Liam Neeson's latest film is 'Taken'... but with snow
FILM REVIEW: COLD PURSUIT (15)
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CAST: LIAM NEESON, LAURA DERN, EMMY ROSSUM, TOM BATEMAN MICHEAL RICHARDSON, BENJAMIN HOLLINGSWORTH, ALEKS PAUNOVIC, MICHAEL EKLUND, BRADLEY STRYKER & WILLIAM FORSYTHE
RUNNING TIME: 1 HR 59 MINS
DIRECTOR: HANS PETTER MOLAND
Liam Neeson has a very familiar set of skills!
While Neeson was promoting his latest revenge thriller Cold Pursuit, he gave a very controversial interview – detailing his own experience of wanting to get back at somebody. With his comments gaining a lot of worldwide media attention, I wondered whether the extent of it would distract me while watching the movie.
Luckily, I was able to switch off the brain, push all the drama to the side – allowing me to give you an unbiased opinion on the film.
Directed by Hans Petter Moland, this is a loose remake of his own film Norwegian crime-drama In Order of Disappearance. It sees Nels Coxman (Neeson), a quiet family man and snowplow driver – revered as the man who keeps the roads clear and tourists coming into a resort town in the Rocky Mountains – go on the rampage after his son Kyle (Micheál Richardson) is murdered by local gangsters.
Fortunately Neeson has a very particular set of skills, which he uses to go after those responsible for his son’s death – one by one.
Sounds a little familiar, right? Yep, this is Taken but with added snow and a few more comedic touches.
Despite the similarities to Taken, this isn’t quite as good. That’s mostly due to the fact that not enough time was invested into many of the characters. Take the son for example – we barely see him on-screen before he’s killed. I didn’t care for that character being avenged, and therefore I wasn’t as invested in the movie as I could have been.
There are hints of what could have been a really stylish dark comedy – much in the same vein as the Coen Brothers’ Fargo.
Sadly, the film makers weren't quite brave enough to really own either the dark or light elements – giving us something right down the middle.
Which results in an instantly forgettable by-the-numbers movie that still manages to warm you up via Neeson’s always-reliable entertainment factor – and is still well worth pursuing.
Rating: 3.5/5
By Mikey Clarke
