It’s been a while since starLiam Neesoncould be counted on to deliver the goods every time you’d see his face on an action movie poster. But these days, he’s been having more difficulty at the box office than he used to. His last film,Ice Road: Vengeance, was only given a token theatrical release. The ones before that — films such asThe Marksman,Absolution,Retribution, andMemory— also got lost in oblivion. But among these action vehicles was an anomaly, the period noirMarlowe. Neeson playedthe iconic detective Philip Marlowein the film, which tanked at the box office and with critics, but iswitnessing something of a resurgence on streaming.
Directed byNeil Jordanand co-written byThe Departed’sWilliam Monahan,Marlowewasthe eighth-most-watched movie on HBO Maxon July 27. It outperformedThe NorthmanandFinal Destination 2, accumulating a total of 115 points.Marloweholds a disappointing 25% score on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, where the critics' consensus reads, “Liam Neeson isn’t necessarily a bad fit for the classic character, butMarlowefails to make a case for itself as either a worthwhile franchise extension or a fun mystery in its own right.”
The film’s audience score is just as uninspiring, at 37%. However, Collider’sErick Massotowrotein his reviewthat “Neeson’s performance is compelling enough to keep you interested, even though as the case unfolds you realize that it’s going in a pretty obvious direction.” Marlowe also featuredDiane Kruger,Alan Cumming,Danny Huston,Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, andJessica Lange.Created byRaymond Chandler, the private detective was perhaps most famously played byHumphrey Bogartin the classic filmThe Big Sleep, and byRobert Mitchumin a couple of movies in the 1970s.
‘The Naked Gun’ Is Set to Debut this Week
Neeson will next star in the hotly anticipated rebootThe Naked Gun. The movie is poised to become his first bona fide hit since 2018’sThe Commuter. Directed byAkiva Schafferfrom The Lonely Island, a comedy music group that also includesAndy SambergandJorma Taccone, the film also featuresPamela AndersonandPaul Walter Hauser.The Naked Gunwill be released theatrically on August 1. you’re able to watchMarloweon HBO Max in Central America and South America, and on Prime Video in the United States.
