THE MONGOOSE (2026)

Genre: Action
Director: Mark Vanselow
Cast: Liam Neeson, Marisa Tomei, Ving Rhames, Michael Chiklis, Brett Tucker, Maurice Marvel Meredith, Ryan Morgan
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 29 October 2026

Synopsis: When war hero Ryan “Fang” Flanagan accidentally kills his ex-wife’s abusive new fiancé in self-defense, he knows how it will look. Accused of a crime he didn’t commit and with nothing to lose, Fang steals a Shelby Mustang and makes a desperate bid for freedom. As he leads the police in a chase across the American South, he is aided by his former Special Forces Army comrades. When the chase sparks the interest of local news channels, Fang ends up closely monitored on national TV, with a fascinated public cheering for his safe getaway. 

Movie Review:

With a title like The Mongoose, you’re not expecting a documentary about the small carnivorous mammal, right? And with Liam Neeson headlining the movie, it’s clear this is going to be yet another one of his autopilot, low-budget action outings. You get the idea.

Everyone’s favourite boomer plays a decorated war hero, Ryan Flanagan, nicknamed Fang. He is accused of murdering the boyfriend of his ex-wife, Tara (Marisa Tomei), and is now being televised live as he escapes across the country in a stolen Mustang.

Chased by an overzealous cop, Walter Pope (Michael Chiklis), Fang enlists the help of his former Army mates, Tanker (Ving Rhames) and Munch (Marcus Thomas), to evade the notably incompetent police officers manning various roadblocks.

With an entire storyline that can basically be summed up in a few sentences and production values that smelled like a TV pilot, The Mongoose feels like an electric car that has perpetually run out of battery. There aren’t many twists or surprises, and despite its brisk 95-minute runtime, it somehow feels longer than it should.

Remember Knight Rider, the cool, sleek ’80s crime-action series featuring a crime fighter assisted by KITT, an advanced AI system? The Mongoose unintentionally tries to replicate some of that magic with the Mustang’s built-in voice assistant, which rather mundanely spends most of the movie guiding Fang to the nearest charging station or rerouting his journey. At least the movie tries.

Again, Neeson is simply repeating his usual boring action-hero beats. Frequent flashbacks to Fang’s Army days show how he and his team were captured by the enemy and how Fang eventually saved his comrades. It’s the kind of lame setup designed to establish Fang as a heroic figure and someone not to be messed with.

Marisa Tomei, meanwhile, has the thankless role of playing the supportive yet anxious ex-wife. Then there’s Ving Rhames, whose character seems to have no real reason to be here other than adding another marquee name to the cast.

The one saving grace is that stunt choreographer-turned-director Mark Vanselow knows how to shoot some old-school car crashes without relying heavily on CGI. The Australian outback also provides the necessary backdrop and space for a couple of decent car chases.

If you can still recall, it wasn’t too long ago that Liam Neeson starred in Retribution, where he was stuck inside a Mercedes for most of the movie. The Mongoose feels like yet another weak follow-up. At this point, Neeson should steer clear of automobiles, or perhaps stay entirely away from this sort of lousy B-movie.

Movie Rating:

(Ran out of gas or battery right from the start)

Review by Linus Tee