Respond to these rapid questions in our Honest Thief Quiz and we will tell you which Honest Thief character you are. Play it now.
A gritty action film with no frills and few thrills, “Honest Thief,” stars Liam Neeson as a man with a very specific set of skills, including safecracking and bombmaking, in a low-frills, low-thrills version of the kind of gritty action film that has defined the veteran actor’s late-stage career.
This type of film can be gripping and visceral, as in the first “Taken” film and the second “The Grey” film. They can be strained and flimsy, as in the third and fourth films, “Taken” and “Non-Stop,” respectively. The film “Honest Thief” falls somewhere in the middle of that range of quality. It is extremely mediocre, providing little to work with for its talented supporting cast other than car chases and superficial character development.
As he has throughout his career, Neeson is a rock in the middle of the action. Despite his advanced age, he takes everything seriously, including every gravelly threat and every gut punch. At 68, he’s an incredible physical specimen to behold, too. However, despite the fact that he gives his all, he does not receive much in return. In spite of the fact that it is perfectly serviceable and completely forgettable, “Honest Thief” contains a few amusing details that keep it from being a complete slog. Also, you will find out which character are you in this Honest Thief quiz.
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The premise, which comes from director and co-writer Mark Williams, who is also the co-creator of the television series “Ozark,” is intriguing enough. Neeson plays Tom Carter, a legendary bank robber known as the “In and Out Bandit,” in this action-packed film. (It’s a moniker he despises because it makes him sound haphazard, and he takes great pride in his accuracy.) Over the course of several years, Tom has stolen $9 million from 12 banks in seven different states. Upon entering the Boston storage facility where all of his loot will be stored, he immediately strikes up a conversation with the attractive, quick-witted woman behind the counter: Kate Walsh’s Annie, who works there to help pay for graduate school. A year later, they’re head over heels in love, and he’s so taken with her (pun intended) that he wants to leave the underworld and start over with her.
As a result, he makes an attempt to turn himself in and turn over all of the money to the FBI. Sure, he could have just dropped it off and started over with no one knowing who it was. Tom, on the other hand, is an honorable thief, and he hopes that by cooperating with the authorities, he will be granted a reduced sentence. As patient as he was in planning and carrying out all of his crimes, he is impatient to put them behind him and move on. Problem is, the old-school agents he calls in to help him (Jeffrey Donovan and Robert Patrick) aren’t convinced by his claims. They’ve been subjected to far too many fabricated confessions over the years. To lighten the mood, they send a couple of underlings, Jai Courtney, who enjoys stealing the limelight, and Anthony Ramos, who is underutilized, to pay him a visit at the hotel where he’s waiting for them. When Courtney’s Agent Nivens comes up with the brilliant idea that he and Agent Hall from Ramos should take the money for themselves, what should have been a straightforward transaction turns violent. Also, you must try to play this Honest Thief quiz.
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A compelling story involving characters who appear to be complicated and who travel in murky circles should be possible. However, because everything happens so quickly and with such little build-up of suspense, the numerous shady dealings and double-crosses that take place throughout “Honest Thief” don’t have the impact that they should have had. Courtney’s character is nothing more than a ruthless opportunist. Donovan provides some substance as the wisecracking, level-headed agent attempting to get to the bottom of the case, and there’s an amusing running gag involving the adorably scruffy dog he inherited from his ex-wife during their divorce that keeps the audience laughing. However, the bulk of the script, written by Williams and Steve Allrich, is comprised of generic car chases, fistfights, and shootouts, punctuated by an insistent, percussion-heavy score that serves as a backdrop.
Walsh’s character has a little more depth than the typical damsel in distress, and Neeson and Walsh have a good chemistry together on the screen (although the beating she suffers late in the game is gratuitously brutal). The pieces are in place for a more compelling film, which is why “Honest Thief” is such a disappointment. Nonetheless, we shouldn’t have to wait too long before seeing Neeson put his unique set of abilities to use in another film.
For the sake of full disclosure, it is felt necessary to state that this film was screened via link despite the fact that it is only available in theaters. The purpose of this review is not to encourage or dissuade anyone from attending a theatrical screening at the time specified in this review. It is a critical examination of the work itself for the benefit of future generations.
For more personality quizzes check this: Fantasy Island Quiz.
