In these troubled times, there’s something oddly cozy and therapeutic about Liam Neeson beating up really, really bad guys.
Not that ‘Honest Thief’ is a great film. But, given Neeson’s track record as the tough-as-nails vigilante with a tender heart, it’s serviceable entertainment. Long story short; his ‘special set of skills’ carries our hero across the goal line once more.
In ‘Honest Thief’, Neeson plays Tom Carter, a.k.a. the In and Out Bandit, so proficient at his job as a bank robber that authorities are unable to figure out how the guy breaks in to begin with. Then, Tom meets Annie (Kate Walsh), manager of the storage-locker facility where the thief was looking to stash his loot. He falls head over heels in love and, wanting to prove he’s the decent man that Annie believes him to be, decides to fess up on his criminal record to the FBI.
Tom’s goal is to cut a deal that will give him a reduced stint behind bars. But when a couple of corrupt agents assigned to the case take the stolen money for themselves and attempt to not only kill Carter but target Annie…..well, c’mon. It’s Liam Neeson. You know what happens next.
Neeson is almost 70 years old. Let that sink in for a moment. Like Clint Eastwood before him, he’s probably been doing this ‘tough guy out for justice’ thing a little too long, but darn it, he’s still so GOOD at it! Some poor writing and slightly clunky supporting efforts (I like Kate Walsh, but she looks a little lost here) weigh Neeson down a tad in ‘Honest Thief’, but not enough to flatten this guilty pleasure full of guns n’ fists. Make the popcorn a large one, and enjoy.
