Lucky 13!

It’s been less than 4 months since Liam Neeson’s last “I’m going to beat the shit out of you” movie. Honest Thief was another solid entry in his wheelhouse and then all of the sudden, The Marksman pops up out of nowhere. I think he must have about 5 or 6 of these movies all ready to go so that if movies are ever needed, he’s your go-to guy. This is his 13th movie since Taken in this new genre.

The main ingredients are the same. He’s retired military so he can beat up people half his age, plus he’s got “special skills”. He’s got family or people close to him that are constantly in trouble, mainly because of him. You’d think people would be avoiding him because they might be the next one to get kidnapped/beat up/killed or whatever. He leads a simple life without too much excitement and then everything changes.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m in line to see every one of them every time. They’re just different enough to make them enjoyable and entertaining. He’s not rehearsing his Oscar speech because they aren’t that kind of movie and that’s ok too.

The Marksman is News of the World…150 years later. Both movies have a complete stranger transporting a kid across the country that can’t or won’t speak English so they can’t communicate very well. They run into trouble all along the way and have to figure out how to stay alive. There is one difference. The Marksman also has the “John Wick incentive”. Not going to give it away and it’s not a major plot point but it made me think of John Wick when it happened.

Tom Hanks meet Liam Neeson. Jim Hanson meet Jefferson Kyle Kidd.

Go see it. Enjoy it for what it is and have some fun at the movies.