Jeff Bridges' Forgotten Action Thriller With 0% On Rotten Tomatoes Was Redeemed 28 Years Later By A Liam Neeson Movie

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8 Million Ways to Die

The neo-noir action thriller 8 Million Ways to Die earned just 0% on Rotten Tomatoes despite an accomplished cast led by Jeff Bridges and Rosanna Arquette. The set was notoriously troubled, and, as the script had not been finalized by the time filming began, many of the actors needed to improvise their scenes. The film noir genre often mixes crime and romance, but critics found the pacing uneven, with neither of these plot elements working in a film that offered a dark look at the world of law enforcement.

8 Million Ways to Die was based on a crime book series by Lawrence Block, which featured the unlicensed private detective character, Matthew Scudder. Scudder is an alcoholic ex-cop who left the NYPD and his family after accidentally causing a young girl's death. In 8 Million Ways to Die, Scudder is played by Jeff Bridges, The next Scudder book to be adapted was the tenth in Block's series and features an all-star cast including David Harbour, Dan Stevens, and Boyd Holbrook. Scudder is played by Liam Neeson, and while this may not be one of Neeson's best action movies, his role redeems 8 Million Ways to Die.

Liam Neeson Played Matthew Scudder In A Walk Among The Tombstones 28 Years After Jeff Bridges

Harrison Ford Turned The Role Of Scudder Down

Liam Neeson in a graveyard in "a walk among the tombstones" poster

Though much of the criticism was leveled at the score and script rather than Jeff Bridges' portrayal of Matthew Scudder, 8 Million Ways to Die was so poorly received that it took 28 years for another adaptation of Lawrence Block's novels to be released. When Liam Neeson played Scudder in A Walk Among the Tombstones, he was commended for his gritty performance and compelling portrayal of the troubled character. Still, he was not exempt from criticism either, as the biggest of Neeson's fight scenes - the showdown in the graveyard - was undeniably anticlimactic in that it lacked the intensity the build-up had promised.

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Scudder is a typical neo-noir character, as he is a conflicted antihero with a dark past. A Walk Among the Tombstones places the character in an even darker setting, in which he is reminded of his own failure to save the life of a young girl. Harrison Ford was originally set to play Scudder. However, Ford would later leave the project, with the writer and director, Scott Frank explaining that Ford felt his fanbase wouldn't want to see him in something so dark. Ford's most iconic roles are usually heroic men, in control of a situation, unlike Scudder.

Matthew Scudder's Creator Liked Neeson's Movie Way More Than He Did 8 Million Ways To Die

A Walk Among The Tombstones Was More Faithful To The Books

Jeff Bridges may be an accomplished actor with a varied career, but after Taken turned Neeson into a gritty action star, he appeared more suited to the role of Scudder than Bridges. Block appeared to agree, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to praise Neeson's performance as Scudder, describing his portrayal as "brilliant." He also praised Scott Frank's script and directing as "tops." Understandably for the author, Block preferred A Walk Among the Tombstones to 8 Million Ways to Die, as A Walk Among the Tombstones was much more faithful to Block's original novel and character.

8 Million Ways To Die vs A Walk Among The Tombstones

Title	Year	Lead Actor	Rotten Tomatoes Critics	Rotten Tomatoes Audience
8 Million Ways To Die	1986	Jeff Bridges	0%	39%
A Walk Among The Tombstones	2014	Liam Neeson	67%	53%

The 8 Million Ways to Die director, Hal Ashby, was not particularly faithful to the source material as he focused on Scudder's relationships while neglecting the book's neo-noir theme. This turned the movie into a drama, surprising viewers who had expected a detective story. A Walk Among the Tombstones was more faithful to Block's series and Scudder's character. It embraced the film noir aspect while elaborating on it, adding more action scenes to make the most of Neeson's action star status. The comparative success of A Walk Among the Tombstones redeemed both Scudder and 8 Million Ways to Die.

Source: X

8 Million Ways to Die, directed by Hal Ashby, is a crime thriller featuring Jeff Bridges as Matt Scudder, an alcoholic ex-detective turned private investigator. The film follows Scudder's descent into a complex web of crime and corruption in Los Angeles as he attempts to solve a mysterious case involving drug traffickers and a high-class call girl. Rosanna Arquette and Andy Garcia co-star in this adaptation of Lawrence Block's novel.