On
4K Ultra/Blu-ray from LIONSGATE
Review
by Tiger the TerribleđŒ
Liam
Neeson has been channeling his inner Bronson for so long that one
could be forgiven for assuming Cold Pursuit has him playing
yet another one-man wrecking crew. But donât let the generic title
fool you. This is a highly amusing black comedy that just happens to
have some great action.
Granted,
as Nels Coxman, Neeson does exact a bit of bloody revenge over the
death of his son, who was murdered by thugs on orders from smug,
psychotic druglord Trevor âVikingâ Calcote (Tom Bateman). And
yeah, Nels plans to kill his way to the top of the food chain. But
Nels isnât ex-CIA or a retired super soldier. Heâs just a
grieving, angry snowplow driver. And even though he dispatches three
bad guys in short order, Viking assumes itâs the work of a rival
Ute mob run by White Bull (Tom Jackson). Striking back, Viking kills
White Bullâs son, which triggers an escalating war.
Since
I was unaware of director Hans Petter Molandâs original 2014
Norwegian version, In Order of Disappearance,
I guess I was anticipating
a snowbound Taken
(which wouldnât necessarily
be a bad thing...Neesonâs
an awesome senior-discount asskicker).
However, the
beauty of Cold Pursuit is how it consistently defies
expectations. Neesonâs the star, of course, but the film is more of
an ensemble piece loaded with interesting, sometimes quirky
characters. Some appear for a scene or two, while others share nearly
as much screen time as Neeson himself.
Nels forgets where he parked. |
Itâs hard to get into
specifics without ruining many of the filmâs surprises, but while
thereâs plenty of bullets ânâ blood, itâs just-as-often funny
as hell, including a couple of priceless running gags related to the
escalating body count. The humor is sometimes understated, sometimes
broad and occasionally morbid. If Fargo was an action film,
it might resemble something like this. But even without the eclectic
characters and copious amounts of dark humor, Cold Pursuitâs
plot is interesting enough that it could be presented
straight and still remain fairly engaging.
Though
it may not be the best film Iâve reviewed so far this year, itâs
by-far the most fun. Criminally overlooked in theaters, this one
deserves a second life on home video, definitely worth checking-out
by both action fans and those whose sense of humor leans toward the
dark side.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
FEATURETTE: "WELCOME
TO KEHOE: BEHIND THE SCENES ON COLD PURSUITâ - Includes numerous interviews, clips and plenty of behind-the-scenes footage.
INTERVIEW
WITH LIAM NEESON
INTERVIEW
WITH HANS PETTER MOLAND
DELETED
SCENES
TRAILER
4K,
BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES
KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEE-OW! LIKE TAUNTING A MOUSE TO DEATH.
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