The Marksman

Society may change, with new technology, new buildings, and we face new challenges. But some things will never change, and that is especially how split society is between the rich and the poor. If you look at cities across the world, poverty is a problem that causes a lot of damage such as drug addiction, abusive relationships, mental problems and so much more. And when you have no other choice but to survive, you will do anything to make sure you have the money you need. But not all criminals hurt people just for money, but actually have fun doing it. And this is the perfect example of why a film such as the cult classic Death Wish needs to be seen. Released in 1974 from director Michael Winner, this is one of those films i can watch again, without being bored. So why is this film such as classic? It was a very controversial film at the time it was released, and i believe we needed to see an ordinary man take justice into his own hands, when police is not doing what they should be doing. Legendary actor Charles Bronson plays the character Paul Kersey, who is a New York architect, who finds out that his wife have been killed and his daughter was raped by criminals. When no one is arrested, Paul decide to take justice into his own hands. Death Wish is a film that is not only a revenge film, but this is also a story of a man who is struggling to move on with his life. How can he go on after his wife is killed, and his daughter is damaged for the rest of his life? There are several sequels to Death Wish, but the first one is still the best and worth checking out on DVD. Speaking of seeking vengeance, we have one man who have done that for quite many years now, and that is of course legendary actor Liam Neeson. Especially after his action classic Taken released in 2008, he have kept on making similar films. Some of his action films have turned out to be good, while some of the others have been average at most. But here we are in 2021, and he is back with another action film, while this film seems to go in a different direction from his previous action films. Is this one of the films you need to see this summer, or is The Marksman a proof that the action career for Liam Neeson is all over by now?

Former United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper and Vietnam War veteran Jim Hansen ( Liam Neeson) lives along the Arizona-Mexico border, reporting attempted illegal crossings. One day, while on patrol, he encounters Rosa ( Teresa Ruiz ) and her son Miguel ( Jacob Peréz ), Mexican citizens on the run from the cartel. Hansen call border patrol to report them for trying to cross the border, but is forced to end the call when Mexican cartel members begin a shootout.  Rose is shot, and her last wish is for Jim to take care of her son, and get him to Chicago, where her family lives. Jim give her his word, but knows the danger of the cartel, as he bring Miguel with him across the country.

I know that The Marksman have had some bad reviews from earlier this year, for a number of reasons. I can understand why in certain details, that could have been improved to make this film better. But you know what? Sometimes i appreciate to see a Liam Neeson film, knowing what he will offer, and it does not have to have any big surprises. I can actually accept seeing him do an ordinary action film, as long as i feel that the story works. And in the case of The Marksman, it´s actually a bit different from the Taken franchise, as well as some other films that he have made. The fact that this film takes place at the Arizona border, gives the plot a little bit more to work with. Especially when you see his character take care of a young boy, who watched his mother die at the border. Just imagine being a kid and seeing this in real life, no child should watch their parent die from a bullet wound. I have to say that the road trip that these main characters do, becomes a little bit charming. Seeing grumpy Liam Neeson and a kid, become friends, shows that it´s never too late to make new friends in life. Liam Neeson´s character Jim Hanson, is really struggling with his life since his wife passed away. And anyone of us could be in his situation, if we have someone really close to us, who pass away in a disease. So this young boy do bring a new sparkle into Jim´s life, a reason to continue his life by doing something good. And that message actually work in this film. But let´s get to one of the biggest problems with The Marksman, and that is that some of the characters in this film are not really interesting, or works very well. Look at the bad guys for example. They are a whole gang, and only one of them come across as any dangerous. You would think that members of the Mexican cartel would be really rough, and have no remorse. Well, i tried to get into their characters, but had a hard time doing so. The main evil character Mauricio ( played by actor Juan Pablo Raba, who you definetely will recognize from the Netflix series Narcos ), is the only cartel character that actually makes any impact. Director Robert Lorentz ( who have produced a lot of Clint Eastwood in the past ) deliver a film that will be appreciated by fans of Liam Neeson, but should have given us a stronger cartel portrait. If you don´t know what to watch this summer on VOD, then The Marksman should work, if you just want a simple action film, without any twists or turns. I hope one day to see Liam in an apocalyptic zombie film, something tells me he would be the perfect choice to wipe out a zombie army.

Rating: DDD