Movie Review: Retribution

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C+

An enjoyable Liam Neeson thriller but not quite one of the best. 

This movie has our main character in a car with his two children, when he gets a call alerting him that there is a bomb underneath his seat that will go off and kill him and his children if he gets out of his seat. This premise is both an asset and a flaw for this film. On one hand this creates a real feeling of suspense to this movie that is more effective than the average Liam Neeson thriller. This is because you are waiting for what will happen next rather than seeing action scene after action scene. The small space and small main cast also gives this film a more claustrophobic feel that is very effective. However this way of telling the story also can make the story feel a bit repetitive at times (even if the movie is only an hour and a half long), and it does deny us the type of exciting climax that we usually get from one of these movies (the climax here can in some ways feel underwhelming after much buildup). 

What does help this movie how well the villain is done. The villain is not only a real threat to our main characters, but he also makes it so that we never once feel that anyone is safe, or anything can be taken for granted. The twist of who the villain is, is very well done. Of course, the film also benefits from having Liam Neeson in the main role, as his performance adds a lot to the suspense of this film. As always Liam Neeson is always perfect in a role like this and a movie like this. 

However the family drama here, feels completely underdeveloped and incredibly cliché. The uses of humor here also don't quite work. The opening scenes also have a lot of very cliché dialogue. 

This film makes for an enjoyable trip to the movies but there is no doubt it could have been much better.