BLACKLIGHT : Tuesday 15th February 2022.

I saw the M Rated 'BLACKLIGHT' earlier this week, and this American action film (shot in Melbourne and Canberra, Australia), is Directed Co-Written for the screen and Co-Produced by Mark Williams in only his third film making outing following 2016's 'A Definitely Maybe' and 2020's 'Honest Thief'. The film was released Stateside and here in Australia last week, cost US$43M to produce, has thus far recouped just over US$5M and has garnered generally unfavourable Reviews.

The film opens up with Travis Block (Liam Neeson) speeding down some country road, continuously adjusting and checking his rear view mirror like he is being followed closely behind by another vehicle in hot pursuit. He pulls up at some rural trailer park where two armed Policemen and forced into a corner by an angry gun toting mob, all wanting to reach the woman inside the caravan behind them. Block sneaks around the back and gives three knocks on the window, at which point a woman appears brandishing a pistol and fearful for her life. After a brief exchange of words he explains that he's there to extract her and disappears to set up an explosive distraction for the angry mob. He does so, the place erupts in ball of flame, and Block successfully extracts the woman, who it turns out is an undercover FBI Agent. 

We then cut to a rally in Washington DC at which activist and Congressional candidate Sofia Flores (Melanie Jarnson) is speaking to a sizeable gathered crowd about women's rights and racial equality. That night, after stepping out of her Uber ride home, she is run over by another vehicle, and killed instantly in an apparent hit and run. Next up we see Block talking to the Director of the FBI, and long term friend Gabriel Robinson (Aidan Quinn) about his recent extraction exercise and how the women will come good again given time and treatment. It seems that Block's off the books work with Robinson is to extract deep-cover agents when their cover is blown or when they’ve spent too much time in the darkness to be able to find their own way out. Another such agent is Dusty Crane (Taylor John Smith) whom Block has a certain attachment to, but who has taken to self-medicating with pills and alcohol in an attempt to ease his guilty conscience about his former misdeeds all in the line of duty. Crane, is arrested by the Police after beating four officers up in the street, because they found drugs, alcohol and a hand gun on the passenger seat of his car. Block gets him out of the slammer no questions asked.

In a quieter moment we see Block the grandfather to young Natalie (Gabriella Sengos) and his single mum and daughter Amanda (Claire van der Boom) at his granddaughters birthday party. Looking on as Natalie opens up her presents Amanda chides her father that he must have already checked the perimeter of the building and located all the possible points of entry and exit for fear of an attack. A lesson that he has already instilled in young Natalie, much to her mothers chagrin. Block retorts that he just wants his family to be safe, at all times. Soon afterwards Block says to Robinson that he wants to spend more time with his family and be a good grandfather to Natalie, and is thinking of quitting his role as an FBI 'fixer'. Robinson in no uncertain terms says no way Jose, and basically closes the book on that discussion. 

Meanwhile, Crane has reached out to a Washington DC news website reporter Mira Jones (Emmy Raver-Lampton) and will only speak with her about some earth shattering information he has to expose the truth behind a spate of secret FBI sanctioned killings of American citizens. Robinson instructs Block to intercept Crane before he is able to speak to the reporter Jones. Block also meets with Jones and tells her not to talk to Crane, and if he contacts her, she is to contact him straight away. 

Block trails Jones to a rendezvous with Crane at a Museum, where the pair meet. Crane spies Block and makes a dash for it. Block catches up with him, the pair get into a fist fight in which Crane gains the upper hand and quickly climbs a locked wrought iron fence. With both on either side of the fence now, Block asks Crane why. Crane stops, turns and just as he is about to explain his actions is gunned down and killed by two men - the same two men who were at the scene of Sofia Flores hit and run at which she was killed. 

Block asks Jones, who witnessed the whole thing, to tell him what Crane had said to her. She spoke of an 'Operation Unity' which is headed up by Robinson it seems with the two gunmen (who are also FBI agents) who killed Flores and now Crane in Robinson's pocket. Over a whisky in a bar, Block and Jones share their stories and any other details Crane imparted to the reporter. Block visits Robinson at his home, demanding to know about Operation Unity, which Robinson flatly refuses to divulge. Block quits on the spot. After this, Amanda and Natalie have mysteriously vanished, with Amanda unexpectedly quitting her job at the hospital, and Natalie being removed from her pre-school without notice. No one it seems has any idea where they have gone, or the reasons for their sudden disappearance.  

In the meantime, Jones Editor boss Drew Hawthorne (Tim Draxl) has also wound up dead after releasing a largely un-researched press article on their news website about Operation Unity, much to Jones disgust. Hawthorne's death was again at the hands of Robinson's henchmen. Block meanwhile, is beside himself with worry, and after exploring every avenue of investigation to locate Amanda and Natalie, goes to Robinson's home at night to confront him. Robinson is on the phone to his two henchmen at the time, who have just scoped out Block's apartment looking for him. He tells them to get over to his home with back-up immediately. Block takes Robinson up to his safe and orders him to open it and play the hard drive upon which are countless files on all of his agents and Operation Unity. Robinson exits his home as four agents arrive heavily armed and enter the house. A gun fight ensues in which the house is shot to pieces, but Block gains the upper hand and dispenses with the four agents using his very particular set of skills, but not before sustaining a gun shot to the leg. 

Later that evening Jones visits Block who is holed up in a motel, and nurses his injured leg. The next morning Jones Assistant Helen Davidson (Yael Stone) visits and together the three survey the hard drive. There they see a recording of Crane being interviewed by Robinson, at which point he expresses his love for Flores, and says that they had been romantically involved for about a year before her untimely death. Jones comments that Cranes love for Flores was written all over his face. The next day, Block commandeers Robinson's vehicle, and as Robinson gets in, he is surprised to see Block behind the wheel. Block pressures Robinson in coming clean about Operation Unity, to which the Director again replies with a staunch no way, but Block can be especially convincing when he needs to be. A brief shoot out follows after the vehicle comes to a halt in which Robinson sustains a non-life threatening gun shot wound. Block tells him to reveal the whereabouts of his family, and that he will come clean to the media about Operation Unity. 

In the closing scenes it is revealed that Robinson was being held in custody with a court hearing pending, that Jones was being praised from on high about her published news report exposing Robinson and Operation Unity, and Block drives up to the safe house to retrieve Amanda and Natalie.

'Blacklight' is a pedestrian; by the numbers; been there, seen that, done it too countless times before actioner that Liam Neeson has spent the last fifteen years perfecting to the point where he can quite literally phone his performance in. This film could easily be construed as 'Taken 4' as his family are 'taken' from right under his nose, and no amount of car chases, gun play, fisticuffs, or explosions can mask that fact in this wooden thriller that is short on dialogue, excitement or a plot that really adds up to very little. At approaching seventy years of age, it was reported that after 'Blacklight' Neeson was going to give up the action tough guy genre as he was done with beating up guys less than half his age, but judging by his IMDb profile, we can still expect him to be kicking butt in the upcoming 'Memory', 'Retribution' and 'Marlowe' already completed or in post-production, with two other films currently in pre-production. Well I guess if you possess a very particular set of skills, you may as well put them to good use!

'Blacklight' merits two claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-