Film Review: THE MONGOOSE (2026): A Fast-Moving Liam Neeson Actioner That Will Please Fans of the Aging Star

The Mongoose Review

The Mongoose (2026) Film Review, a movie directed by Mark Vanselow, written by Thompson Evans and starring Liam Neeson, Marisa Tomei, Ving Rhames, Marcus Thomas, Michael Chiklis, Maurice Marvel Meredith, Brett Tucker, Ryan Morgan, Laura Coates, Geoff Morrell, Charles Allen, Jack Kenny, Stella Stocker, Elias Anton, Eddie Baroo, Nicole Chapman and Dor Gvirtsman.

Liam Neeson is back in action hero mode with the three-star action picture, The Mongoose, a fast paced look at a decorated retired Army captain in a red car, racing against the authorities to clear his name for a crime he never committed. Filmmaker Mark Vanselow makes the most of his threadbare plot by amping up the music and the intensity through fast driving scenes and flashback sequences to when Neeson’s character, Ryan “Fang” Flanagan, served in Afghanistan. The GT-350 on hand gets a major boost as one of the most enjoyable to watch co-stars in the film.

Ryan’s old buddy, Tanker (Ving Rhames), gets to ham it up for some fun scenes in this new action picture as well. Tanker tries to help Ryan escape the clutches of the law. With O.J. Simpson vibes in mind at the outset, the car racing scenes are awe-inspiring to behold. We never get the feeling that Ryan is truly a bad guy even though he may have done something that he shouldn’t have done, but in true action hero movie style, it is made clear that Ryan most likely acted in self-defense. His car’s female voice is able to confirm the turning off of the tracking on the car’s system at one point when Ryan decides he’s sick of going so fast on the road with the inconsiderate authorities in hot pursuit.

That gives Ryan time to catch up on the phone with his beautiful ex-wife, Tara (Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei). Tara and Ryan get to speaking as they fondly remember their time on a beach referred to in the film as “the Mongoose.” Tara encourages Ryan to speed up his car, and try to steer clear of the authorities as she believes her man when he tells her he didn’t do what he’s accused of doing.

Michael Chiklis plays Texas’s Major Walter Pope, who tells Ryan to turn himself in. Needless to say, Ryan has other things in mind than succumbing to turning himself in to the authorities who know nothing about the truth. In fact, Ryan challenges Major Pope to go after him should he feel the need to do so.

There’s also a brief scene where Ryan stops off to get a paint job on his vehicle and a fellow vet vows to help him out free of charge. Yes, Ryan gets by with a little help from his friends, such as a truck driver, Roy (Charles Allen), but, for the most part, Ryan just puts the pedal to the metal and flees those who don’t have faith that he is as good a man as his decorations in combat so clearly prove.

The Mongoose isn’t very plausible, but it’s hugely entertaining, thanks to the fairly elaborate production design and the performance by the solid Neeson. Marisa Tomei’s ex-character is declared his “ex wife” on Ryan’s phone through the way he titles his contact, but we all know and hope they may end up together on the beach again at some point. These two aging stars blend well together with Tomei making us believe her character truly supports Neeson’s, and the result is a movie that should serve as a genuine crowd-pleaser, Neeson’s first big one in a while.

Rhames and Chiklis have fun in their meaty supporting roles too. Of course, the action scenes are everything here and the car racing through the streets makes for the film’s most flashy sequences. It’s hard not to get caught up in the mood this film conveys, which is an upbeat one that presents a man trying to live out his last days in peace without being bothered anymore by those who have lost faith in him. Rhames has so much fun here that he seems to be actually enjoying this role more than any other of his recent performances. Chiklis doesn’t disappoint either.

This isn’t a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination. It has scenes that border on nearly impossible and the movie throws logic out the window at some point very early on, just trusting that audiences will believe in Neeson’s character’s “particular set of skills” to save the day and bring justice into view. It works, but it works only if you completely suspend disbelief.

The Mongoose is nothing less than an assured action picture with plenty of mileage to be gotten out of it by less demanding audiences and true blue Neeson fans. Neeson may be showing a few signs of wear and tear, but he wears them well enough to hold this action picture together from opening to close.

Rating: 7/10

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