Liam Neeson is back in cinemas with his new film Taken 6, or A Walk Among the Tombstones, as some people are calling it.
The movie sees Neeson once again adopting his gruff and grumpy persona to portray the everyman who, pushed beyond his normal everyday comfort zone, takes matters into his own hands and kicks villainous ass.
It’s a character we have delighted in seeing depicted in film since the dawn of the medium and now Neeson has joined the ranks of Bronson, Gibson, Willis, and Ford among others.
Who hasn’t at some point in their lives felt intimidated or bullied and then hasn’t dreamt of giving those bullies a taste of their own medicine? It is the fundamental reason behind Batman’s enduring 75 years of success. A success that seems to grow with each passing year as rightly or wrongly people feel more isolated and intimidated by the modern world. And who in the Nolan Batman universe tutored the Dark Knight in a very particular set of skills? Skills that make him a nightmare for criminals.
Neeson shares many of the characteristics that led to Harrison Ford becoming a hero in films such as the Indiana Jones series, and more relevantly the duo of Patriot Games and it’s sequel Clear and Present Danger. Both are neutral class wise, neither look on the surface like out-and-out-hero cliches such as Schwarzenegger or Stallone with their glutes maximised to the point they have become overblown asses strutting about on screen with all the verbal skills of Rudolph Valentino and separating them from us ordinary folk.
The more natural builds of Ford and Neeson allows the man on the street to believe that if push came to shove he too could stand up and be counted against a voodoo chanting priest with a taste for hearts or a pack of wolves intent on hunting him across snowy wastelands.
Neeson has been in the business long enough to make any criticism of his current film choices, irrelevant but it is amusing to imagine the scripts he is being sent on a regular basis as he now stars in a new ‘Taken’ style vehicle each year.
Starting with 2008’s Taken, Neeson was reborn in the eyes of Hollywood producers as an everyman, popular with audiences, who was believable as both a normal guy and a hero with fists. He also one would guess has a far better reputation in Hollywood than a number of his action rivals for being a reliable, helpful and enjoyable actor to work with (yes I’m talking about you Bruce). Thus again and again Neeson has appeared as a man with the necessary skills to get things done when events take a turn for the desperate, depraved and disquieting.
After Taken, Neeson stared in 2011’s Unknown as a man with a mystery at the heart of his life that held the clue to why his whole life had been ‘taken’. From his briefcase, to his career, to his wife to his memory, all were lost.
Fortunately, he still had the necessary skills to punch through walls right across Berlin until matters become more ‘known’ and his memories were returned to him. The following year saw the release of The Grey where he played a man with a mysterious past and a troubled soul.
Surviving a plane crash with a handful of co-workers, he now has to survive Arctic weather conditions and being pursued by a hungry wolf pack. Fortunately, he has the necessary skills to deal with this situation too.
2012 also saw the release of Taken 2 or as it should perhaps have been titled Taken 4. This was a watered-down and diluted version of the original film, so now 12-year-olds can enjoy all the leg-breaking, knee-dislocating, nose-smashing fun too.
2014 brought us the development we had all been waiting for with ‘Taken On A Plane’ or Non-Stop as it was known in some territories. This time Neeson was an Air Marshall with a secret but fortunately the necessary skills to kick evil ass when the plane is held hostage by a villain threatening to kill a passenger every 20 minutes if a $150,000,000 isn’t transferred into their account.
Once again, Neeson is an ordinary man, subject and victim of normal human weaknesses and foibles, but when the going gets tough, like Billy Ocean said, the tough get rough, and Neeson steps up to the plate and dishes out the justice. Are you starting to see a pattern?
This brings us right up to date with the current cinematic Neeson offering being A Walk Among The Tombstones. Sadly no connection to Tiptoe Through the Tulips, this is instead the tale of Matt Scudder a former cop now a private eye. He is asked by a drug dealer to find the men who kidnapped his wife. It seems they killed her even after he paid them. Scudder initially refuses but acquiesces when the man later pays him a visit and explains how his wife was killed.
He does some research and thinks the men he’s looking for have done this more than once. He’s about to give up when they grab another girl and Scudder decides to make sure she’s returned alive.
I’ll pick out some key points. Former cop, hard drinker, has a dark secret in his past. He does ‘favours’ for people who repay him with ‘gifts’. How ever stained his soul and however unwitting and unwilling a hero he seems however, he inevitably ends up avenging and rescuing young damsels from the violence, vulgarity and villainy of the underworld.
If you enjoyed Taken parts one one to five, you will no doubt enjoy this instalment.
I would say though that the major enjoyment in this Neeson renaissance as action/revenge hero is in watching his everyday bloke being pushed so far that he dishes out brutal justice to some ne’er-do-wellers.
The detecting elements of the stories are irrelevant as it’s punching villains in the face that audiences apparently want to see. Although Neeson does spend the requisite time growling down a telephone like a bear with haemorrhoids. Violence isn’t a required element in my cinematic viewing and I believe in the majorities either but, Liam doing it is so endlessly entertaining. He’s a big man, but he’s in shape as seemingly this is now a full time job and witnessing this man pushed beyond his tolerances, gritting his teeth and punching some oily criminal in the face is a joy to watch.
Unfortunately, this film doesn’t just walk among the tombstones it wallows in the dark and murky world of crime and villainy, watching Neeson try to solve the case whilst wrestling with his inner demons. If it sounds like an off the peg, bag of cliches and cinematic tropes, well that’s because it is.
That isn’t to say the film isn’t worth seeing. If you love Neeson, love his new leather jacketed avenger role and it’s a grey Sunday with nothing better to do, then this film is perfect escapism.
I just wish they would be honest enough to call it Taken Among The Tombstones (although having seen that written down has brought to light slightly different connotations than those I intended. Sounds a more reminiscent of the disturbing LSD scene from Easy Rider.)
Nevertheless until the ‘official’ third instalment of Taken or ‘TAK3N’ as it’s been oddly titled (which doesn’t work half as well as Se7en as it just looks like a personalised number plate) this is a perfectly enjoyable, but largely predictable retread through the tombstones.
In the meantime if you’re tired of ‘Liam Smash’ perhaps sample one of his earlier works made prior to his Taken’ revolution when Liam, whether through artistic pursuit or the desire to eat, starred in some surprising and diverse roles.
If an odd blend of Science Fiction and Medieval Costume Drama is your thing then 1983’s Krull could be the film for you. From Peter Yates the director of ‘Summer Holiday, Bullitt and The Deep comes this heroic fantasy-science fiction film.
Seemingly inspired by the success of the Star Wars films that lest we forget were set ‘A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…’, Columbia were encouraged to create their own action fairy tale attempting to meld a heroic story of fantastical future fiction and historical fantasy drama.
To be honest, it doesn’t quite work as the historical elements are too historical, Earth-based and literal, while the sci-fi future elements appear to be created on a budget that undermines believability.
However, as a fantasy romp it’s a lot of fun and has enough memorable moments to make it worth a watch, especially for kids or for adults wanting to spot the well-known actor taking their first tentative steps into the spotlight.
Neeson fits into this category. It’s not his first appearance on screen but not far off it. He plays Kegan, a bandit and polygamist who favours killing with an axe. There are also appearances by Lysette Anthony, Bernard Bresslaw, Alun Armstrong, Robbie Coltrane, and Todd Carty.
The heavy British influence in the cast being due to it being a co British/US production and it’s filming at Pinewood studios.
Perhaps 1984’s The Bounty appeals more? The fifth adaptation of the tale of mutiny aboard Royal Navy ship HMS Bounty. Starring Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson with a soundtrack by Vangelis, this a hugely enjoyable film with lavish sets, a $4,000,000 recreation of the Bounty, and a project taken right up to shooting by David Lean before he had to drop out.
It has beautiful cinematography and is considered by many to be the most accurate portrayal of the story. Neeson plays a minor part as one the crew Charles Churchill, the Ship’s Corporal.
Also look out for appearances by Laurence Olivier, Edward Fox, Daniel Day-Lewis, Bernard Hill, John Sessions, Neil Morrissey and Dexter Fletcher.
Right, how about 1986’s Delta Force? Chuck Norris? Lee Marvin in his last film? No? My neither, but it might be fun and Neeson’s in there somewhere as an uncredited member of the force.
Moving on then what about High Spirits from 1988? A comedy set in a haunted Irish castle starring Daryl Hannah, Peter O’Toole, Beverly D’Angelo, Jennifer Tilly, Peter Gallagher, Connie Booth, and Liz Smith.
Although a flop, some of the acting dubious and the accent of Hannah so bad it even seems to effect Neeson’s own genuine Irish tones. However, there are more than enough farcical laughs, moments of O’Toole magic and some great practical effects to make this absolutely worth a watch.
If you’re still not sure it’s directed by Neil Jordan who also brought The Company Of Wolves, Mona Lisa, We’re No Angels, The Crying Game, Interview With A Vampire and Michael Collins (another Neeson role) to the screen.
How about 1988’s The Dead Pool? The final instalment in the Dirty Harry franchise, it stars Clint Eastwood, Patricia Clarkson, Neeson, Jim Carrey and features cameos from Guns & Roses. Why wouldn’t you want to watch this movie?
Try 1990’s Darkman. Written and directed by Sam Raimi after he found he was unable to obtain the rights to either The Shadow or Batman. Starring Neeson, Francis McDormand and Larry Drake with the obligatory cameo from Bruce Campbell.
Having failed to secure the rights to a pre-existing comic book hero, Raimi went about creating his own. Seemingly inspired by The Phantom Of The Opera, The Elephant Man and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, plus the classic Universal horrors of the 1930s.
It’s a messy film but with a solid cast and a writer/director with as many ideas and as much creativity as Raimi it’s certainly worth watching.
Finally, if you haven’t seen it, the 1992 film ‘Leap Of Faith’ starring Steve Martin, Debra Winger, Lolita Davidovich, Albertina Walker, Meat Loaf and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. It may seem a fairly standard tale of a cynical businessman who is shown the error of his ways by those he came to exploit a theme seen in films such as Scrooge, Scrooged and Local Hero to name a random triple.
However, the performances of Martin as the charismatic yet deeply cynical Jonas Nightengale faith healer, working against the down at home honesty and simple purity of Neeson’s local sheriff Will Braverman on top of the work from the aforementioned supporting cast makes this a joy to watch.
It is one of the most balanced depictions of religious worship and faith I’ve seen as cynicism is balanced by faith with preaching mocked and supported in equal measure. Plus the gospel soundtrack is a toe tapper to be sure.
It is the honesty and soul that Neeson brings to these and all his other roles that make him so watchable and an actor who can make characters in the strangest situations so empathetic.
So, whether he’s a hunter on an ancient far away planet, scrubbing the decks on an 18th century ship, taking out terrorists as a member of an elite military force, haunting an Irish castle, directing music videos in ’80s LA, becoming a comic book hero or keeping the peace in a small Kansas town, Neeson somehow makes the character real and force us to care about him.
From this point on Neeson would become a bigger and bigger star in the Hollywood firmament. 1993 would see the release of Schindler’s List, ’95 Rob Roy, 96 Michael Collins, 2002 Gangs Of New York, ’05 Kingdom Of Heaven, Batman Begins and The Chronicles Of Narnia; which brings us right up to 2008’s career-altering Taken, it’s sequels and its imitators.
A Walk Among The Tombstones is in cinemas now. Taken 3 is out next year, and 2015 will also see the release of Run All Night, which currently has the plot synopsis: “An ageing hitman is forced to take on his brutal former boss to protect his estranged son and his family,” which I don’t know if it’s just me but sounds oddly familiar.
Taken 8 anyone?