Over the past eight years, Tom Dolan (Liam Neeson) has robbed twelve banks across seven states, stealing over nine million dollars. But Tom’s life changed when he met Annie Wilkins (Kate Walsh), an attendant at a self-storage facility in Boston. For the following year, Tom played it straight, remaining out of the business. Now he’s ready to come clean and do his time so that he can spend the rest of his life with Annie. When he calls the FBI to turn himself in, Special Agents Samuel Baker (Robert Patrick) and Sean Meyers (Jeffrey Donovan) don’t believe him—they’ve gotten too many crank calls and confessions from people claiming to be the “In-and-Out Bandit” (a nickname Tom’s not too fond of). The Feds assign younger agents John Nivens (Jai Courtney) and Ramon Hall (Anthony Ramos) to investigate Tom’s claim. They, too, have their doubts, but when Tom shows them the money, they know he’s for real. However, Nivens decides to keep the cash for his personal retirement instead of granting Tom a plea deal, and drags his partner into his seedy plan. When things take a deadly turn, Nivens decides to pin everything on Tom, and eliminate any potential witnesses, which includes Annie. But Nivens is unaware that Tom has a particular set of skills—he is an ex marine who specialized in explosives—and that Tom will use everything in his power to clear his name and protect those he loves.
Liam Neeson seems to be typecast in the same role over and over again—a wronged guy out for revenge against those who intend to harm his loved ones. Though, I can’t really fault him for taking on this same role over and over again—he plays it so well, and I will likely watch every one of these films that he makes. While Honest Thief may not be a completely new and original idea, I still found the film to be very satisfying and entertaining. Tom is angry and out for revenge, but unlike Taken where Neeson’s Bryan Mills becomes more of a cold-blooded killer, Tom is a bank robber, not a murderer, and his love for Annie has given him a much softer side. While he will do anything to protect and save Annie, flat out murder really isn’t on the table, which helps to keep the film a little more grounded (though it certainly goes a bit over-the-top at times…in a ridiculously fun way).
Neeson and Walsh have excellent on-screen chemistry and really do feel like they could be a real couple in love. While the film skips over the one-year courtship between the couple, their meet-cute ends up being enough to cement the relationship, and it doesn’t feel like a huge stretch when they are still together after the one year time jump. If there’s one character that feels a bit one-dimensional and like a cartoon villain, it’s Jai Courtney’s Nivens. He’s a bit over-the-top and one-note bad cop, who makes lots of obvious mistakes in his greedy pursuit. The other characters are a little more developed. His partner, Hall, has a wife and newborn twins at home, and so he has this inner conflict between providing for his family, but also setting a good example for his children. He is dragged into this horrible situation by his partner without giving him a chance to make up his own mind. And Jeffrey Donovan’s Meyers is also given a bit of a backstory—he recently split with his wife, and all he ended up with in the divorce was their dog, Tazzie. There’s some levity inserted into the film as he’s always traveling around with this dog. Meyers may be Tom’s only hope of clearing his name, but due to his own personal situation, Myers finds it hard to understand why Tom would be willing to give up all his money for a woman.
Honest Thief is much more of a character drama when compared to Neeson’s typical bloody revenge films, but the film does have several big action sequences. I quite enjoyed this blend, as it becomes more of a love story at its core, and this is Tom’s motivation, rather than pure bloodthirst. This makes it easier for the viewer to connect with Tom and root for him, rather than just an a guy out for revenge, blowing away endless bad guys.
Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great. The picture is clean, with a nice level of detail throughout, whether it’s fast-paced car chases through the streets of Boston, or just people having discussions in hotel rooms. The audio track provides clear dialogue, and is well-utilized to provide ambiance and add to the on-screen action. As the film opens, there is some nice use of the surround channel as overlapping news reports of the In-and-Out Bandit’s exploits come from every direction. The Blu-ray and DVD discs come packed in either side of a standard HD keepcase with a slipcover. The release includes a slip with redemption instructions for an HD Movies Anywhere-compatible digital copy of the film on one side, plus a bonus Universal All-Access Rewards points code on the other side, which can be used for a free digital movie or towards other rewards. Unfortunately this is a barebones release, with no bonus material on either disc or the digital copy.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:39:25)
-
Blu-ray:
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service)
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
- 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service)
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
- HD digital copy redeemable via Movies Anywhere or Vudu
- Universal All-Access Rewards Code (Offer may not be valid after 12/31/2025)
Code can be redeemed for points towards a free digital movie or other items in the new Universal All-Access Rewards program. The selection of free digital titles changes every two months and, as of December 1, include Larry Crowne, Closed Circuit, The Adjustment Bureau, Battleship, and American Reunion.
DVD:
Digital (code may not be valid after 12/31/2021):
Extras:
There is no bonus material included on either disc or digital.
Final Thoughts:
Honest Thief is your typical Liam Neeson guy out for revenge action flick, though with a little more heart and character drama and a lot less carnage. Neeson always plays these kinds of roles really well, and I quite enjoyed this latest effort. Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, but unfortunately is bare-bones and doesn’t include any bonus material except for the digital copy of the film. The release still comes recommended based on the entertainment value of the film itself.
