Liam Neeson, the massive Northern Irish force of nature who can’t seem to shake his accent no matter how many times he plays an American, is still among the most bankable stars in Hollywood even as he closes in on 70 years of age. He’s enjoyed major success in prestige films, romantic comedies and blockbuster franchises, and if he died tomorrow, the first paragraph of his obituary would probably mention his unforgettable performance in the Oscar-winning “Schindler’s List” or his turn as Qui-Gon Jinn in the “Star Wars” prequels.
But one movie– and one line in particular– has unlocked a new chapter in the actor’s career and made him the new king of action in the 21st century, the heir apparent to John Wayne, Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sly Stallone.
“What I do have are a very particular set of skills– skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that will be the end of it – I will not look for you, I will not pursue you… but if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you… and I will kill you.”
Since “Taken” hit theaters in 2008 and became something of a cultural phenomenon in the process, Neeson has cranked out a whopping 15 action movies, including today’s selection, Netflix’s “The Ice Road.” With that sort of quantity, however, the question becomes one of quality: are any of these films actually good? Bridget and Rob did a little homework before reviewing “The Ice Road,” a thriller following a trucker (Neeson) who attempts to save trapped workers inside a collapsed Canadian diamond mine before it’s too late.
Before we get to the main review, are there any of Neeson’s recent action movies that you would recommend to our readers?
Bridget: This doesn’t fit the action bill, but I have to get it in here briefly. My favorite Liam Neeson movie is definitely “Rob Roy” (1995). It’s a swashbuckling period drama with kilts…enough said. In the vein of Neeson action, I am a huge “Taken” fan and watch bits of that any time it’s on cable…which is every other day.
Compared to that movie, in my opinion, much of his action resume pales in comparison or tries to imitate “Taken” in ways that don’t always work. I recently checked out “Non-Stop,” one of Neeson’s MANY movies released in 2014. Here he plays a grizzled alcoholic ex-cop air marshal trying to find a terrorist mid-flight. I mostly enjoyed it. It kept me guessing though it did throw a few too many red herrings at us. A few years later, Neeson took his talents to a train in “The Commuter” (2018) playing another grizzled ex-cop (see a pattern here?) who must solve a mystery mid-ride. This one kept me intrigued to the same level as “Non-Stop,” though it did have a more legit cast. If you like to see Neeson looking haggard and punching people, these are both good options. But then again, so are many of his other action movies from the last 10+ years.
Rob: I watched a lot of Neeson this week in preparation for the column, and the film and performance that really stuck with me was “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” from 2014. I wouldn’t label it a strict action movie because there are deeper psychological and existential layers, but it still features our man playing a recovering alcoholic ex-NYPD unlicensed private eye tasked with investigating a pair of psychotic hitmen (one of whom is played by “Stranger Things” star David Harbour) targeting the family members of drug traffickers.
“Tombstones” wasn’t the first time that author Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder character had been brought to the big screen: Jeff Bridges played him in 1986’s “8 Million Ways to Die,” a critical and commercial failure (which I happen to enjoy quite a bit, warts and all) that more or less sunk the filmmaking career of Hollywood legend Hal Ashby before he died a few years later. Writer/Director Scott Frank perfectly captures the grime of ‘90s New York, the moral complexities of the situations presented and the flawed humanity of the memorable characters Block created with his adaptation, which pays homage to classic cinematic PIs like Sam Spade and Phillip Marlowe while providing an important update to the genre. Oh, and if you want to see Neeson fight wolves, you can’t go wrong with “The Grey.”
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, what should viewers know about “The Ice Road” before they dive into it?
Bridget: We’ve seen Neeson in planes, trains and automobiles. Now we see him behind the wheel of a big rig. He plays down-on-his-luck trucker, Mike McCann, who struggles keeping work as he also cares for his disabled veteran brother, Gurty (Marcus Thomas). Between jobs, the brothers see their big chance to earn some major bucks when drivers are needed to traverse a dangerous Canadian ice road to a diamond mine where a major accident has caused an urgent need for supplies to rescue trapped miners. If you’re familiar with The History Channel’s series, “Ice Road Truckers,” you probably understand the basic premise here. Semi-trucks are literally driven over frozen lakes, rivers, and even oceans on roads made of ice. In this movie, Mike and Gurty’s ice road run is just the beginning. Rob, where do we go from here?
Rob: Well, the ever-versatile Laurence Fishburne makes an appearance as a guy named Jim Goldenrod, so I feel like that deserves a shoutout. Goldenrod, an ice road trucker himself, performs the classic movie cliche task of “assembling a team,” and between himself, the McCann brothers, a mysterious insurance adjuster and an indigenous woman named Tantoo who’s fresh out of jail for protesting injustices perpetrated upon her by white people, it’s a real rogue’s gallery. Unfortunately, Fishburne disappears from the film well before he should have, but his death begins to raise deeper questions about the nature of the mission and just how much the company really cares about saving the lives of its workers. Bridget, what did you think of it?
Bridget: As the action revved up, it kind of reminded me of “Suicide Squad” on ice, which was a fun premise. Then it became more like “Mad Max: Fury Road” combined with any of a number of movies about trapped miners, plus add fifteen layers of drama. I was surprised by how little of it took place on the ice road. That is what really intrigued me…the physics of the ice road, the potential for danger…all of which the movie did a pretty good job with, though the CG effects were a little regrettable.
By the second half of the movie, the ice road bit was kind of over and we were on to one catastrophe after another, mostly on solid ground. Whether it was goons on snowmobiles, an avalanche or a rickety bridge, I thought it became too much. “Ice Road’s” writer and director, Jonathan Hensleigh, also penned “Armageddon,” so maybe the unrelenting over the top action shouldn’t be surprising, but I was a bit exhausted by the end and ready for it to be done. Rob, what did you think?
Rob: I can’t say with a straight face that “The Ice Road” is a good movie, and yet I was never upset that I was watching it. I saw a few reviews drawing comparisons to the classic French film “The Wages of Fear” from 1953 and its now widely admired American remake “Sorcerer” from 1977. Let’s be clear, though: Hensleigh’s aspirations aren’t nearly that lofty. I’d argue that it’s more in the mold of Sam Peckinpah’s “Convoy,” but even that film– usually considered an afterthought in the director’s impressive body of work– is miles ahead of this one both intellectually and in its use of practical effects and action.
As Bridget already mentioned, the CGI is pretty cringeworthy in parts, but it’s undeniably fun to watch monster 18-wheelers barreling across ice that could crack at any minute. And Neeson gets plenty of time to punch, kick and destroy other human beings in all the ways that have become his trademarks in recent years. At an hour and 48 minutes, “The Ice Road” wasn’t overly long, but I feel like it would’ve worked even better as a 90-minute pure action thrill ride that spent less time on plot setup. Because let’s be honest, are you really watching a movie like this for the story? Bridget, anything else that needs mentioning before we wrap this one up with an extremely tepid recommendation from both of us?
Bridget: I would just say that this is a fine mindless action movie. But if you’re a Neeson fan and want to see him kick butt in the winter while driving a big truck, I would try 2019’s “Cold Pursuit.” He plays a snowplow driver bent on revenge who ends up facing down the mob. This movie to me was much more fun and even better- self-aware. It poked fun at itself and was light-hearted even as the bodies were piling up. Rob, any closing thoughts?
Rob: There are a couple of great trucking songs in the soundtrack for “The Ice Road” that everyone should listen to. Jason Isbell does a cover of Johnny Cash’s “All I Do is Drive,” and the Cadillac Three performs a version of “Six Days on the Road.” Real country music isn’t dead, folks!
Our verdict: Worth watching if you want a rip-roaring action vehicle with Liam Neeson kicking a lot of butt. Just don’t go in expecting a masterpiece.
Stay tuned for the latest edition of the column next week, and as always, send your feedback and/or topic suggestions to Bridget (news@wrightcountymonitor.com) or Rob (publisher@grundyregister.com). Thanks for reading!
