Honest Thief
Director: Mark Williams
Screenplay: Mark Williams
Minutes: 99
Year: 2020
Score: 6.47
Release: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
There was something off about Honest Thief and I have been searching for what that might be for more time than I ever wanted to. There are some decent action scenes, but most of which didn’t give me the impression that Liam Neeson was interested in being in the film.
From UPHE.com:
They call him the In and Out Bandit because meticulous thief Tom Carter (Liam Neeson) has stolen $9 million from small-town banks while managing to keep his identity a secret. But after he falls in love with the bubbly Annie (Kate Walsh), Tom decides to make a fresh start by coming clean about his criminal past, only to be double-crossed by two ruthless FBI agents. From the co-creator of Emmy-nominated series Ozark, thriller Honest Thief showcases Liam Neeson in a heartfelt tale of redemption, packed with fights, chases and explosions centered on one man’s mission to make things right for the sake of love. Honest Thief is written and directed by Mark Williams and stars Liam Neeson (Taken), Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy), Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice), Jai Courtney (Suicide Squad), and Anthony Ramos (Hamilton). The ensemble cast includes Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) and Jasmine Cephas Jones (Blindspotting).
What I think the disconnect might be is just how far generic action films have come. Truly, Honest Thief left me feeling like I watched a polished 1980s action film that completely missed its mark. This is a sign of the times, the marks it missed are the same ones that make 80s flicks feel a little icky when watching them in 2021. So, it makes perfect sense that they are replaced with different character building and non-rape revenge plots.
I think the real problem with the movie are the main performances. Having enjoyed the Taken movies I know that Neeson can pull off an aging action star well enough to be engaging. It didn’t happen here and I think this one was a paycheck that just needed cashing. The main villain character has about as much personality as an unused strip of fly paper. I have seen him in other things that were fine, but it just wasn’t here.
Honest Thief is a redemption story so let’s look at the little bit of redemption in the film. This is found in some of the supporting characters. Kate Watch and Anthony Ramos were both engaging and interesting. Robert Patrick is always worth a ticket and Jeffrey Donovan’s character quirks rounded things out well.
So, if I ignore the main characters there is almost a film worth sitting though. That isn’t an option though. I don’t know what could have smoothed other the burrs that I felt during the film, but I had no real expectations going into the movie. There are hundreds of better options and I am having a very difficult time not ending on a stupid pun about being honest. You can read between the lines.
Director: 6 – Cinematography: 6 – Edit: 6 – Parity: 7 – Main performance: 7 – Else performance: 9 – Score: 6 – Sound: 6 – Story: 7 – Script: 6 – Effects: 8 – Design: 7 – Costumes: 3 – Keeps interest: 8 – Lasting: 5