Ice Road: Vengeance

That title? Kind of dumb. The rest of the movie? Well, I wouldn’t say it’s smart, per se. It’s formulaic, not especially creative, lacks any really memorable moments…but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. The movie certainly accomplishes what it sets out to do, which is put Liam Neeson in yet another in an endless series of situations that require action action action. Neeson can do this stuff in his geriatric sleep by now, so there’s no problem with that. What’s encouraging and a bit charming about this flick is that Liam here gets to share the load; there’s ass-kicking aplenty for the locals to enjoy as well as the star's usual share of the fun and games. As action pics go, the attitude towards the foreign types shown here is almost enlightened. That, plus the battles, plus a few hair-raising moments on those crazy Himalayan mountain roads, plus some truly gorgeous scenery (maybe real, maybe matte or CGI) all add up to a decent time at the direct to home viewing. (The internet claims that this is actually a sequel to another movie that apparently has nothing to do with this storyline. No wonder the full tableau seems a bit weird.) Now if only someone had come up with a title that made a lick of sense. 

The Naked Gun (2025)

Amusing, mostly. This flick is more a collection of moments rather than a cohesive comedic story. You could say that about the original police squad show and its sequel movies too, but they tended to hold together better than this work. Of course, those shows had the benefit of coming from the Zucker/Abrahams team, who were demonstrably comedic geniuses, whereas this film comes from a group of mostly nobodies. The difference in pedigree may be the source of the problem, as there’s just something missing in a lot of this plot; generally, the jokes take too much time to land, and then the movie lingers on them too long. These guys don’t seem to understand that a film like this requires a machine gun approach, not being satisfied with a good line or visual here and there. Liam Neeson and (particularly, maybe surprisingly) Pamela Anderson do the best they can with the material, and there are a few moments of laugh out loud hilarity—including one sequence that’s actually cribbed from an Austin Powers movie—but not enough good moments to make it seem like this reboot was all that necessary. If you’re looking to be a screw up, you’d better be a great screw up—otherwise, everyone will think you just don’t know what you’re doing.  

Men in Black: International

A tired retread of a concept done much better before. The supposedly witty repartee isn’t, much of the scenes are mere excuses for displaying weird-for-the-sake-of-weird CGI characters, and little of the story, such as it is, makes much sense. It’s a movie that has no good reason for existing. Alas that I cannot flash this film from my memory!

Blacklight

Here is an interesting case study: get yourself a star--even one who is a little long in the tooth--surround him with a mostly no-name cast, and put everything together through the efforts of a no-name crew of director, writers and assorted others, and you too can make a credible action flick. It will help immensely if your unknowns bring some amount of moviemaking knowledge to the task, and in this one we see enough stylish camera work, good pacing, and overall solid sense of storytelling to render this crew worthy of respect for their efforts. Mostly, however, the strength of this piece comes from Liam Neeson doing his typical thing, being that guy you root for to succeed despite the obvious overwhelming odds stacked against him. Actually, the finest moments in the movie come when Neeson's character is interacting with the girl who plays his granddaughter; it’s like watching a kid having a ball playing around an old stump. Very charming. Also worth noting is that this marks the second straight movie starring Neeson that features a notably liberal point of view on political issues; seems like the old guy is interested in leaving a kinder legacy, even in the midst of the ass-kicking. All in all, we get a straightforward and surprisingly watchable, if not particularly memorable, action flick, one that serves notice that, maybe just maybe, this moviemaking thing is not as complicated as it seems--since apparently anyone can do it with relatively decent results. Just make sure you have at least one person involved who has some real stature.

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.

Wrath of the Titans

There may be a class-action case in the title here: technically, there's only one titan present in this tale, Kronos. That's one of the minor quibbles with this flick. That in and of itself is a surprise, as this work exceeds the standards of its predecessor. There's the usual dose of professional CGI work in the monsters and battle scenes, but there's also some real plot at work in this story, including good symmetry in the interactions of multiple father-son storylines. There is, dare I say it, some pathos included with the blow-shit-up sensibility typical of these swords-and-sorcery flicks. The eye-candy factor is lessened here, though Rosamund Pike gamely tries to hold up her end of the bargain. Still, this was one sequel that turned out surprisingly good, from what seemed like unpromising potential, so it definitely deserves some props for that. Like the Greeks, I have a word for it: goodenough.

Clash of the Titans (2010)

Cavorting like the Greeks of old...well, maybe not in that way. This reboot of the old Harry Hamlin classic is designed to be substantially more macho than that sort of Ancient Greek, as befits an action flick in a world of 300 and Lord of the Rings and endless superhero stories (of which the old myths are predecessors, if not outright source material). This outing does a decent job; it never loses the viewer's interest, presents a decent amount of spectacle for your dollar (particularly if you watch it on TV), and features enough eye candy (hearty applause for Gemma Arterton) to make the outing pleasant for at least half the audience. Weirdly, the weakest point of this movie may be the lead hero himself; as Perseus (as in other roles), Sam Worthington had a certain blankness to his demeanor that renders his actions not entirely exciting or inspiring, even when everything in the story has all CGI hell breaking out everywhere. But given the level this film aspires to--which is not exactly an Olympian height, ironically--I suppose that's not really that big a deal. Plus, it's a bit of a hoot to see several big-name actors playing roles that are probably the campiest vehicles they've stooped to in a long time. You can do worse than this one--certainly, others have--and as long as you have a little time to kill (at an hour and a half, brevity is one of the film's strengths) and a desire for something loud, actiony, and relatively mindless, you're not likely to be disappointed here.

The Commuter

See, this is why I work from home. Most people already think their commute is hell, so it's a perfectly plausible premise that Liam Neeson's ride would get a little bumpy. Fortunately, he's just the guy you want for a trip like this, and as he has through a slew of similar movies over the last X number of years, he pulls off the task nicely, with a good balance of heroism and everyman stature that makes it impossible not to root for the guy. There may be some holes in the plot--the film indulges the typical trope of an all-too-omniscient villain--but you don't mind that so much with the movie's good pacing, well-portrayed characters, and solid action sequences. Neeson will eventually get too old for this shit--really, he's already there--but as long as he feels up to making this kind of flick, he'll probably keep pulling off just this sort of role. His career may be one track at the moment, but for now it's a pretty good track.

A Walk Among The Tombstones

Perhaps it’s a product of the fact that I’m generally not into the mystery genre, but I found this film’s story/plot to be--mostly--genuinely surprising and opaque. One can argue that that’s not a good thing, but for me the lack of predictability (in details; the big picture remained fairly obvious) created a more enjoyable viewing experience. Certainly, Liam Neeson has this “world-weary cop” routine down pat by now; he’s played one variation or another on this character in most of his recent movies. But the role fits him like a glove, so instead of banality and too much comfort the repetition leads to expertise, and subtle shadings from one iteration to the next that the audience can appreciate. I think this is a good pic to watch, but others more familiar with the genre may find this outing somewhat pedestrian. It all depends on whether you’re a fan of Neeson, mysteries, or both.

Taken 3

It would be too much to ask for a second sequel to be as close to as good as the original. This copy of a copy is, of course, nothing close to the first entry, and by the end the threads start to feel very frayed, and the plot twists border on the absurd. But for the most part, this is a fairly entertaining outing, another chance to see Liam Neeson's Bryan Mills do his lethal and chaotic thing, which is still a hoot. I wouldn't go out on a limb and call this flick necessary, but it's not as awful as it could have been. That may be grading on a very forgiving curve, but that's the benefit you get when you've previously built up audience goodwill (Avengers producers, take note).

Run All Night

And a grim time was had by all. This is some pretty dark stuff here, which perhaps should be a point in this film's merit. This violence has consequences, and there's a strong message here that says a life of crime comes back to get you, even if you skirt the law in the process--an interesting deviation from most flicks in the genre. On the other hand, there's a certain lack of originality here; the plot, including the "flash ahead" device, is fairly well-worn, and you can tell pretty much what's going to happen all the way through. Overall, it's a tough call; I can see recommending this movie, but I can also see its demerits, too. If you really dig these Liam Neeson shoot 'em ups, the go for it; otherwise, maybe you can find a better film to give your two hours to.

Non-Stop

Liam Neeson sure does have this ass-kicking thing rolling along these days. In fact, Neeson has grown so comfortable with this formula that by now it may be starting to show some wear and tear. This iteration of the model comes across as somewhat lacking; the action sequences don't feel all that active, probably thanks to the limited staging options of an airplane cabin. There's little of the joyful mayhem of the Taken series here; mostly it's just Neeson looking confused as he tries to figure out who the villain is. The star isn't alone in that; the recursiveness of the film's whodunit plot means that suspects previously dismissed wind up coming back again--unfortunately, without a particularly good reason for their plotting. This is hardly the sort of movie from which you should expect greatness, but a better effort than this shouldn't be too much to ask.

A Million Ways to Die in the West

This movie way wind up being Seth MacFarlane's Bananas or Sleeper; it is like one of those early Woody Allen vehicles in which its auteur carves out a unique niche for himself and tells a story (and jokes) that no other filmmaker working today would or could. The laughs come consistently--occasionally uproariously--and from such a skewed angle that they're entertaining in their idiosyncrasy alone. The other interesting thing here is the performance by Charlize Theron, who has previously been good but never this likeable and approachable before. This is must see stuff for comedy fans...maybe not so much for the wilting flowers (raunch dominates the humor here; few of the jokes are suitable for "polite company").

The Grey

Holy shit this movie is stupid. Anyone who has ever seen one episode of Survivorman will instantly know that everything these guys do, short of building a fire, is dead wrong and bound to get you killed. I know that suspension of disbelief is crucial to any movie, let alone an adventure movie, but this just goes way beyond anything that makes sense. Certainly, there are a few good moments here, some nice work by Liam Neeson, and a somewhat provocative ending, but it’s just not enough to make this film worthwhile. This one really should be thrown to the wolves.

Unknown

That PURR is tentative; it could have slipped into MEOW territory if there had been one more thing wrong with this movie. Because there do seem to be a lot of holes in the plot; and we've seen this sort of international intrigue play many times before. But what pulls it through is the work of Liam Neeson, who really shines in this sort of role: a mystery man who needs to fight against desperate odds in order to ultimately come out on top. As with the underrated Taken, Neeson's performance makes this thing go, though this time he gets help from a very good supporting cast. It may not be a necessary movie, but you won't regret watching it either.

The A-Team

Stupid fun. I can't really say it's a good movie, per se; it has its faults, not the least of which is a muddled scenario with one too many villains. But I must admit that it's more artfully crafted than I would have expected, and the players are all appealing in filling their respective, very well-known roles. Don't expect anything epically great, and you'll do all right with this one.

Batman Begins

Not your typical comic book movie--and that's a good thing here. Director Christopher Nolan left the standard issue Batman camp in the vault, choosing instead to play it straight and serious, and the results are damn near spectacular. Everything feels very real: a terrific, entertaining story, well-presented and well-acted by Christian Bale, Michael Caine and others (including a tragic reminder that the now-trainwrecked Katie Holmes had a real career ahead of her). This film owes a lot not just to Frank Miller, but also Nolan's previous work (the very uncampy Memento and Insomnia), and even the '90s movie version of The Shadow (though this is a much better work than that). This franchise has been played out before, but if they want to have another go with this team, I'd be up for it.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

A faithful and honest rendition of the C. S. Lewis classic. Special props go to Georgie Henley, who plays Lucy Pevensie--she is adorable and delightful in the story's central role. Some of the Britishness might confuse American viewers, but it's actually a positive that they stuck to their guns and left that stuff in--more power to the filmmakers for remaining true to author and the story's origins. And no, the Christian stuff, as in the books, does not pound you over the head. Bottom line: if they want to make the whole series, I'm in.

Gangs Of New York

Best Picture? No. But it certainly isn't bad. The production is lavish and first rate. And Daniel Day-Lewis is simply extraordinary as Bill the Butcher; the movie is worth watching just for his performance alone.

Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace

Better when you saw it in the movie theater, surrounded by fans of the series, and without much critical perception. In retrospect, the story's weak, the dialogue is clunky, and it's not particularly original. Compared to its sequel, however, it's Citizen Fucking Kane.