Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Hans Petter Moland, StudioCanal, MA, 119 Minutes.
This revenge thriller remake of a 2014 Norwegian movie titled ‘In Order of Disappearance’ is again directed by Hans Petter Moland with the difference being that it is filmed in Canada instead of Norway and is in English.
The snow-laden setting is the ski resort town of Kehoe in the Rocky Mountains where snowplow driver Nels Coxman (Liam Neeson –‘Taken’) lives in a comfortable cabin with wife Grace (Laura Dern –‘Downsizing’) and (real) son Kyle (Michael Richardson –‘Vox Lux’).
Considered to be a withdrawn family man, Coxman is subsequently surprised to learn that the townspeople have awarded him Citizen of the Year for his hard work as a snowplough driver in keeping the winter roads clear for tourists.
Coxman’s life changes dramatically when his son Kyle is found dead from a heroin overdose inflicted by drug dealers connected to a drug kingpin in Denver, which converts Coxman into a vigilante hell-bent on hunting down the culprits.
After finding and killing the three drug peddlers Coxman disposes of their bodies in the frozen terrain, unaware that their boss, Trevor Calcote aka Viking (Tom Bateman –‘Snatched’) has blamed an Indian elder for their unexpected deaths.
The Indian’s murder has a huge impact on the Indian chief White Bull (Tom Jackson –‘Pride of Lions’) and members of the tribe, setting them on a vengeful war path against the deranged Viking and his drug cartel.
As part of their plan to seek retribution they attempt to kidnap Viking’s school-aged son only to find that Coxman has already jumped the gun.
After hiding the kidnapped son in his cabin, Coxman is ready to confront Viking in a do or die bloody battle with White Bull and his Indians joining in the revenge spree and contributing to the final body count.
Moland’s revenge movie should appeal to fans that enjoy action thrillers but may be disappointed by the number of bodies piling-up following the parties’ final confrontation, despite the director’s humorous approach to listing those people killed on the screen.
Once again Neeson as the ageing action star delivers the desired entertainment factor but appears not as stimulating in this role as seen in the ‘Taken’ franchise, while Dern’s presence appears superfluous to a somewhat stilted storyline.
Vic’s Verdict: 3 Stars
