RUN ALL NIGHT (2015)

Mobster and hit man Jimmy Conlon has one night to figure out where his loyalties lie: with his estranged son, Mike, whose life is in danger, or his longtime best friend, mob boss Shawn Maguire, who wants Mike to pay for the death of his own son.

Putting Liam Neeson (Jimmy Conlon) and Ed Harris (Shawn Maguire) into the same movie has to be entertaining – and this was an entertaining movie even if somewhat predictable. The premise was good – Jimmy shoots Shawn’s son to protect his own estranged son. Then Shawn wants to kill Jimmy’s son in revenge. Jimmy wants to protect his son from Shawn and the rest of the movie is about the rest of the night with a deadly chase on.  (Did you follow that? The rest of the plot is no less convoluted!) Neeson is his usual self, playing (again) a man who has a history of violence, which he’s left behind, being forced to use his skills to protect someone. It’s a common plot line but the relationship between the two main protagonists adds a nice dimension to the story.  And Ed Harris, looking aged and rugged, brings an emotional intensity to his role. It’s fast paced and violent with no great depth. But it’s a slight cut above Neeson’s TAKEN movies.