The Marksman

For a Liam Neeson-kicks-some-ass movie, this outing comes across as rather tame. Maybe his age is finally catching up to him. Or perhaps this vehicle is one that has more on its cinematic mind than the usual actioner. Immigration, health care, inequality, crime -- this flick ticks virtually every socioeconomic checkbox in its examination of two people—Neeson's old rancher and Miguel, a Mexican boy in trouble -- on opposite ends of many spectra, who nevertheless share in common a certain amount of victimization at the hands of forces well beyond their ability to control. The kid is mostly a placeholder here, not terrible in the role but nothing special either. It’s in Neeson's character -- the portrait of a man of inherent decency, such as he has portrayed countless times now -- that this movie finds its raison d’etre; the veteran actor reminds us once more what it looks like to have someone to root for, especially in the form of an underdog. You won’t find spectacle here, just a quiet but firm story of just how scary it can get out there, and perhaps what it takes for someone to stand up against the terrors. Fans of the man will dig it, others may or may not like it, depending upon one's idea of what an action movie should be.