Bad, so bad.

Rating: 2/10 (6 March 2011)

How bad? Holey, moley, where does one start? Well, how about the apparent message: Don't let you kids go to Europe, it's full of sleazy furrner flesh traffickers and corrupt cops. Let's then go on to the characterisation, including the bitchy ex-wife and the stupid and gormless daughter and her even more gormless best friend, not to mention Liam Neeson's uptight, obsessive, one-note performance which, as you are aware of his character's background and skills from the start, offers nothing in the way of growth or surprises, just added violence. And for the violence: I've no problem with violence, I like a bit of action, but the fight scenes reminded me of latter day Steve Siegal, with two protagonists happy-slapping each other, and a car chase in a quarry (a neat idea) which is basically almost identical white cars driving at speed and Neeson inexplicably coming out on top. Oh, and throw in those sleazy (and totally inept) furrners who fire multiple shots at Neeson, completely missing only for him to step out from behind a door frame and take them down with one or two well-placed shots -- I mean, "Police Squad" took the micky out of that one THIRTY YEARS ago. And the less said about the "Escape from Peril" scenario, which adds up to a "and with one bound, he was free" trick that died out in the Republic cliffhanging serials of the 40s, the better. Best of all, though, has to be the scene in which Liam Neeson penetrates the enemy lair in Paris by pretending to be a French(!) detective, and manages to fool them by not speaking any French at all or knowing anything about their set-up. Good points, to be fair: a surprisingly non-clichéd turn by Xander Berkeley as a not-at-all smug and slimy stepfather, and a really refreshing one from Gerard Watkins as one of the many Mr Bigs Neesom meets. After so many swarthy and unshaven villains, the light and civillised touch he brought to his role was a revelation, and to him went the best line of the film: "Kill him quietly, I've got guests".
But otherwise: Lord almighty, what a clichéd bunch of pants. Up next: Kenneth Branagh re-makes "Death Wish"!