“For whatever reason, thriller audiences seem to love it when I punch bad guys. Who would I be to deny him that pleasure?” laughed Liam Neeson in an interview to mark the US theatrical release of Honest Thief in October 2020.
And the mime keeps his word. Because since then he has been seen in similar parts in “The Marksman”, “The Ice Road”, “Memory” and most recently “Blacklight”. With “Retribution” and “In The Land Of Saints And Sinners” further crazy tears are about to be released. Again he will probably play the grumpy but ultimately kind-hearted Normalo, who really just wants to be left alone, but is forced by circumstances to take up arms or just let his fists fly.
Early in the action phase of his career, while making 96 Hours, the first in the Taken franchise, the Northern Irishman may have felt a little alien to the genre. After all, he originally comes from the theater, has played Shakespeare on stage and has often held demanding, historical roles in the cinema (“Schindler’s List”, “Rob Roy”, “Michael Collins”, “Kinsey”). When Neeson starred in blockbusters like the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy, “Batman Begins’ or ‘Battle of the Titans’, played a character role there too.
In the meantime, however, the mime himself has fun with the hearty performances. “It makes me feel like a kid in a toy store,” he admitted with a grin. The best moments for him during such a production are obviously the rehearsals: “These fights are choreographed like big dance scenes. For someone who has loved to dance all his life, rehearsing such sequences is a great thing.”
Honest Thief marked Neeson’s 24th (!) season collaborating with his stunt coordinator and double Mark Vanselow (Deadpool, The Revenant, Pirates Of The Caribbean). According to the star, Vanselow knows exactly how to make the most of his portly size and how to cover up his age-related athletic deficits so he can just soar through the scenes.
“Honest Thief” celebrates its free TV premiere on September 12, 2022 at 10:15 p.m. on ZDF. If the date doesn’t suit you or you prefer to enjoy the work in the original English version, there are of course alternatives. You can stream the film at any time as part of your Amazon Prime subscription at no extra charge. Or you can order the Blu-ray/DVD at currently pleasingly low prices:
» “Honest Thief” on Amazon*
However, we cannot wholeheartedly recommend it to you. The villains are drawn too clichéd for that, the typical B-movie story is too generic and the staging of “Ozark’ creator and showrunner Mark Williams too uninspired. as we in our 2.5 star review attest, the star of the film is once again credible at all times. And the romantic chemistry with his co-star Kate Walsh (“Grey’s Anatomy”, “The Umbrella Academy”) also comes across as coherent. So “Honest Thief” may not be the best film with Liam Neeson by a long shot. But at least his followers shouldn’t regret tuning in here.
Prudent, precise and completely non-violent, Tom Dolan (Liam Neeson) has entered twelve banks over the past eight years. The ex-elite soldier stole nine million dollars from the vaults. Still, the FBI is completely in the dark as to his identity. But then Dolan meets Annie (Kate Walsh) and falls in love with her. He decides to leave his criminal activities behind so that he doesn’t have to lie to the then unsuspecting woman of his heart for the rest of his life.
He reports to the authorities to negotiate a deal with Agent Baker (Robert Patrick) in exchange for the return of all his loot he will not have to spend more than two years in prison. Baker enlists his subordinates, Nivens (Jai Courtney) and Hall (Anthony Ramos), to pick up the man. But the corrupt officials shoot their boss and just pocket the money themselves. They blame Dolan for the murder. He can flee and is now desperately trying to protect Annie from Nivens and Hall, who are threatening her. He also has to convince Baker’s partner (Jeffrey Donovan) of his innocence at the same time…
*The link to the Amazon offer is a so-called affiliate link. If you make a purchase through this link, we will receive a commission.
