Neeson... now the angriest man in Hollywood!

Rating: 8/10 (20 January 2010)

Liam Neeson takes up the role of action hero in a roller-coaster ride filled with rage, revenge, chases and fight scenes... Neeson's character, Bryan Mills, has left the CIA (or some generic 'secret agent' government type body) in favour of less demanding security detail jobs. You see, he wants time to re-establish bonds with his estranged daughter, while simultaneously trying to negotiate the minefield of ex-wives, their new rich husbands and all the social foux pas that come with the territory, but in normal 'family' life Bryan Mills is an utter failure... if only there was some way for him to PROVE his love!
...And that's about as far as the background plot goes, because as soon as status and role is firmly establish then -bam!- we're into global conspiracy, slave trade, drugs and sex! Of course Mills was worried about allowing his 17 year old daughter out into the big bad world, especially when she's traveling to a land as nefarious as Europe. It's a wonder that a man such as Mills –knowing what he does of the world– would allow her to follow a band, as iniquitous as U2, across several different countries... But in an attempt to placate a nagging ex-wife and win favour with a wayward daughter, he eases on his own rules, against his better judgment... just so long as she remembers to check in by phoning!!! Sure it is no wonder then that she only steps off the plane when already she is being eyed up and targeted by international kidnappers, as everyone knows that an American girl would fetch top dollar on the slave market... what they didn't count on though, was Daddy!
Of course the scheming, conniving, slutty friend that arranged 'accommodation' and even invited 'boys' over to the apartment must die as a matter of moral imperative, but not before a long procrastinated death, ODing from drugs forced upon her by her captives... too harsh? No, not for the Hollywood code... sure the daughter still may be alive. And Mills dedicates thirty seconds of his movie to demonstrate how her harrowing death has effected him. That's enough to keep us in hope for the daughter, yet get our blood lust turned up to eleven. Daddy's A-N-G-R-Y-!
Okay, so I'm being a little sarcastic with the story-line, but by building a plot which basically feeds upon a parent's worst fears, it defies certain plausibility. For example, the fact that the same gang would be audacious enough to return to the same airport 24 hours later (which gives Mills his first lead) really does take the biscuit. Are we really to believe that the foreign police forces' appetite towards chasing down international slavering gangs is so apathetic? But then again, if like me, you have that magic switch in your brain that allows you to overlook the implausibility of plot elements and accept a world where a parent's worst fears are bound to come true and Mills' uncompromising world view will always prove right, then this movie can be a lot of fun. Once Neeson has the rage turned on, the rest of the movie is just one continuous high-octane release... its unrelenting! It REALLY is!!! It becomes a visual collage of bone braking, crippling, shooting, jumping, thumping bad guys. Indeed, whether the bad guys are dirty, stubbly and wearing a black leather jacket, or clean shaven and looking sharp in a tux, one thing is guaranteed; they will always hold a sneer and look smarmy, that we really don't mind how high the body count runs. Indeed, these guys are so typically bad, its a pleasure to watch the pile of bones rise! I think Neeson may have stolen the crown off Mel Gibson (Ransom, Braveheart, Madmax) as being the angriest/sullen tough guys on screen.