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"The Marksman" (2021 release; 108 min.) brings the story of retired Marine Jim Hanson. As the film opens, a Mexican drug cartel is hot on the heels of Carlos, who calls his family that they need to flee the house. We fo to "Naco, Arizona", where Hanson shoots a wolf from long distance. Upon returning to his ranch, he is served eviction papers by the bank for being 6 months late in his mortgage payments. We go to "the US/Mexico Border, Monday", and as Hanson is driving his truck, a young boy and his mom are crossing the border just as the cartel arrives on the scene and demand their return. Hanson refuses... At this point we are 10 min. into the film but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is the latest film from Oscar-nominated producer Robert Lorenz ("American Sniper", :Letters From Iwo Jima"), but only his second movie directing. Here he brings the latest action hero vehicle for Liam Neeson. Nesson, bless his heart, give his all but even he cannot save the weak script that he has been dealt. The entire film is so utterly predicable from the get-go, and feels like it's done strictly by the numbers. Liam Neeson takes on the Mexican drug cartel all by himself. Truly a one man army against the might of the Mexican drug cartel. I wonder who will win that battle... Don't you wonder also? This film is from the same production house that just 4 months ago released the previous Neesom action flick "Honest Thief". In fact these Neesom films are coming at us so fast and furious, they now seems to blend in from one to the next. And yet, I and many others kep turning up. Why? Because Neesom is really good at this, for one, and it is like comfort food (comfort film?) in difficult times. Reason I still rate 3 stars when all is said and done.
"The Marksman" opened in theaters in mid-January and I just saw it this past weekend (2ne week of release). The Sunday matinee screening where I saw this at was attended okay (about 10 people, which is above average as COVID-19 continues to rage from coast to coast). If you are in the mood for another serving of Liam Neesom as action film hero and ready to save the world, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD or eventuallay on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
score 5/10
paul-allaer 25 January 2021
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw6526217/ |
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26-1-2021 01:59:08
