The Marksman (2021 film)

The Marksman is a 2021 American action thriller film directed by Robert Lorenz. The plot follows a rancher and former Marine (Liam Neeson) living in an Arizona border town who must help a young boy (Jacob Perez) escape a Mexican drug cartel; Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba, Teresa Ruiz also star. The film was theatrically released in the United States on January 15, 2021. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Neeson's performance but criticized the film as formulaic.[4]

Contents
1    Plot
2    Cast
3    Production
4    Release
5    Reception
5.1    Box office
5.2    Critical response
6    References
7    External links

Plot
Retired U.S. Marine Jim Hanson lives along the Arizona-Mexico border, reporting attempted illegal crossings. One day while on patrol he encounters Rosa and her son Miguel, Mexican citizens on the run from the cartel. After a shootout with several cartel members led by Maurico, Rosa is killed and Hanson reluctantly agrees to take Miguel to his family in Chicago.

After Hanson uses his credit card to repair his truck, Maurico tracks the pair to Route 66 in Oklahoma. After nearly getting caught and turned over to Maurico by a corrupt police officer, Hanson and Miguel continue to make their way north. Despite Hanson's personal lack of faith, they stop at a church so that Miguel can have a proper send off for Rosa.

Eventually Maurico and his men catch up to Hanson and a firefight breaks out on a nearby farm. Hanson manages to kill three of the cartel members, but Maurico captures Miguel. After a skirmish in which Hanson is stabbed, he manages to get the upper-hand on Maurico, and leaves him with a single bullet in his gun with the choice to kill himself or return home to Mexico; Hanson and Miguel leave the farm as they hear a gunshot.

The pair eventually reach Miguel's family in Chicago, and Hanson boards a city bus and closes his eyes. It is implied he dies from his injuries.

Cast
Liam Neeson as Jim Hanson
Katheryn Winnick as Sarah Pennington
Juan Pablo Raba as Maurico
Teresa Ruiz as Rosa
Joe Perez as Miguel
Dylan Kenin as Randall Brennan
Luce Rains as Everett Crawford
Sean Rosales as Hernando
Alfredo Quiroz as Carlos
Production
The project, originally titled The Minuteman, was announced in May 2019, with Liam Neeson set to star.[5][6][7][8] In September 2019, it was announced that Winnick and Raba joined the cast of the film.[9][10][11]

Principal photography occurred in Lorain,[12] Portage County,[13][14] and Chardon, Ohio.[15] Filming also occurred in New Mexico,[16][17] and wrapped in October 2019.[18]

Release
The Marksman was initially scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on January 22, 2021, but was later moved up a week to January 15.[19]

Reception
Box office
The Marksman grossed $3.7 million over the four-day MLK opening weekend, the second Open Road-Neeson title to top the box office during the COVID-19 pandemic after Honest Thief the previous October. The film played best in the South, with men making up 57% of the audience, and 72% being over the age of 25.[20] It remained in first the following weekend with $2.03 million.[21]

Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 34% based on 71 reviews, with an average rating of 5.1/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "The Marksman benefits from having Liam Neeson in the lead, but this formulaic action thriller should have aimed higher."[4] According to Metacritic, which calculated a weighted average score of 44 out of 100 based on 21 critics, the film received "mixed or average reviews".[22] According to PostTrak, 73% of audience members gave the film a positive score, with 46% saying they would definitely recommend it.[20]

David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a C– and wrote "...The Marksman might be two three-ways short of The Mule, but almost everything about it — from its 'get off my lawn' misanthropy to its general take on the uselessness of government in American life — feels geared for a late-career Eastwood vehicle."[23]

References
 Mark Naymik (October 1, 2019). "Filming on Liam Neeson's latest action film spotted in Cleveland and Parma" ("The film incentive program gives companies a 30% rebate on the money spent on cast and crew and other in-state production costs... Neeson’s film could be eligible for about $7 million in credits, state records show." 7•0.3=23.3). WKYC. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
 "The Marksman (2021)". The Numbers. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
 "The Marksman (2021)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
 "The Marksman (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
 McNary, Dave (May 9, 2019). "Liam Neeson to Star in Action-Thriller 'The Minuteman'". Variety. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
 Grate, Jake (May 10, 2019). "Liam Neeson to star in new action-thriller 'The Minuteman,' months after racism controversy". Fox News. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
 White, James (May 9, 2019). "Liam Neeson Starring In Action Thriller The Minuteman". Empire. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
 "Scandal-plagued Liam Neeson cast in action thriller 'The Minuteman'". Edmonton Journal. May 12, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
 Hipes, Patrick (September 3, 2019). "'The Minuteman': Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba Join Liam Neeson Action Thriller". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
 Hermanns, Grant (September 4, 2019). "Liam Neeson's The Minuteman Adds Katheryn Winnick & Juan Pablo Raba". Comingsoon.net. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
 TV News Desk (September 3, 2019). "Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba Will Star With Liam Neeson in THE MINUTEMAN". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
 Haidet, Ryan (October 10, 2019). "Liam Neeson 'Minuteman' movie filming in Lorain County: Here's where the action is taking place". WKYC. Retrieved November 14, 2020.