Liam Neeson at his best in ‘Tombstones’

  • By Robert Horton Herald Movie Critic
  • Wednesday, September 17, 2014 11:35am
  • LifeGo-See-Do

There’s always been a tradition of comedians employing their own writers to add jokes to a screenplay; it’s a way of tailoring the material to their personalities.

Why couldn’t an action hero do the same thing?

I found myself wondering this while watching “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” the new one with Liam Neeson. Ever since 2008’s “Taken,” Neeson has been reborn as a tough-talking, rock-fisted avenger.

Given that run of pictures, he could easily employ a writer who has only one job: authoring the terse, no-nonsense lines Neeson breathes into the phone as he lets the bad guys know how futile their continued existence is. “I will find you, and I will kill you,” etc.

“Tombstones” has a couple of those moments, and they’re choice. The movie itself is a cut above Neeson’s pulpier outings, and operates in a very traditional private-eye groove.

It’s based on a novel by Lawrence Block, the prolific crime writer, and features Block’s private detective Matt Scudder. Neeson fits the role just fine, catching the weariness and desperation that sits with the character’s competence.

The story’s a tangled and frequently unpleasant spin through some kidnappings that target drug kingpins. Scudder is hired by a dealer (Dan Stevens, also in “The Guest” this week) to find the freaks who kidnapped and killed his wife.

I wasn’t crazy about the adolescent sidekick (Brian “Astro” Bradley) Scudder takes on, and at times the film is so old-fashioned it groans. Every reference to Scudder being slow to embrace cell phones or computers (the story’s set in 1999) sounds warmed over.

The two villains (David Harbour and Adam David Thompson) are so hopped-up on their own weirdness, they seem like escapees from a “Lethal Weapon” picture. This really is the ’90s.

Despite some miscues, the film is gratifying in certain basic ways. Writer-director Scott Frank, who did the screenplay adaptations for “Out of Sight” and “Minority Report,” clearly has respect for the genre, and he hasn’t made Scudder a superhero (a carryover from Block’s literary character is that Scudder is a recovering alcoholic, a point that plays a role in the storytelling).

Which means Neeson has only a couple of brawls and some minor chases. But when he breathes his warnings into the telephone, he earns his hazard pay, and then some.

“A Walk Among the Tombstones” (3 stars)

A very traditional private-eye picture, with Liam Neeson as Lawrence Block’s long-running literary hero Matt Scudder. The frequently unpleasant plot revolves around a couple of insane kidnappers, and although director Scott Frank makes some miscues, the overall result is intense.

Rating: R, for violence, language, nudity

Showing: Alderwood Mall, Cinebarre Mountlake Terrace,

Everett Stadium, Galaxy Monroe, Marysville, Oak Tree, Pacific Place, Seven Gables,

Woodinville, Cascade Mall

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Inside Elle Marie Hair Studio in Smokey Point. (Provided by Acacia Delzer)
The best hair salon in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied. Here are the results.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.