IR HE Review: HONEST THIEF [Universal Studios Home Entertainment]
The aspect of Liam Neeson films, especially the ones dealing with action, involves retribution for something lost. That formula woks very well most of the time because there is motivation for what he does, a gravity and thereby the action or the reasoning does not feel empty. Audiences respond to that wholeheartedly. With "Honest Thief", it plays slightly different though some of the supporting characters, especially Jai Courtney as the baddie John Nivens, could have used a little more fleshing out. But the cast itself including an always underused Jeffrey Donovan makes the piece work. Here the story involves a bank thief (Neeson) who wants to turn over a new leaf since he found something new to live for: a lady. Kate Walsh fills that role admirably as Annie but she seems more purely like a plot machination though their progression and chemistry is believable and offers a romantic interest/integration that we haven't seen from Neeson in a while. While the progressions gets out of control within a certain amount of time, its structure doesn't try to make a bigger statement but simply shows a man looking to do a right thing after a life of wrong. The character's motivation for what he did before does have holes in it but Neeson tries to fill it in as best he can. Anthony Ramos gives a voice of reason in certain regards as Courtney's law enforcement partner though again the mechanizations don't work in his favor. Ultimately the resolution is what it is but it stays true to the character. The disc itself is bare bones with just the film and no behind the scenes perpective or commentary but the transfer is crisp. B-
By Tim Wassberg
