Neeson at his best

ACTION/REVENGE STAKES: PROFESSIONAL THIEF’S PLAN TO COME CLEAN STUMPED PED Federal agents double-cross him and he must take back control from them.

Liam Neeson returns to the genre for which he is best loved, showing his true mettle once again in the action/revenge stakes.

In Honest Thief his character, Tom Carter, is a professional bank robber who over the years has amassed a huge fortune, something like $9 million (about R140 million).

His speciality is cracking safes and he is very good at his job. He works alone and stays just under the radar of the law. He is a former Marine and an expert in explosives and knows just how to blow up things.

Then he meets a woman, Annie, (Kate Walsh of Grey’s Anatomy fame), falls madly in love and decides he needs to tell her the truth about his past life. He decides to turn himself in to the authorities and wants to live an honest life. He wants to cut a deal by returning the stolen money.

It’s not that easy, as Tom discovers, because the Federal agents he is dealing with, played with relentless energy by Australian actor Jai Courtney and Anthony Ramos, are far more corrupt than he is.

As the tense narrative unfolds, and the men steal his money and try to frame him for a murder, the plot navigates familiar Neeson territory. It’s revenge time as Tom intends getting his life back, protecting the woman he loves, and exacting revenge on the two rogue agents.

A chase story of this nature is, understandably, not entirely free from clichés and shortcomings, but director Mark Williams expertly papers over this with an engrossing, well orchestrated story thrust that embraces car chases and shootouts and other well-worn devices utilised in keeping the revs up.

The key to the production is, of course, Neeson and his charismatic screen persona. When he is on the hunt there is no doubt in your mind he will succeed.

Walsh has far less screen time but is a commanding entity, while the baddies manage to hold their own in the action sequences.

Honest Thief, an oxymoron, provides a wonderfully entertaining diversion at this time amid Covid-19 and the American elections.