Review: ‘Honest Thief’ Liam Neeson Should be its own Genre of Cinema.

Liam Neeson rules. This is an undisputable fact. It doesn’t matter if he’s portraying a historical figure like Michael Collins or Oskar Schindler, or a rebellious Jedi Knight like Qui-Gon Jinn. Lately, it’s been a host of absurd action movies, and truthfully, I hope they continue into nursing home fisticuffs. The name Liam Neeson could and should be its own genre of cinema. “Honest Thief” is a 2020 Mark Williams film that puts Neeson, once again, in a silly situation.

Tom Dolan is a former Marine and bomb expert. He’s also a cunning and crafty bank robber that’s managed to evade the feds for a decade. That is, until he falls in love. Wanting a fresh start on life with his female companion, he decides to turn himself in. Of course, things are never easy. The agents he confesses to are corrupt, and want his bank robbing profits for themselves. Lights, camera, action!

Liam Neeson rules

I can never heap enough praise on Liam Neeson. As Tom Dolan we get virtually the same character we got in “Taken,” “The Marksman,” “Cold Pursuit,” “Unknown,” “The Commuter,” “Non-Stop,” okay we get it. So it’s pretty much the same thing here. He’s a simple man living a quiet life. He’s also a superhero ninja that, despite wanting to do the right thing, can’t seem to get out of his own way. Give him a gun, and a cause, and I’ll watch.

Opposite Neeson is the mesmerizing Kate Walsh as Annie, the love interest. I’ve had a thing for Walsh since her days on the show “Private Practice” and I agree, I would turn over my million dollar fortune for her, too. The corrupt cops are played by Jai Courtney and Anthony Ramos. Jeffrey Donovan plays their supervisor. All other entries are ancillary to Neeson. The film is set in the Boston/Worcester area. We get cool shots of the city and streets with Christmas decorations.

“Honest Thief” is about as one-dimensional a movie as there is. It’s the same character in the same situation. The word predictable comes quickly to mind. Neeson makes it a notch above average. That said, I want more. I really do hope he continues with these dumb but fun flicks.

“Honest Thief” is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime.

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