#REVIEW: “THE HONEST THIEF”

By Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong

Liam Neeson has seem to star in the same movie dozens of times in the past 12 years, often starring as the man with a particular set of skills reaping vengeance on those who have done him wrong. Honest Thief is on-brand for Neeson. He is a man on a mission and will be stopped at nothing. This is Mark Williams’ first time directing and a credible effort.

The Movie focuses on Tom (Liam Neeson), who has been dubbed the ‘In and Out Bandit’ by the FBI, for being able to break into banks, rob them, and leave without a trace. At this point, Tom has been doing it for several years, moving from place to place and upon arriving at his latest destination, he meets Annie (Kate Walsh) and everything changes. He falls for Annie and decides that he wants to lead an honest life, turning himself in. Tom calls the FBI and gets Agent Baker (Robert Patrick), who then passes-off the responsibility to Agent Nivens (Jai Courtney) and Agent Hall (Anthony Ramos). Nivens and Hall investigate Tom’s claims and decide to cross him, having more serious charges laid against him. With his new life in jeopardy, Tom will stop at nothing to clear his name of those crimes he did not commit.

Courtney and Ramos more than ably sell us their ‘crooked cop’ characters, although we don’t ever get a deeper insight into their motivations other than the monetary. While Neeson plays a familiar character, there is nothing new he adds to this. That being said, he’s still kicking butt and taking names, which is what his fans want.

Honest Thief will be known for its action. It is constant, fun and filled with adrenaline that keeps the audience engaged throughout. If the Script had been a little more fleshed-out with deeper stories, this would have made it all a bit more memorable.

VVS Films release Honest Thief digitally on Tuesday December 8, 2020.