The Mongoose - Review

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

LATE era Liam Neeson action flicks are as indefatigable as Jason Statham ones at the moment, with similarly hit and miss results.

The Mongoose arguably rates among one of the more interesting releases for the 74-year-old given that it wears its '70s influences on its sleeve and marks the directorial debut of veteran stunt man/stunt co-ordinator Mark Vanselow, who has worked with Neeson on 30 films, serving as his stunt double for decades.

It’s also ‘fun’ in a kind of so bad it’s good kind of way, particularly if you fancy trying to tick off the numerous film references it drops along the way.

And it’s elevated slightly by a surprisingly heavyweight supporting cast, with Marisa Tomei, Ving Rhames and Michael Chiklis all lending extra weight to the ride.

That said, the plot is fairly forgettable and largely plays second fiddle to the bulk of proceedings - which, unsurprisingly, rely heavily on stunts. Neeson plays former Special Forces soldier and decorated war hero Ryan ‘Fang’ Flanagan, now divorced from his wife (Tomei) and suffering from PTSD in the wake of a particularly gruelling tour of Afghanistan, during which one of his brothers in arms, a helicopter pilot named Wiz (Ryan Morgan), was killed.

Fang feels responsible and is unable to shake his guilt. But he’s also a man who has dedicated his life to doing the right thing.

Hence, when his ex-wife is beaten up by her new boyfriend, Fang heads over to their house to retrieve her belongings, only to find himself held at gun point, shot in the leg, and forced to defend himself in a situation that inevitably leaves the boyfriend dead.

Assuming he’ll take the blame, Fang instead goes on the run in the boyfriend’s vintage Shelby Cobra Super Snake, heading for the Mexican border with the likes of a sympathetic Arkansas Highway Patrol leader (Maurice Marvel Meredith) and the maniacal Major Walter Pope (Chiklis) in hot pursuit.

The ensuing chase draws media attention and enables Fang to become something of a hero, particularly to former veterans and his old unit buddies (Rhames and Marcus Thomas), who do what they can to provide support and help.

The film unfolds using a fractured narrative, dipping backwards and forwards in time and intercutting the chase itself with sequences in Afghanistan and in the build-up to Fang’s fateful decision to visit his ex’s house.

It’s at its best when sticking behind the wheel, as Vanselow’s expertise at co-ordinating stunts is allowed to come to the fore. The driving sequences are actually pretty well executed, including a slickly delivered sequence involving a train and a last act demolition derby (of sorts) around the streets leading up to the Mexican border.

It’s during these sequences, also, that the various references start to appear, whether it’s cult classics like Vanishing Point or Convoy (the rubber duck from that movie gets a cute visual nod), or the more crowd-pleasing likes of Smokey & The Bandit or even TV’s The Dukes of Hazzard - all notable for the numerous ways in which they found to trash police cars and get one over robust law enforcement officers.

Chiklis is happy to assume the mantle of the authoritarian lawman ripe for a fall, spewing some ridiculous lines, while continually looking exasperated at how easily he is outwitted.

While Neeson is content to largely go through the motions while even referencing some of his own back catalogue - Fang possibly a nod to his role in The Grey, while his military background a clear nod to the special set of skills he has been displaying ever since he reinvented himself as a late action hero in Taken.

The war veteran element, and its sympathetic portrayal, also has shades of Rambo (especially First Blood)… not least in the way that it finds Neeson’s traumatised vet being bullied by a lawman who continually displays scant disregard for his decorated history. It lacks that film’s sophistication, of course. The subsequent public support this brings also winks to Dog Day Afternoon - again, without any of the gravitas or complexity attached to that classic.

But then it doesn’t always seem to know which tone to take: occasionally displaying an awareness of its own absurdity but also feeling overly sentimental and patriotic at others. What comedy it offers feels forced, while the dramatic elements often feel cheesy.

The decision to facilitate Fang with a female digital automated concierge also leans into AI territory that jars when set against the context of the film’s more old school values. It almost feels like an endorsement of new technology, which is at odds with the film's central message about leaving no man behind.

The overall result is an experience that feels like a car wreck in many ways, in that you can’t take your eyes off it. If that’s damning it with faint praise, then that’s probably more than it ultimately deserves.

But The Mongoose has enough gas in its tank to prevent it from stalling completely, even with its innumerable flaws.

Certificate: 15

Running time: 98mins