The Marksman (2021 film)

The Marksman is a 2021 American action thriller film 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.

For other films with the same title, see The Marksman.

The Marksman
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRobert Lorenz
Written by
  • Robert Lorenz
  • Chris Charles
  • Danny Kravitz
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMark Patten
Edited byLuis Carballar
Music bySean Callery
Production
companies
  • Raven Capital Management
  • Sculptor Media
  • Zero Gravity Management
  • Voltage Pictures
Distributed by
Release date
  • January 15, 2021 (2021-01-15) (United States)
Running time
108 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$23–30 million[2][3]
Box office$23.1 million[2][4]

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.[5]

Plot

Former United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper and Vietnam War veteran Jim Hanson, a widower and alcoholic lives along the Arizona-Mexico border alongside his dog, Jackson, and reports attempted illegal crossings to the United States Border Patrol, for whom his step-daughter Sarah Pennington works. One day, while on patrol, he encounters Rosa and her son Miguel, Mexican citizens on the run from the cartel.[6]

Hanson calls border patrol on them before he sees the cartel coming up. He ends the call and gets involved in a shootout with the cartel led by Mauricio. Hanson shoots and kills Mauricio's brother; Rosa is fatally wounded by one of the cartel members. Before she dies, she gives Hanson a note that lists her family's address in Chicago. Hanson reluctantly agrees to take Miguel to her family in Chicago.

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 Chicago.

The cartel use fake passports to get into America to follow Hanson and Miguel. A corrupt border patrol officer sees their gang tattoos, recognizes that the passports are fake, and allows them in anyway.

After Hanson uses his credit card to repair his truck, Mauricio tracks the pair to Route 66 in Texas. A corrupt cop follows Hanson and Miguel and pulls them over after they found out where they were. The cop tells Hanson to get in the police vehicle while he “goes and talks to the boy”. The cop takes Hanson's driver's license and keys and searches his pickup truck, but never actually talks to Miguel. Realizing the officer is corrupt Hanson subdues the officer and retrieves his keys. A short while later, Mauricio and the rest of the cartel catch up with the corrupt officer and kill him while Hanson and Miguel watch from a distance.

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 the film ends with Hanson getting on a city bus. Realizing he's been fatally wounded, he finally closes his eyes and falls unconscious, presumably dying.

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,[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 $7.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide of $23 million.[4][2]

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 104 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."[5] On Metacritic, it holds a weighted average score of 44 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[25] Audiences surveyed by PostTrak gave the film a 73% positive score, with 46% saying they would definitely recommend it.[22]

Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times wrote: "Predictable to a fault, the movie coasts pleasurably on Neeson's seasoned, sad-sweet charisma."[26] 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."[27]

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."[28] 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."[29]

References
  1. "The Marksman". British Board of Film Classification.
  2. "The Marksman (2021)". The Numbers. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  3. Jurgensen, John (January 25, 2021). "Liam Neeson Is the Secret Weapon for Getting People Into Movie Theaters". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  4. "The Marksman (2021)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  5. "The Marksman (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 28, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. "'The Marksman' Summary & Ending, Explained - Dry As Dust | DMT". Digital Mafia Talkies. April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  7. McNary, Dave (May 9, 2019). "Liam Neeson to Star in Action-Thriller 'The Minuteman'". Variety. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  8. Grate, Jake (May 10, 2019). "Liam Neeson to star in new action-thriller 'The Minuteman,' months after racism controversy". Fox News. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  9. White, James (May 9, 2019). "Liam Neeson Starring In Action Thriller The Minuteman". Empire. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  10. "Scandal-plagued Liam Neeson cast in action thriller 'The Minuteman'". Edmonton Journal. May 12, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  11. Hipes, Patrick (September 3, 2019). "'The Minuteman': Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba Join Liam Neeson Action Thriller". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  12. Hermanns, Grant (September 4, 2019). "Liam Neeson's The Minuteman Adds Katheryn Winnick & Juan Pablo Raba". Comingsoon.net. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  13. "Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba Will Star With Liam Neeson in THE MINUTEMAN". BroadwayWorld. September 3, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  14. Haidet, Ryan (October 10, 2019). "Liam Neeson 'Minuteman' movie filming in Lorain County: Here's where the action is taking place". WKYC. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  15. Anderson, Natasha (October 2, 2019). "Caught on camera: Liam Neeson filming new movie in Portage County". WJW (TV). Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  16. "Liam Neeson spotted in Portage County filming 'The Minuteman'". Akron Beacon Journal. October 2, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  17. Balish, Paula (September 25, 2019). "Liam Neeson Shoots Scene In Chardon For Upcoming Movie". WNCX. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  18. Naquin, Talia (August 28, 2019). "Want to be in a movie with Liam Neeson? 'The Minuteman' is filming in Cleveland and looking for actors". WJW (TV). Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  19. "'The Minutemen' starring Liam Neeson to begin filming in New Mexico". KRQE. September 9, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  20. Morona, Joey (October 22, 2019). "Liam Neeson's 'The Minuteman' wrapping up production in Cleveland". Cleveland.com. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  21. D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 17, 2020). "'The Marksman': Liam Neeson Action Pic Sets Sights On MLK Weekend". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  22. D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 17, 2021). "Open Road's Liam Neeson Pic 'The Marksman' Takes $3.7M At MLK Weekend Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  23. D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 24, 2021). "'The Marksman' Stays On Target As No. 1 In Pandemic As Major Studios Pull Product From Q1". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  24. 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." Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  25. "The Marksman Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  26. Catsoulis, Jeannette (January 14, 2021). "'The Marksman' Review: In Need of a Mission". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  27. O'Sullivan, Michael. "Review | Liam Neeson shoots bad guys, charms audience in the middlebrow 'The Marksman'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  28. Gleiberman, Owen (January 12, 2021). "'The Marksman' Review: Liam Neeson Saves a Mexican Boy From Cartel Slaughter in a Feel-Good Action Road Movie". Variety. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  29. Ehrlich, David (January 12, 2021). "'The Marksman' Review: Liam Neeson Goes Full Clint Eastwood in a Redbox-Ready Action Movie". IndieWire. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
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