1 of 5 | Liam Neeson copes with Alzheimer's in "Memory." Photo courtesy of Open Road Films and Briarcliff Entertainment
LOS ANGELES, April 27 (UPI) -- Liam Neeson action movies have declined since directors like Jaume Collet-Sera, or even Olivier Megaton, moved on. Martin Campbell is a classy step up from recent helmers, but in Memory, in theaters Friday, Campbell unfortunately is saddled with a largely action-free bore.
Alex Lewis (Neeson) is an efficient killing machine, but he's becoming forgetful in recent missions and wants to retire. Things like ordering a drink when he already has one demonstrate he's losing his faculties.
FBI Agent Vincent Serra (Guy Pearce) rescues teenager Beatriz (Mia Sanchez) from her sex-trafficking father. When Alex is assigned to kill Beatriz, he refuses.
But, Beatriz turns up dead, anyway. So both Vincent and Alex are on the trail of the masterminds behind this conspiracy.
Given Neeson's role as a man with "a very particular set of skills," taking away his memory is a potentially interesting twist. Screenwriter Dario Scardapane' adaptation of Jef Geeraerts' book and its 2003 Belgian movie is more concerned with convoluted plots and macguffins.
Alex visits his brother with Alzheimer's disease early in the film, as if to show he's aware of what he's inherited. In the course of the story, the only conflict his memory loss causes is misplacing a piece of evidence that would theoretically end the movie if it were found sooner.
Alex can't remember where he was the night Beatriz was killed, but he still remembers to check under his car for bombs -- not that there are many such threats to add suspense to the film.
Most of Memory consists of a lot of expository setup. Vincent's case involves a lot of bureaucratic red tape and immigration as it pertains to Beatriz.
The FBI also assigns Vincent to one of Alex's murder victims, which feels redundant since Beatriz already puts the characters on the same path. Vincent and his team spend a lot of time standing around talking about their suspects.
A third thread follows Davana Sealman (Monica Belluci), a businesswoman who orchestrates the conspiracy. None of the plot threads offer anything new. Memory is the same old story with allies turning on Alex and wealthy, connected people covering things up.
Campbell makes the most of the film's limited action scenes. It is satisfying to see Alex smack down a drunk at a bar, but it's only a quick scuffle.
A parking garage gunfight uses the layout and cars as obstacles. Another shootout in an office reception room struggles to find anything to stand out in a hail of bullets.
There's nothing wrong with Neeson carving out a niche in generic action movies, but they should follow the same rules as his predecessors. No one went to see Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal movies for the stories, but they were more reliable for consistent action.
Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001 and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012. Read more of his work in Entertainment.
