I went blind into this latest Liam Neeson flick, just knowing it was yet another in a long line of his action flicks. But at least it was gracious enough not to communicate its mediocrity by opening in January.

The (mistitled) flick stars Neeson as a money guy saddled with driving his kids to school. That’s when he gets a phone call… there’s a bomb on this bus… I mean in this car! If he doesn’t obey the mad bomber what bombs at midnight, the car explodes.

I ain’t got no excuse… I thoroughly enjoyed this flick. It’s not the usual late career Neeson flick. I figured he’d play his usual elder statesman lumbering badass character but it turns out he gets to actually act in this one. He’s not a man of action and he’s desperately afraid for his kids lives. Seeing Neeson sweat in one of these is remarkable unto itself.

I felt the tension and the suspense. I was intrigued to find out what the bomber wants and what manipulations he demands of Neeson next. There are a couple interesting twists where the commands took the movie in a slightly different direction than what I expected.

I was getting ready to give the flick an even higher, even more irrational score until the dud of a final act. It not only has significant plot holes but it gets too talky and too messy, especially in how they resolve the whole situation. It wasn’t nearly as taut as the first hour.

I think this is a different breed of one of these late career Neeson flicks. Better than it has any right to be and it allows Neeson to act… which is a little rare for these flicks. But I reserve the right to be wrong.

Score: 84