Memory (2022): Is it just me, or is this a warmed-over 'Man on Fire'?
Okay, so I just got done watching 'Memory' with Liam Neeson. Look, I love Liam. 'Taken' was a freakin' classic of the modern revenge flick. But 'Memory'... I dunno, man. It felt awfully familiar, like I'd seen this movie a dozen times before. Right down to the vaguely sympathetic hitman, the shadowy organization, and even the whole thing with him having some kind of cognitive decline? Total deja vu. Here's my theory: they basically ripped off 'Man on Fire' (the Denzel one, obvi, not that other garbage). Think about it. A burned-out guy, taking a job he regrets, needing to protect someone innocent. A corrupt system closing in. Okay, yes, the memory thing is different, but functionally it serves the same purpose as Denzel's alcoholism in 'Man on Fire': it's a reason for him to be vulnerable, a flaw to overcome. It adds 'depth.' I mean, don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible. Neeson can still brood with the best of 'em. But man, I kept expecting Dakota Fanning to show up. Even Monica Bellucci felt a little out of place, like she was just there to add some… well, you know. Anyone else get that vibe? Or am I just turning into my dad, yelling at clouds about 'reboots' and 'remakes?' Maybe I need another rewatch of 'Death Wish' to cleanse my palate… or maybe 'The Mechanic.' What do you guys think? Maybe it's NOT 'Man on Fire,' exactly, but the structure felt so close, and had elements from 'The Equalizer' and similar movies that it just felt like a very typical Neeson movie that was released too late in his career. I still enjoyed it enough to watch, but after it hit the streaming I was just like "OK. That was it." I didn't feel much, and that's the movie's biggest issue.
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