I tried real hard to finish Liam Neeson’s latest clunker, “Memory,” but I just couldn’t. This is one of his most forgettable movies, and that’s saying something.
Much like every other Neeson vehicle since 2009, the screenplay in “Memory” is undercooked, flirting with, and sometimes attaining, banality with every twist that comes forth. The main gripe I have with many of these Neeson actioneers is that they all feel rushed — the good guys are underwritten and the bad guys are so overwritten that they come off as cartoonish.
“Memory” is just the latest in a series of really bad films that Irish-born actor has made. He used to be well-respected by his peers, with great performances in films such as “Schindler’s List,” “Kinsey,” “Husbands and Wives,” “Batman Begins,” “Michael Collins,” and “Excalibur.” However, Neeson had decided long ago that he was going down the lucrative direct-to-video path, an easy option at this stage in his career, and most definitely the most lucrative one.
Ever since “Taken,” the Irish-born actor has has basically recycled his formulaic brand of revenge-styled thrillers. In all, he’s starred in 15 action-revenge movies in the last 15 years. Of course, he had the time, amidst this chaotic schedule, to star in Martin Scorsese’s contemplatively artful “Silence,” but Neeson has turned into a bonafide easy pay-day conglomerate.
At this point, the “Taken” formula has been so severely overused that you don’t even need to know what a new Liam Neeson movie will look like — you just get what you pay for and in “Memory,” his fans will be getting exactly that.
If you remember, five years ago, Neeson claimed he was quitting the action genre. Then came “The Commuter,” “Cold Pursuit,” “Honest Thief” “The Marksman,” “The Ice Road,” “Blacklight” …
Of course, he has turned into a major draw in foreign countries, with his name being financially structured for overseas audiences, stretching from Asia to the Middle East. And that’s the issue that comes with being Liam Neeson these days. Because his audience stretches far beyond the States and into global territory, narrative risks must be replaced by what world audiences have come to expect from him: “Taken”-esque theatrics.
Honestly, if he wants to continue going down this path, then at least give me the wink-and-a-nod theatrics that director Jaume Collet-Sera is such an expert at bringing out in the actor (“Non-Stop,” “Unknown,” “Run All Night”).
Of course, we all know the rule: take these reactions with a grain of salt rather than treating them as gospel. Still, I will say that the film tested like gangbusters earlier this year, and Lionsgate clearly has confidence.