The trailer for Liam Neeson‘s latest action-thriller Blacklight just dropped and shows him kicking ass, shooting guns, and fighting to save his family in what is hilariously similar to his role in the hit film Taken.
The film follows Travis Block, a government operative struggling with the morality of his job and his actions. His young granddaughter gives him the opportunity to right the wrongs of his past mistakes and become a role model she can look up to, something he failed to be for his own daughter. When Block discovers a covert government operation targeting U.S. citizens under the guise of protecting the country, Block finds himself in the crosshairs of the FBI director he once helped protect. This leads to his daughter and granddaughter being taken (shout it from the rooftops), and Block must then fight his way through masses of people to bring them home.
You can see the parallels to his hit film Taken without us having to spell it out for you, but sub-par action thrillers seem to be a regular occurrence for Neeson these days. In recent years, Neeson has been typecast in many of these films, including The Commuter, The Marksman, and Honest Thief. The latter of which was directed by Mark Williams, who also directed Blacklight.
Williams’ film Honest Thief bombed at the box office and only pulled in a measly $31 million at the global box office, but he doesn’t seem to have learned his lesson, which is why he has followed it up with this film.
Despite breaking no new ground and following the same repeated formula, Blacklight still has the potential to draw in viewers when it’s released on Febr. 11. With exciting shootouts, classic car chases, and Neeson dropping quippy one-liners, the film is certain to cater to some fans.