Liam Neeson may have taken a sidestep into more comedic territory with The Naked Gun – which is currently back at the top of the Paramount+ streaming chart – but one of his previously panned action movies is now topping the Netflix as The Marksman is having a comeback four years after its original release.
Neeson has no shortage of action movies that frequent free and paid streaming charts, but The Marksman taps into another popular genre with a Western theme that strikes a chord with lovers of the output of Taylor Sheridan, which has completely revived movies and TV shows with a neo-Western flair. Directed by Robert Lorenz, The Marksman didn’t fare well with critics, but, as usual, was a winner with audiences.
The Marksman stars Neeson as Jim Hanson, a hardened Arizona rancher who has isolated himself from the world and just wants to be left alone. However, the former Marine is pulled into the lives of 11-year-old Miguel and his mother Rosa as they flee from ruthless drug cartel assassins. Hanson becomes responsible for Miguel following the death of the boy’s mother, and the pair set out on a deadly road trip with death following them every step of the way.
Liam Neeson has often failed to please critics with his action movies, with many being bored with the same kind of story being played out with different characters and a different setting – which, really, is just the way movies work. For what it is worth, the comments by critics for The Marksman are every bit as rehashed as the film’s plot, with several calling it a “movie of stereotypes that we have all seen before,” and others adding that Neeson delivers “the same stuff he always plays with enjoyable surface level action.”
Audiences Love Liam Neeson in ‘The Marksman’
While critics are always looking for something original and new, many audiences just want familiarity and movies where they know what they are getting when they sit down to watch it. For that reason, The Marksman’s poor 37% score from critics was countered with a much more impressive 83% rating from audiences.
The film was released in 2021, meaning that many did not see the film in theaters, but those who did were incredibly happy with what they saw. One review called it “unpredictable, raw, believable, and taut. Not a minute of fluff. Best movies I’ve seen from start to finish for a long time.” Another added that Neeson’s performance delivered “the smell of [Clint] Eastwood movies,” while a third called it a “massively underrated intense action movie that Neeson fans shouldn’t miss.”
Now The Marksman is hitting the target with its chart-topping assault on the Netflix chart. Having overtaken Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein to claim the number one spot, it is clear that Neeson still has it in the aged action hero stakes regardless of his constant threats that retirement is looming.
- Release Date
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January 15, 2021
- Runtime
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108 minutes
- Director
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Robert Lorenz
- Producers
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Tai Duncan, Warren T. Goz, Mark Williams, Eric Gold, Robert Lorenz