On TV Tonight: This Vigilante Thriller Starring Liam Neeson Was Never Released in Theaters

Liam Neeson is the veteran

The Veteran directed by Robert Lorenz and released in 2021, once again highlights Liam Neeson in the role of a lone man, willing to do anything to protect the innocent. This action thriller, although it benefits from the notoriety of its lead actor, it did not have the success hoped for. It has never been shown in French cinemas and was offered directly on VOD in 2022, reflecting the film’s mixed reception.

In The VeteranLiam Neeson plays Jim Hanson, a former U.S. Marine sniper living on the Arizona-Mexico border. Hanson, consumed by the loss of his wife and financial hardship, spends his days patrolling his land along the border. His life changes when he meets a Mexican mother and her young son.Miguel, on the run from a drug cartel that wants to eliminate them. His mother, seriously injured, entrusts her son to Jim before dying, asking him to protect him at all costs.

Faced with the imminent threat of the cartel assassins, Jim decides to take Miguel to safety, away from the border. What follows is a long chase in which Jim uses his military skills to foil the assassins’ attempts to reach them. The film, mixing action, drama and survival, offers a tense but fairly linear plot, built around the dynamic between Jim and Miguel, two characters from totally opposite worlds, but united by circumstance.

A familiar role for Liam Neeson

From the worldwide success of Taken In 2008, Liam Neeson established himself as one of the essential faces of the action thriller genre, often playing lonely, elderly characters. but still formidable. The Veteran is no exception, with a plot that leverages this image of a skilled man capable of protecting the weakest at all costs. This type of role has allowed Neeson to maintain a solid career in action cinema, but some critics point out the redundancy of these characters, who resemble each other from one film to another.

In The VeteranNeeson plays a character who is both disillusioned and protective, combining classic elements of his previous performances. Although he manages to infuse emotion into his performance, the scenario remains predictablewhich may have limited the film’s impact on viewers and critics. The lack of surprises in the plot and the lack of renewal in Neeson’s style contributed to the film’s lukewarm reception.

A worldwide box office failure

Financially, The Veteran had a hard time establishing itself. The film, with an estimated budget of between $23 and $29 million, grossed only $23 million global box officemaking it a financial failure. These modest results, well below expectations, reflect in particular a limited interest in the film outside the United States. The choice not to go out The Veteran in French theaters, and favoring the release on VOD, also demonstrates that distributors had not expected a strong demand for this thriller.

In the United States, The Veteran was released in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which largely affected its theatrical performance. However, even taking these circumstances into account, the film failed to generate the kind of buzz that other Neeson films have in the past.

Source: Cine Serie

Ray

Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.