Fathers and sons kill together

136530_01

By DANNY BUTTLER

Run All Night (MA)
Starring: Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman, Ed Harris

LIAM Neeson brings the full weight of 62 years of Irish mournfulness to the lead role in Run All Night.
Sad face, as the young people say.
And Neeson’s character has plenty to be sad about. As a broken-down old hitman, stalked by the police and estranged from his son (Joel Kinnaman) and without two cents to rub together, there’s not a lot of joy in Neeson’s sad life.
Old friend and crime boss Ed Harris has used him up – and has a dud son of his own.
And so this tale of fathers and sons is forced into bloody gear when Neeson’s character is forced to to kill the son of Harris’s character, to save his own son’s life – setting the scene for bloody revenge and some of the film’s best moments.
Much shooting, car chasing and crooked cop action ensues.
The script is above the ordinary, and the scenes in which Neeson and Harris square off are particularly good.
It’s interesting to watch the transformation of Harris from all-around American good guy into cadaverous old villain.
Often a good guy, sometimes a bad guy, Neeson here is the good-bad guy … and here he has made an above-average action flick.
Mentioned in the same breath as Taken, it is not in that league, but is one of Neeson’s better films in recent times.
– Jason Beck