LIAM NEESON. “Blacklight.” / “The Grey.” / “Cold Pursuit.”

“Blacklight” (2022, Pluto TV) action thriller film. Stars Liam Neeson as a brooding FBI fixer who becomes involved in a government conspiracy. 



       With a production budget of $43 million, this movie only grossed about $16 million worldwide, making it a box-office bomb. Not hard to believe that. Definitely, this is one of Mr Neeson's worst performances and/or movies. 

       The storyline is scattered with crisscrossing subplots and unpursued back stories, nothing new or exciting about the action sequences, and acting is “another day on the job” uninspired. 🎥💻📽


“Cold Pursuit” (2019, Netflix) action thriller film. Follows a vengeful snowplow driver, Nels Coxman, who starts killing the members of a drug cartel following the murder of his son. Stars Liam Neeson as Nels. 


       Stylish direction by Hans Petter Moland, from Frank Baldwin's script, a remake of the 2014 Norwegian film “In Order of Disappearance.” The badass dudes, led by Tom Bateman as Viking, are slick badasses in fine suits. The gunplay is John Woo-ish and the subtle humor cracked me up. I didn't expect this obligatory Neeson actioner to be this good. 

       Fine support characters for Liam: Emmy Rossum as a police officer, Domenick Lombardozzi as a “closet-queen” crime enforcer for Viking, and Julia Jones as Aya, Viking's Ute former wife. Add older cop John Doman and retired mob muscle William Forsythe. And Laura Dern is here as well, as Mrs Coxman. 🎥💻📽


“The Grey” (2011, Netflix) survival thriller, follows a number of oil-men stranded in Alaska after a plane crash who must survive a pack of Canadian grey wolves, stalking them during the mercilessly cold weather. Stars Liam Neeson. 



       This is not the usual Liam versus the bad guys actioner. This is Liam versus the punishing snow and wicked wolves. Who won? No spoilers. Mr Neeson is joined here but macho dudes Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney, Dallas Roberts, Joe Anderson, and James Badge Dale. And this joint is based on the short story "Ghost Walker" by Ian MacKenzie Jeffers. 

       Yes, this dramatically exciting man-tale of survival spews a philosophical agenda that elevates the B-movie grade into an A-scale cinematic project. The sinister cold and the wolves’ growl compete with Liam's stubbornly defiant grit. 🎥💻📽

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