Chased by both mobsters and the police after killing the son of a local mob boss, a former mob hit-man finds a chance to bond with his own estranged son (who the mob also want dead) in this Liam Neeson action thriller. The plot has several similarities to 'Road to Perdition' with a wayward mob boss son, a mob boss whose loyalties are tested (Neeson's childhood friend here) and a father and son on the run who both come to indelibly appreciate one another, however, the film is nowhere near as classy as 'Road to Perdition' and the dynamic is not quite as interesting with the son fully grown. Ed Harris is effective in the equivalent of Paul Newman's role in 'Perdition', but he never quite gets the screen time he deserves considering how much of the plot hinges on his friendship with Neeson. An uncredited Nick Nolte is also solid, but Neeson shines the most here, bringing a weariness not seen in his previous collaborations with 'Unknown' and 'Non-Stop' director Jaume Collet-Serra. Neeson projects regret, sorrow and disenchantment - reminders of what a capable dramatic actor he was before 'Taken' made him an actor star. That said, the claims of this being Neeson's finest action film seem out of line. The characterisations may be decent here, but the plot offers nothing new and none of the action scenes are all that remarkable. Of course, the case could be argued that this is a positive since the film is surprisingly story-driven and down-to- earth, but it is more engaging than 'Unknown' or 'Non-Stop' for that? One's mileage is likely to vary.
Review of Run All Night
