"Blacklight" Review
If you’ve seen a Liam Neeson action movie since he starred in Taken in 2008, you’ve seen Blacklight. It’s the same old, don’t let the wrinkles fool you, “this agent has forgotten more than you’ve learned kid” type of tale. Truth be told, I love these types of films. Give me my ninety minute running time, some snacks and I’m down for the ride. This, however, is a near two hours of Neeson phoning in his schtick and it’s barely worth a streaming watch.
Travis Block (Neeson) is a government operative who is ready to throw in the towel in search of a life where he can be a better grandpa. He wasn’t the best father to Helen (Yael Stone) and he wasn’t a good husband to her mother. While the chance at redemption is his focus, the recent death of political figure, Sofia Flores (Mel Jarnson), needs his attention. Travis has a best friend/former war buddy/handler of sorts with FBI director Gabriel Robinson (Aidan Quinn). Gabriel is the type of best friend that says he appreciates Travis making something happen only to call him his weapon later in the film. It’s the call me back in to the game that we’ve seen in films like “Fortress”, “Out of Death”, or “Survive the Game” that has been done better.
As the film moves along we’re introduced to Dusty Crane (Taylor John Smith). He’s the young operative that just might blow the “silent hand’s” cover. He must be stopped by Travis, but the closer that Travis gets to Dusty the more things aren’t as they seem. If Travis can’t help, who can? A journalist (Emmy Raver-Lapman) who is willing to tell the truth at all costs, that’s who!
So it goes. Can everyone survive long enough to get the truth out to the world? Sprinkling in some nice chase sequences and fight scenes, writer/director Mark Williams has a bland action film that could be background noise as you do the dishes. This one just isn’t interesting.
Rating: D
