Run All Night

Reviews from the Dark Side presents
  Run All Night
Released 3/13/15

Hello, loyal followers.  It's been awhile.  In fact, this is the first formal review since December's The Hobbit:  The Battle of the Five Armies.  So, a special movie would have to bring me out of hibernation.  Well, maybe not a special one, but, one that made me feel something.  And, that honor goes to the latest Liam Neeson action-thriller, Run All Night.

What is it about Neeson that makes him a believable action star at this stage of his career?  I have a few theories on that.  One, he comes across as an everyman and not a superman in his films.  I'm not saying he doesn't do the fantastic at times, but, the things he does feel like things you or I could do given proper training and motivation (like bullets hurtling toward you rapidly).  Two, he gives a good beating, but, he takes one, too.  His characters don't leave completely unscathed so, there's a bit of realism (as real as these movies can be).  Third, he's not a formerly jacked-up star who looks completely old and ridiculous doing these movies now.  You know the ones I'm talking about!  He's a big guy, but not a musclehead, an older actor, but not an ancient-looking one.  Lastly, there aren't many groan-inducing one-liners from Neeson.  Any humor he exudes is usually coincidental.  He just has a crazy cool manner of speech that doesn't cause involuntary cringes. 

That's not to say that all of Neeson's films are stellar.  A Walk Among the Tombstones was only mildly entertaining.  The Taken series hasn't produced a credible effort since the first installment (some would even debate that one, but I liked it).  Where does this latest effort fall in the spectrum?

Jimmy Conlon (Neeson) is the semi-retired muscle for criminal-turned-legitimate businessman, Shawn Maguire (Ed Harris).  Jimmy has killed more people than most diseases in the name of his best, and, seemingly only friend, Shawn, over the years.  Now past his prime, Jimmy has descended into a life of alcohol and deep regrets, his deepest being the broken relationship with his son, Michael (Joel Kinnaman). 

Michael, a limousine driver, is witness to a homicide committed by Shawn's son, Daniel, making Michael a target.  With the unsolicited assistance of his father, Michael's life becomes more complicated as both Conlon's must survive the night escaping Shawn's henchmen, a murderous assassin who has a particular dislike for Jimmy, and corrupt police. 

Run All Night is a fairly standard thriller with all the usual clichés regarding bad father-son relationships and misplaced retribution.   Neeson's character is set up to be a kind of antihero, but, it's hard to see him this way as he has very few redeemable qualities.  Fatherly concern for his son's well being doesn't necessarily make up for a lifetime of wicked deeds.  But, the film does a good job creating a dark, stylish world with a brutal code of justice.  Blood for blood is the theme.  It doesn't matter who is in the right and who is in the wrong.  It just is what it is.

Neeson and Harris pull the film along through it's almost two-hour run time.  Their dedicated performances are what makes a rather mundane plot worth sitting through.  Run All Night is the equivalent of the best fried food.  It's greasy and not very good for you, but leaves you extremely satisfied in the end. 

Now, how's that for a metaphor?

The Dark Lord of the Sith says:

***1/4 stars

Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.