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Thug: Were you born without a filter?
An aging gangster tries to reconnect with his children and right the wrongs of his past, but the criminal underworld doesn’t like to loosen their grip. Liam Neeson started boxing at the age of 9 and boxed amateurly until he was 17. Liam Neeson’s character is diagnosed with CTE by a doctor. A definitive diagnosis of CTE can only be made by examining brain tissue after a person’s death. This diagnosis should have been a presumption with other options and possible treatment.
Sources Jurassic Park (1993)
Or is it something you had to work on? Lucky Number Written by Lene Lovich, Les Chappell (as Leslie Chappell) Performed by Lene Lovich Licensed by Oval Music and Oval Sounds (PRS). On the surface, "Absolution" seems like a mash-up of every Liam Neeson film released in the last five years; The plot feels particularly familiar: IMDb describes it as the story of “an aging gangster trying to reconnect with his children and right the wrongs of his past, but the criminal underworld won’t loosen its grip on them willingly.” If that doesn’t sound like classic Neeson territory, I don’t know what will. He’s once again a jaded, jaded man who’s seen too much, done too much, and now wants to make amends. There’s the tense backdrop of the criminal underworld, the looming specter of revenge, and a narrative that digs into the bruises and broken relationships left behind by his violent past.
In “Absolution,” Neeson’s character is no longer the invincible force audiences might expect
Add to that the fact that Neeson’s character is dealing with dementia-like symptoms, and you’d be forgiven for thinking “Absolution” is a spiritual successor to 2023’s “Memories.” The difference is that unlike some of Neeson’s previous action-packed roles, “Absolution” takes a different approach – instead of focusing on shootouts and chase scenes, this film leans on the emotional weight of Neeson’s character. It’s less about the physical battles and more about the inner struggle of a man haunted by his own heritage. It’s as if Neeson’s typical action hero persona has aged with him, evolving from a man who solves problems with his fists to a man who faces the intangible scars he’s inflicted over the years. Neeson isn’t just a man with “a certain set of skills” this time; he’s a man haunted by regret, desperately seeking redemption. And while the settings may be familiar, "Absolution" strives to explore the emotional depths of his character, adding layers of introspection that set it apart from his recent action roles.
Someone gets punched, maybe shot, maybe stabbed – and then it’s over
He is vulnerable, flawed, and forced to reckon with the pain he has caused others, especially his own family. This is not just another story of revenge – it is a story of confronting the past and the possible impossibility of true redemption when the damage is so deep. I can’t stress this enough – "Absolution" is not an action movie, even though the trailer would have you believe it is. There are about sixty (60) seconds of total action in this film, and all of it is fast, precise, and not meandering. Every moment of violence is brief, deliberate, and almost startling in its suddenness.
And you know what?
And for some, that can be shocking. After all, Neeson has made a career out of playing a tough-as-nails man who is as quick with his fists as he is with a trigger. "Absolution" takes a step back and focuses on the man instead of the action. It worked for me.