Old Dog. Same Trick
Liam Neeson’s continuing domination of Golden Years gunplay is getting old, and it’s starting to show.
Blacklight
Director: Mark Williams • Writers: Mark Williams, Nick May
Starring: Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Taylor John Smith, Andrew Shaw, Zac Lemons, Clarie van der Boom, Tim Draxl, Yael Stone, Georgia Flood, Caroline Brazier, Melanie Jarnsen
USA/Australia/China • 1hr 44mins
Opens Hong Kong June 9 • IIB
Grade: C+
Can you believe we’ve had 14 years (and counting, Memory is on deck, Retribution is in post-production) of mid-winter action dreck starring Liam Neeson? Who would have thought back in 2008 that the high-concept (yet expertly executed) nonsense of Taken – which, for the record, came out the same year as Iron Man – would have marked the beginning of a second, stealthier cinematic universe? Probably not Neeson, who turned 70 in early June and is now the poster boy for the emergent geriaction sub-genre. That also includes Bruce Willis for more unfortunate reasons. Jason Statham and Gerard Butler are a sprightly 54 and 52, so they have a way to go. Sylvester Stallone has always flirted with the superhuman, Frank Grillo (56) is firmly in the B-star/supporting category, and Bob Odenkirk’s only done this once (in Nobody). For now, Neeson reigns. However utter domination can also lead to carelessness and diminishing returns. Which brings us to Blacklight.
At some point, one or both of these females will be taken
Blacklight – whose timing would have been right on, but Omicron– is not one of the better entries in Neeson’s geriaction-based second career. He’s still an imposing figure, he’s an excellent actor who can add gravitas to his line readings, and he leans more “average guy” than Rambo, so the bad guys do get the upper hand sometimes. But it’s also starting to look like his knees can only take so much running, and that word is getting around among editors you can charge a premium to make him look like a badass in post. And that wouldn’t be a problem if writers like Nick May and co-writer/director Mark Williams put more thought into the script, which has plenty of thematic nuggets to mine but simply doesn’t. Look, it doesn’t need to be Shakespeare, but if Top Gun: Maverick can manage to be “about” something, so can this.
Travis Block (duh, Neeson) is a paranoid Vietnam vet, trying to improve his work-life balance and reconnect with his semi-estranged daughter and granddaughter, Amanda (Clarie van der Boom) and Natalie (Gabriella Sengos). Amanda doesn’t appreciate his hyper-awareness at playdates and kindergartens, but he’s trying to loosen up. Travis works as an off-book FBI fixer for Gabriel Robinson (Aidan Quinn) rescuing undercover agents from disaster when it strikes. His latest task is to “bring in” whistleblower – jeez this name – Dusty Crane (Taylor John Smith), who’s been talking to journalist Mira Jones (Emmy Raver-Lampman) about how the FBI had a progressive political candidate murdered. Travis doesn’t want to believe trusted institutions are corrupt, but when the bodies start dropping and his family is – wait for it – taken, he teams up with Jones to get to the truth.
Oh come on! If that’s not the bad guy…
There’s really no need to go into more detail. If you’ve seen any of the films in this franchise (and I don’t care if they’re not technically connected, they are in spirit) you know where it’s going every step of the way. But unfortunately, the freshness of Taken, the sheer novelty of The Grey (co-starring Grillo) and the crime genre glee and genuine wit of Cold Pursuit (Raoul Trujillo’s hilarious death stare at the hotel when asked if he “has a reservation” is priceless) are absent. Williams has turned in lesser geriaction, bringing only a fraction of the creativity to the proceedings that he brought to Honest Thief. Williams is a competent filmmaker: He gets his establishing shot, followed by the medium, over the shoulder, reverse. Doesn’t break the 180-rule. Bravo. But his Neeson entries are neither innovative nor willing to embrace their inherent silliness. Which is not the case with Copshop – starring Grillo and Butler! – Joe “The Grey” Carnahan’s goofy, laser focused single-set actioner produced by Williams, who also got a story credit. See? There’s too many connections here to overlook. Franchise! — DEK