‘Cold Pursuit’ is intense, perverse and grisly

BY

We wonder how long it will take for bad guys to learn they can’t mess with Liam Neeson’s family. Yes, “Cold Pursuit” is yet another action-revenge-thriller requiring a “particular set of skills.” With Neeson now a Colorado snowplow driver, the movie tagline is “revenge is best served cold.”

The formula is similar to the “Taken” trilogy, except this is a remake of the 2014 Norwegian film “Kraftidioten” (translated “In Order of Disappearance”) directed by Hans Petter Moland, who returns to recreate this Americanized version. With a certified action star and a much larger budget, Moland makes the most of his opportunity.

Neeson is a master at leveraging righteous anger to mete out street justice to those so richly deserving. With so much contempt, cynicism and injustice in today’s world, the carnage and body count can be a guilty pleasure to watch. After all, nobody is killed that doesn’t deserve it, right? At times, the perverted logic, grisly deaths and quirky lady cop (Emmy Rossum) are reminiscent of the Coen brothers’ masterpiece, “Fargo” (1996).

Nels Coxman (Liam Neeson) is a quiet family man. He and wife Grace (Laura Dern) live in a comfortable cabin just outside the fictitious resort town of Kehoe. As a snowplow driver, Nels keeps the roads clear during the terrible winter storms. The town has just awarded him “Citizen of the Year” with a gala at their lodge.

When a powerful drug lord murders his son, Nels becomes obsessed with vengeance. The unlikely hero implements his wilderness skills to transform into a skilled assassin. With nothing to lose, he sets out to destroy the cartel, one thug at a time. In some ways, the movie is divided into about twelve chapters. With uncomfortable gallows humor, the grisly murders of the dirtiest dozen are graphically displayed.

Nels’ action inadvertently ignites a turf war between the maniacally impulsive mobster known as Viking (Tom Bateman) and a rival boss man White Bull (Tom Jackson). From this point, we’re introduced to sleazy characters known as Speedo, War Dog, Avalanche, Shiv and the Eskimo.

Nels is a man of few words, so as the rockin’ soundtrack plays “The Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult, he keeps a stiff upper lip and literally plows through his problems. He devises a unique method of disposing the bodies based on cheap crime novels. This superhero doesn’t save the universe, just settles the score at a local level.

The filmmakers wanted to film in gorgeous Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, but the Canadian government objected to their portrayal of an aboriginal Canadian. Production was moved just outside the park to Fortress Mountain and Cranbrook. The town exteriors were filmed in Fernie and inside resort scenes filmed at the Empress Hotel on beautiful Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Spoiler alert: Justice will be served in one final spectacular confrontation that leaves almost no one unscathed. The 66-year-old Neeson has announced this will be his last action movie. Given his age, we guess he will hang ’em up for at least another year.

“Cold Pursuit” is 118 minutes and rated R for strong violence, drug material and language, including sexual references. Sure, we’ve seen this story before, but if you enjoy watching Neeson kicking some serious butt, you came to the right place. However, please note this one is intense, perverse and sometimes just a grisly bloodbath.

The film includes absurd heroics of an everyman somehow performing as a special ops commando. He executes with a dark sense of humor using a cadre of heavy machinery. The film opens with a quote from Oscar Wilde, “Some cause happiness wherever they go and some cause happiness whenever they go.” It sounds great, but we’re not sure how that applies to this story. We’re also not sure how to truly justify watching a Liam Neeson revenge thriller.

Ron’s Rating: B
Leigh’s Rating: D