72 year old irish actor Liam Neeson He is known worldwide for his roles in action films, particularly taken An epic, where he must relentlessly rescue a loved one who has been taken from him by criminals. However, his extensive film career also includes some dramatic works, such as his distinguished role in Schindler's Listromantic comedy including True love As a recent widower, even musicals like Les Miserables He plays the role of the soft-hearted prisoner Jean Valjean.
But what Neeson isn’t known for is Westerns. While the versatile actor has dabbled in many genres, he’s not necessarily known for starring in Westerns, though he has appeared in a few. The exceptions can be counted on one hand: Seraphim Falls (2006), A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014), Buster Scruggs poem (2018), The shooter (2021), In the land of saints and sinners (2023). The Marsquaman It's arguably the best on this list (since it takes the lead role) but it's probably the most divisive.
The Marksman is a high-stakes modern Western.
in The shooterLiam Neeson plays Jim Hanson, a retired Marine now working on a ranch and reporting on illegal border crossings across the Mexican border to his stepdaughter Sarah (Katheryn Winnick). However, he meets a Mexican mother, Rosa (Teresa Ruiz), and her child (Jacob Perez), who are being pursued by a drug cartel member. Unfortunately, Rosa is killed in a shootout before his eyes, and they attempt to escape. Jim left with her baby.In her dying breath, Rosa begs Jim to bring Miguel to her family in Chicago and give him all her money.
There are twists and turns, but Jim eventually manages to take Miguel home. The second part of the story sees them go to Chicago. During their dangerous road trip, the man and the child form a bond. Miguel finds comfort in the older man he's been stuck with, and Jim merely teaches the boy a few things, including how to shoot a gun. Meanwhile, they're being pursued relentlessly by a psychopathic gang leader, Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba). He's out to kidnap the child and exact his revenge.
The Marksman is loved by the audience.
The shooter He is a very effective westerner.Jim realizes he has a mission to accomplish based on the wishes of a dying mother, and he will do anything, including risking his life, to achieve it—no matter how reluctant he may be at times, thus following the values of a Western protagonist. Neeson's wise, sad, or worried facial expressions work perfectly for the character he plays, and he displays a very emotional on-screen chemistry with Perez.
Stylistically, the cinematography often respects the golden ratio and plays with what is shown versus what is hidden from the screen, thus cleverly managing suspense. Through the road trip, the viewer is transported from the desert of the Mexican border to the forests, mountains and finally to the cities, with great care taken in choosing the locations. These are the rules that make a great Western, and Robert Lorenz is one of those contemporary directors who prove once again that the Western is not a dead genre.
The Marksman was panned by critics.
The shooter Certainly not the movie of the decade, but critics have praised it highly. The film has a 38% Tomatometer (trusted critics) rating versus an 83% Popcornmeter (general audience reviews) rating on review aggregator platform Rotten Tomatoes. According to critics, the only positive aspect of the film is that it is a good Liam Neeson film that is worth watching. When one is in the mood to watch the actor and has exhausted everything taken Epic, as the actor's performance never fails.
But they found the plot basic and predictable and the ending unsatisfying. There clearly can't be anything new about ex-Marines, the Mexican border, and drug cartels. Jim and Miguel face the expected obstacles on their way to Chicago, and the evil gang leader acts in a terribly one-dimensional manner: cruel and psychotic for no real reason. The Marsquaman It has been compared to an undercooked version from 2018. The mulewhich was similarly panned as a bad Clint Eastwood film but was well received by audiences.
The shooter This film is a perfect example of a modern movie that reuses classic genre codes to turn them into an exciting and complex story – although professional critics found it long and predictable. But ultimately, Whether or not a movie is good is up to the individual viewer.Fortunately, The shooter It just hit the streaming platform Tubi, and it's completely free to watch with ads. So why not check it out and have your say? The shooter It is currently streaming on Tubi.