Review | Honest Thief movie review: Liam Neeson fights for a second chance in familiar yet satisfying action thriller
- Neither as sadistic as Taken, nor as existential as The Grey, Neeson’s latest tough guy outing is a tight and efficient thriller that will keep fans happy
- It has enough pithy dialogue and character quirks to elevate it above the Irish actor’s more humdrum recent offerings
3/5 stars
Taking things that belong to characters played by Liam Neeson has proved an ill-advised course of action for movie villains. Whether they are separating him from his daughter, family, identity or freedom, past experience dictates that those responsible will fall foul of the Irish hard man’s particular set of skills – and all within a lean, 90-minute running time.
Honest Thief follows this play book to the letter, with the 68-year-old Neeson playing a notorious bank robber looking to turn himself in, who is double-crossed by a pair of opportunistic FBI agents.
Set in and around the foggy blue-collar backstreets of Boston, Neeson’s character, former marine turned safe-cracker Tom Carter has knocked off a dozen banks in as many years. Dubbed the “In & Out Bandit” for his slick, non-violent execution, the authorities have no clue as to his identity until Carter offers to turn himself in.
His blossoming romance with Annie (Kate Walsh) has him yearning for a fresh start, and he offers to return all US$9 million in stolen cash in exchange for a light sentence and second chance.