terrifying in this role). Mike hates/resents his father for leaving him & his mother long ago, but comes to realize that his father is now the only man who can protect him & his own family. Jimmy reaches out to a detective he knows (Vincent D'Onofrio) & offers to give himself up to save his son, who has been framed for the double-murder. Jimmy agrees to the detective's conditions, but he won't give himself up until he knows for sure that Mike & his family (including an adorable little girl) will be alright. In order to ensure their safety, Jimmy feels that he has to make "one more kill" in a long line of kills ... his old pal, Shawn. Chaos, chases, drama, & catharsis ensues during this one single night.
On a surface level, I enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. Yes, the story hinges on some coincidences. Yes, the action takes some unnecessary detours. And sure, matters become a little far-fetched (I'm thinking of an elongated fire-in-an-apartment-complex sequence). But overall, I was engrossed. I loved the way in which the director's camera whooshes & swooshes around NYC to go from one plot point & location to the next. The car/foot chases are exciting. The fist fights/shoot outs are well-choreographed. But is as good as it is because we come to care about the characters. Jimmy is interesting because of his regrets & the difficulties he faces in his pursuit of redemption. And Mike must come to realize that his father's abandonment of him many yrs. ago was for his own protection. It's a complex relationship. So, too, is the one btwn. Jimmy & Shawn; two old pals who've been through it all together, but who become enemies out of one single tragedy.
The performances are solid. Neeson & Harris are excellent; adopting a quiet, low-key approach as the two old buddies who are suddenly on opposite sides. They don't need histrionics or profanity to convey the respect, the intensity, or the obvious past that they share together. Amid all the chases & pummeling action, they bring a real dignity & depth to their roles. Joel Kinnaman impressed me as the son who is understandably hesitant to reconnect with his father. And it's a hoot to watch a grizzled Nick Nolte pop-up in a cameo as Neeson's brother. 'Run All Night' really surprised me. It's a powerful, taut drama with more than enough action to satiate those fans. I admire Liam Neeson's late-career action renaissance. So, more hard-boiled crime flicks like this, please ... and no more Takens!
Neeson plays damaged, world-weary ex-assassin, Jimmy Conlon. After a lowly life in which he's killed somewhere around 20 people (good & bad) while working for his only friend, mob boss Shawn Maguire (the great Ed Harris), Jimmy has settled into a miserable existence filled with whiskey, sins, & regrets. He lives alone in his grimy NYC apartment & never sees his estranged son, Mike (Swedish actor, Joel Kinnaman), until dire circumstances force their reunion. Situations arise in which Mike - a limo driver - witnesses a brutal double-murder committed by Shawn's ne'er-do-well son, Danny (Boyd Holbrook). Knowing that Mike is a witness, Danny shows up at his house to kill him. But Jimmy shows up in the nick of time to kill Danny, saving his son's life, but making a deadly enemy of his old friend at the same time. Jimmy tries to smooth things over with his old pal, but Shawn is determined to kill both Jimmy AND Mike to avenge his son's death.
He sends his hitmen out after them; even hires a professional killer, "Mr. Price" (rapper, Common -- who is terrifying in this role). Mike hates/resents his father for leaving him & his mother long ago, but comes to realize that his father is now the only man who can protect him & his own family. Jimmy reaches out to a detective he knows (Vincent D'Onofrio) & offers to give himself up to save his son, who has been framed for the double-murder. Jimmy agrees to the detective's conditions, but he won't give himself up until he knows for sure that Mike & his family (including an adorable little girl) will be alright. In order to ensure their safety, Jimmy feels that he has to make "one more kill" in a long line of kills ... his old pal, Shawn. Chaos, chases, drama, & catharsis ensues during this one single night.
On a surface level, I enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. Yes, the story hinges on some coincidences. Yes, the action takes some unnecessary detours. And sure, matters become a little far-fetched (I'm thinking of an elongated fire-in-an-apartment-complex sequence). But overall, I was engrossed. I loved the way in which the director's camera whooshes & swooshes around NYC to go from one plot point & location to the next. The car/foot chases are exciting. The fist fights/shoot outs are well-choreographed. But is as good as it is because we come to care about the characters. Jimmy is interesting because of his regrets & the difficulties he faces in his pursuit of redemption. And Mike must come to realize that his father's abandonment of him many yrs. ago was for his own protection. It's a complex relationship. So, too, is the one btwn. Jimmy & Shawn; two old pals who've been through it all together, but who become enemies out of one single tragedy.
The performances are solid. Neeson & Harris are excellent; adopting a quiet, low-key approach as the two old buddies who are suddenly on opposite sides. They don't need histrionics or profanity to convey the respect, the intensity, or the obvious past that they share together. Amid all the chases & pummeling action, they bring a real dignity & depth to their roles. Joel Kinnaman impressed me as the son who is understandably hesitant to reconnect with his father. And it's a hoot to watch a grizzled Nick Nolte pop-up in a cameo as Neeson's brother. 'Run All Night' really surprised me. It's a powerful, taut drama with more than enough action to satiate those fans. I admire Liam Neeson's late-career action renaissance. So, more hard-boiled crime flicks like this, please ... and no more Takens!