The Marksman (2021 film) explained

The Marksman
Director:Robert Lorenz
Music:Sean Callery
Cinematography:Mark Patten
Editing:Luis Carballar
Runtime:108 minutes[1]
Country:United States
Language:English
Budget:$23–30 million[2]
Gross:$23.9 million[3] [4]

The Marksman is a 2021 American action drama film[5] directed by Robert Lorenz. The plot follows a rancher and former Marine (Liam Neeson), living in an Arizona border town, who must help a young boy (Jacob Perez) escape a Mexican drug cartel. Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba, and Teresa Ruiz also star.

The film was theatrically released in the United States on January 15, 2021, by Open Road Films and Briarcliff Entertainment. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Neeson's performance but criticized the film as being formulaic.

Plot

Former US Marine Corps Scout Sniper and Vietnam War veteran Jim Hanson, a widower, lives along the Arizona-Mexico border with his dog, Jackson. While tending his ranch, which he is behind in payments on, he reports illegal border crossings to the United States Border Patrol, where his step-daughter Sarah works. One day he encounters Rosa and her son Miguel, Mexican citizens fleeing from the Mexican Mafia.[6] As Hanson calls border patrol, a cartel gang led by Mauricio approaches and a shootout ensues, in which Hanson shoots and kills Mauricio's brother and Rosa is fatally wounded. Before dying, Rosa gives Hanson her family's address in Chicago and a bag of cash, begging him to take Miguel there, to which Hanson reluctantly agrees.

Border patrol show up after her death and take in Miguel. One of the cartel members comes in and claims that he's a relative of Miguel. Hanson happens to see their car there and sneaks Miguel out to go to safety. Meanwhile the gang bribe corrupt patrol officers to gain entry to the United States, and conduct their own manhunt in search for Miguel.

After Hanson uses his credit card to repair his truck, Mauricio tracks the pair to Route 66 in Oklahoma. However their road journey is interrupted when a patrol officer pulls them over and instructs Hanson into his squad car using an apparent cover story. The officer then telephones the gang in order to turn in Miguel, in which Hanson becomes suspicious. Knowing that the cop is corrupt, Hanson confronts him and a struggle ensues. Hanson and Miguel flee to a nearby hill, where they witness the gang cartel arrive and roughly question the officer (who awoke from unconsciousness), then shoot him dead.

Hanson and Miguel continue to make their way north. While staying at a motel, Hanson bribes the receptionist to not register him and Miguel as guests before the cartel shows up and during the escape, they kill Jackson. The patch on the truck's radiator fails while attempting to get away from the cartel and they are forced to stop. Eventually, Mauricio and his men catch up to Hanson and a firefight breaks out on a nearby farm. Hanson manages to kill three of the cartel members, but Mauricio captures Miguel.

After a skirmish, Hanson is stabbed but seriously wounds Mauricio with a gunshot. Hanson offers him a coup de grâce leaving a single bullet in his gun or a choice to shoot Hanson. As Hanson and Miguel leave the farm, they hear a gunshot, indicating that Mauricio chose to commit suicide.

The pair eventually reach Miguel's family in Chicago and drop him off at his family's home. The film ends with Hanson, still wounded from earlier, getting on a bus and closing his eyes.

Cast

Production

The project, originally titled The Minuteman, was announced in May 2019, with Liam Neeson set to star.[7] [8] [9] [10] In September 2019, it was announced that Winnick and Raba joined the cast of the film.[11] [12] [13]

Principal photography occurred in Lorain County,[14] Portage County,[15] [16] and Chardon, Ohio.[17] Filming also occurred in New Mexico,[18] [19] and wrapped in October 2019.[20]

Release

The Marksman was initially scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on January 22, 2021, but was later moved up a week to January 15.[21]

Reception

Box office

The Marksman grossed $15.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $8.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide of $23.9 million.[3]

The film grossed $3.7 million over the four-day MLK opening weekend, the second Open Road/Neeson title to top the box office during the COVID-19 pandemic after Honest Thief the previous October. The film played best in the South, with men making up 57% of the audience, and 72% being over the age of 25.[22] It remained in first the following weekend with $2.03 million, then made $1.2 million in its third weekend and finished third.[23] [24]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 39% based on 108 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "The Marksman benefits from having Liam Neeson in the lead, but this formulaic action thriller should have aimed higher."[25] On Metacritic, it holds a weighted average score of 44 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[26] Audiences surveyed by PostTrak gave the film a 73% positive score, with 46% saying they would definitely recommend it.

Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times wrote: "Predictable to a fault, the movie coasts pleasurably on Neeson's seasoned, sad-sweet charisma."[27] Michael O'Sullivan at The Washington Post rated the film 2/4 stars, writing that it "proves itself to be the cinematic version of comfort food: satisfyingly familiar but full of starch and empty calories."[28]

Owen Gleiberman at Variety, gave a more negative review, stating "Lorenz stages the action with a convincing ebb and flow, but thanks to an undercooked script what happens in between is mostly boilerplate."[29] David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a C− and wrote "...The Marksman might be two three-ways short of The Mule, but almost everything about it — from its 'get off my lawn' misanthropy to its general take on the uselessness of government in American life — feels geared for a late-career Eastwood vehicle."[30]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Marksman. British Board of Film Classification.
  2. Web site: Liam Neeson Is the Secret Weapon for Getting People Into Movie Theaters. Wall Street Journal. John. Jurgensen. January 25, 2021. February 16, 2021.
  3. Web site: The Marksman (2021). The Numbers. September 24, 2021.
  4. Web site: The Marksman (2021). Box Office Mojo. September 24, 2021.
  5. Web site: The Marksman. British Board of Film Classification. THE MARKSMAN is a US action drama film in which a rancher goes on the run with a young boy in order to protect him from cartel assassins..
  6. Web site: April 14, 2021. 'The Marksman' Summary & Ending, Explained - Dry As Dust DMT. April 14, 2021. Digital Mafia Talkies. en-US.
  7. Web site: McNary. Dave. Liam Neeson to Star in Action-Thriller 'The Minuteman'. May 9, 2019. Variety. November 14, 2020.
  8. Web site: Grate. Jake. Liam Neeson to star in new action-thriller 'The Minuteman,' months after racism controversy. May 10, 2019. Fox News. November 14, 2020.
  9. Web site: White. James. Liam Neeson Starring In Action Thriller The Minuteman. May 9, 2019. Empire. November 14, 2020.
  10. Web site: Scandal-plagued Liam Neeson cast in action thriller 'The Minuteman'. May 12, 2019. Edmonton Journal. November 14, 2020.
  11. Web site: Hipes. Patrick. 'The Minuteman': Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba Join Liam Neeson Action Thriller. September 3, 2019. Deadline Hollywood. November 14, 2020.
  12. Web site: Hermanns. Grant. Liam Neeson's The Minuteman Adds Katheryn Winnick & Juan Pablo Raba. September 4, 2019. Comingsoon.net. November 14, 2020.
  13. Web site: Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba Will Star With Liam Neeson in THE MINUTEMAN. September 3, 2019. BroadwayWorld. November 14, 2020.
  14. Web site: Haidet. Ryan. Liam Neeson 'Minuteman' movie filming in Lorain County: Here's where the action is taking place. October 10, 2019. WKYC. November 14, 2020.
  15. Web site: Anderson. Natasha. Caught on camera: Liam Neeson filming new movie in Portage County. October 2, 2019. WJW (TV). November 14, 2020.
  16. Web site: Liam Neeson spotted in Portage County filming 'The Minuteman'. October 2, 2019. Akron Beacon Journal. November 14, 2020. November 16, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201116050332/https://www.beaconjournal.com/news/20191002/liam-neeson-spotted-in-portage-county-filming-the-minuteman. dead.
  17. Web site: Balish. Paula. Liam Neeson Shoots Scene In Chardon For Upcoming Movie. September 25, 2019. WNCX. November 14, 2020. November 16, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201116124039/https://wncx.radio.com/blogs/paula-balish/liam-neeson-shoots-scene-chardon-upcoming-movie. dead.
  18. Web site: Naquin. Talia. Want to be in a movie with Liam Neeson? 'The Minuteman' is filming in Cleveland and looking for actors. August 28, 2019. WJW (TV). November 14, 2020.
  19. Web site: 'The Minutemen' starring Liam Neeson to begin filming in New Mexico. September 9, 2019. KRQE. November 14, 2020.
  20. Web site: Morona. Joey. Liam Neeson's 'The Minuteman' wrapping up production in Cleveland. October 22, 2019. Cleveland.com. November 14, 2020.
  21. Web site: D'Alessandro. Anthony. 'The Marksman': Liam Neeson Action Pic Sets Sights On MLK Weekend . December 17, 2020. Deadline Hollywood. December 17, 2020.
  22. Web site: D'Alessandro . Anthony . January 17, 2021 . Open Road's Liam Neeson Pic 'The Marksman' Takes $3.7M At MLK Weekend Box Office . . January 17, 2021 .
  23. Web site: D'Alessandro . Anthony . January 24, 2021 . 'The Marksman' Stays On Target As No. 1 In Pandemic As Major Studios Pull Product From Q1 . . January 24, 2021 .
  24. Web site: D'Alessandro . Anthony . January 31, 2021 . Denzel Washington & Rami Malek Thriller 'The Little Things' Counts $4.8M Debut, Best For Older Guy Fare During Pandemic B.O. . . January 31, 2021 .
  25. Web site: The Marksman (2021). November 10, 2022. Rotten Tomatoes.
  26. Web site: The Marksman Reviews . . . April 1, 2021 .
  27. News: Catsoulis. Jeannette. January 14, 2021. 'The Marksman' Review: In Need of a Mission. en-US. The New York Times. March 9, 2021. 0362-4331.
  28. News: O'Sullivan. Michael. Review Liam Neeson shoots bad guys, charms audience in the middlebrow 'The Marksman'. The Washington Post. March 9, 2021. 0190-8286.
  29. Web site: Gleiberman. Owen. January 12, 2021. 'The Marksman' Review: Liam Neeson Saves a Mexican Boy From Cartel Slaughter in a Feel-Good Action Road Movie. March 9, 2021. Variety.
  30. News: January 12, 2021. Ehrlich. David. 'The Marksman' Review: Liam Neeson Goes Full Clint Eastwood in a Redbox-Ready Action Movie. January 12, 2021. .