Starring: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris, Joel Kinnaman, Génesis Rodríguez, Common
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Genre: Action
Running time: 114 minutes
Now showing at Century Cinemax, Acacia Mall, Kisementi and Cinema Magic, Metroplex Mall, Naalya
“Tell everyone to get ready, Jimmy is coming.” This line alone in the Run All Night trailer got my blood pumping. Delivered by Ed Harris as Irish mob boss, Shawn Maguire, it is said in reference to Neeson’s character Jimmy Conlon, so you get my excitement – even the mob boss gives this guy his props.
Maguire is telling everyone to get ready because of their son’s issues. That is after Jimmy’s son Michael witnesses Maguire’s son Danny kill someone. Danny comes after him. But Jimmy intervenes in a way that gets the Maguire family singing that Danny Boy song Irish mob movies have made us familiar with. Did I mention that Jimmy was once the mob’s hitman? Since there is honour among the mob members albeit former ones, Maguire has a sit down with Jimmy, outlining what he has in store for his son, and that all it’s going to take is a night. Jimmy goes into protector mood, trying to keep his son and his son’s family out of harm’s way, in a way that gets a lot of people running all night.
If you have watched your share of mobster movies, this sounds like a familiar plot. Factor in Neeson playing a father protecting his child and you might be quick to disregard the movie as predictable. Despite what seems like an obvious plot, the delivery makes for an entertaining mix.
Shawn and Jimmy’s relationship, which is that of bossom buddies pitted against Jimmy and Michael’s, which is that of a son who wants nothing to do with his father, makes it interesting. Jaume Collet-Serra has worked with Neeson on two other movies –Unknown and Non-Stop, so he knows how to best utilise his star power, which he does beautifully.
For the action lovers, especially if you are also a fan of Neeson circa Schindler’s List and the first Taken movie, you will enjoy it. Some fans have joked that this, too, will become a franchise with titles like Run All Day, Run All Week… but that’s just woloks.
