Having spent close to 15 years cultivating a one-man subgenre, it’s no surprise to discover that a concept as simple and straight to the point as “Liam Neeson wearing a leather jacket in an action thriller” instantly tells you all you need to know about the movie, regardless of what it is, when it was released, and how it fared either among critics or at the box office.
True to form, the grizzled veteran’s 2015 vehicle Run All Night is the latest from the Neeson back catalogue to make a splash on streaming, having landed a spot on the platform’s global charts that additionally includes Top 10 placings in Australia and New Zealand, as per FlixPatrol.
Re-teaming with Unknown and Non-Stop director Jaume Collet-Serra, the regular collaborators offer more of the same, which is a good or bad thing depending on your preference for Neeson’s particular set of skills. The leading man heads back into his wheelhouse as a hard-drinking mob hitman, who finds himself forced to turn against his employers once his son ends up in the criminal outfit’s crosshairs.
Needless to say, the two generations of ass-kickers partner up to ensure their survival, taking on Ed Harris’ figurehead and his goons in the process. Run All Night doesn’t even attempt to bring anything new to the table, but Collet-Serra brings enough panache to the proceedings to provide fitful bursts of entertainment value, even if you could exchange it with any other Neeson runner and gunner without anybody noticing.