Blu-Ray Review: Honest Thief

Anybody that has seen a Liam Neeson film in the past decade or so (really starting in about 2008 with Taken) knows that he has carved a little niche for himself in the unlikely action hero genre.  Honest Thief is a crime drama with a simple plot that fits nicely into that niche. 

Tom Dolan (Neeson) has the moniker of the “In-and-Out Bandit,” which he hates because he has stolen over $9 million in cash from 12 banks across 7 states. After meeting Annie (Kate Walsh) and dating her for a year, he decides he wants to turn himself in (along with the money he’s stolen) for a reduced sentence so that he can spend his life with her. 

Unfortunately, the FBI has received many people claiming to be the In-and-Out Bandit, and Agent Baker (Robert Patrick) is skeptical. He sends two other agents, Nivens and Hall (Jai Courtney and Anthony Ramos) to check into it, and when they discover the money is real, one of them decides they should just kill Tom and keep it for themselves. When Baker’s partner Meyers shows up to figure out what is going on (Jeffrey Donovan of Burn Notice fame), Tom must figure out how to get out of this mess and who he can trust.

There is nothing overly original or new about this film. The acting is top-notch with a solid cast, and the writing is solid enough. It does a good job of making Tom a sympathetic character despite being a thief. The story does slow down a bit when he explains why he became a thief, and we get another chance to learn why he is not all bad. 

The script does a good job of creating some interesting twists as the agents and Dolan try to get the upper hand. One thing that the film does well is adding a sense of realism to the action. The fights and shooting scenes really do feel like people in fights and people that are not master marksmen. These are not parkour and karate masters. They’re just people trying to fight for their lives.

The video is in 1080p with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The colors are strong, and the images have a sharp focus, good depth with a shot, and is clean and free from defect. The audio is available in DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. Dialogue is clear and blends with the score and effects well.

Honest Thief is a fun action movie. By no means anything extraordinary, but if you are a fan of Liam Neeson action films, this will be a most-satisfying watch.  

Honest Thief is currently available from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.