Nearly seventy-year-old Liam Neeson continues to churn out action films at an alarmingly consistent rate – but it’s now more quantity over quality.
If he’s not careful he’ll soon be in the same poor direct-to-streaming camp as Bruce Willis, with Sky picking up this latest offering after it did dire box-office in the States.
After sub-par efforts with Honest Thief, The Marksman and The Ice Road, Blacklight continues a recent downward trend – being an actioner that has been ‘done to death’ dozens of times before.
Neeson (Taken) stars as government operative (who has OCD in a lazy tacked-on sub-plot) Travis Block, who uncovers a plot to murder influential US citizens – with hungry journalist Mira Jones (Emmy Raver-Lampman) close to piecing together the crimes.
When fellow agent Dusty Crane (Taylor John Smith) is targeted – with him seemingly acquiring information about underhand tactics – all signs lead to potential shady shenanigans by Block’s Vietnam War-vet pal, and Director of the FBI boss, Gabriel Robinson (Legend of the Fall’s Aidan Quinn).
But what transpires is as stereotypical as it comes – complete with seen-it-a-million-times ‘Block trying to be a better Grandad because he wasn’t a good Dad’ side story – as this ends up being inferior to an average TV episode of CSI.
Neeson tries his best with the generic script to not make it unwatchable by any means –
but even he’s lost several yards of pace. Not just physically, but also with his mediocre movie choices.
And now the light is definitely starting to dim on his action career – despite a notable genre run.
ESP Rating: 2/5
Gavin Miller
Sky Exclusive, Out Now
Cast: Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Taylor John Smith & Claire Van Der Boom
Running Time: 1 Hr 46 Mins
Director: Mark Williams
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