c7flat13

I was expecting another Liam Neeson driven action flick but this is a more thoughtful movie. It is slow paced for sure but I feel unfolds nicely. You really get the sense the guy at the end regrets his choices in life. You also get the sense he was destined for that life. I think the development of Liams character over the course of the movie builds your feelings for him. This is a flawed/violent person who at the end grows more desperate to reconcile with the family he walked away from. The movie touches a lot on inter-generational abuse and neglect and the chaos and struggle that leads to generation after generation. Also, I felt the movie was exceptionally written. If you're willing to give it the time and enjoy Neesons more subtle performances you should enjoy this.

After an hour or so of this movie I began to have this vague feeling I was watching a Joel Silver/Micheal Mann joint before I had any idea it was Micheal Bay which although a notch above in my estimation is still a product of the flashy editing of the late 80s and 90s. I could sense it just from the feel and pace of this movie and not even Ryan Reynolds charm could elevate this movie above a cliche. The supporting cast isn't very convincing imo and the story more manufactured to bring all these big names together for a project Netflix decided to throw money at. Some of the action sequences are quite good and there is plenty of convincing gore but the dialogue and chemistry and flahy editing all feel empty from beginning to end.