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Liam Neeson returns with his newest one-man action extravaganza Absolution. Neeson’s gonna be pumping out these movies until he’s 100, but you won’t hear us complaining.
An unnamed aging gangster (Neeson) ruminates on the life he’s had shepherding mysterious shipments across the US for his boss (Ron Perlman). After a stint in jail, the now-elderly gangster tries to reconnect with his daughter and grandson, to mixed results.
Absolution (2024) – source: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Planning on winding down, the gangster is shaken when one of his shipments is revealed to be a trafficked young woman. Rocked, the gangster finally decides to take a stand, embarking on a bloody mission against the evil men he’s kowtowed to his entire life. But can one old man really dismantle an entire empire?
I mean…. there’s really nothing new to say about these movies. Ever since Taken, Neeson found a niche in these geezer features, pumping one or two out a year in between his more acclaimed work. I can’t fault him for it, as he publically admits to using work as a distraction from family losses.
But Absolution feels like the 1st Neeson-led actioner to truly feel….boring. Aside from Neeson’s age, the 1st trailer offers little uniqueness, languid pacing and visually boring action scenes. The long series of Neeson action films runs the gamut from cartoonishly bloody to Malick-esque brooding. But all of them found some distinct quality that justified their existence. Absolution’s 1st trailer offers little to even the die-hard Neeson completists, and I doubt it will find much success stateside where more engaging action films are available.
But, as long as there’s an audience for subpar old-man action, Neeson will keep making them. And if he’s keeping people employed, having fun, and giving people more credits on IMDB, then who am I to judge him?
Directed by Hans Petter Moland, Absolution will be released theatrically in the US on November 1, 2024. The series stars an ensemble cast led by Liam Neeson.
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