Run All Night

Are we likely to see Liam Neeson in ‘Expendables 4’' If his prodigious work-rate in action cinema continues, then it’s hard to deny him a place among its pantheon of heroes. ‘Run All Night’, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, is Neeson’s latest claim to this testosterone-soaked premiership.

The film sees Neeson playing Jimmy Conlon, a retired enforcer for the Irish mob, now living off table scraps from his only friend – crime boss turned ‘legitimate businessman’ Ed Harris.

Rather than having Jimmy’s offspring ‘taken’ by gangsters, ‘Run All Night’ explores the loss of a son through the failures of a parent. Our leading man must redeem himself in the eyes of his estranged son, played by Joel Kinnaman, and expunge the hereditary mob curse that overhangs his family. The tools of his absolution; fists and bullets. Oh yes, and explosions.

Scene changes are ushered in by geographical camera zooms, giving the film a faintly comic-book style. Levity is also present – whether it’s in the form of Jimmy’s lascivious braggadocio, or his farcical attempt at playing Santa Clause at a children’s party. ‘Run All Night’ never makes the mistake of bogging down its audience in the tragedy of its protagonist’s life.

‘Run All Night’s’ similarities to other gangster thrillers abound, highlighting the film’s biggest weakness. Jimmy may riddle his enemies with bullets, but writer, Brad Ingelsby’s, efforts to riddle the script with clichés are unmatched. From the quirky hitman, played by the rapper Common, who will accept the hit on Jimmy “for free”, to a showdown by the docks straight out of ‘Heat’, ‘Run All Night’ is distractingly derivative at times.

Overuse of genre motifs aside, ‘Run All Night’ is an enjoyable action romp – nothing more, nothing less. You should probably watch it before its protagonist calls you up, finds you and kills you.