Retribution

Of course there was no doubt about me having to sit down and watch this 2023 action crime thriller as it had Liam Neeson on the cast list. Sure, I had never even heard about the movie prior to watching it, not that it really mattered, as it was a Liam Neeson movie.

The storyline in "Retribution", as written by Alberto Marini and Christopher Salmanpour, sort of was very similar to the 1994 movie "Speed", except that it was lacking the high speed and adrenaline. It was watchable, for sure, but it was not a top notch movie for Liam Neeson. The storyline was a bit too much of a copy and paste of "Speed", except it was in a SUV and had a slightly different plot.

The acting performances in the movie were good, and while Liam Neeson didn't have a particular set of skills in "Retribution", then he still carried the movie well enough to make it a watchable movie. There are a couple of other familiar faces on the cast list, with the likes of Embeth Davidtz, Matthew Modine, and Jack Champion.

I found "Retribution" to be somewhat lacking in thrills and excitement, and the movie's plot and storyline was a tad too linear and predictable for my liking. Plus, the fact that if you've already seen "Speed", then you have essentially also already seen director Nimród Antal's "Retribution".

Watchable for what it was, "Retribution" didn't impress me, nor did it revolutionize the action crime thriller genre. In fact, it didn't bring anything new at all to the genre. And on that account, my rating of director Nimród Antal's "Retribution" lands on a bland five out of ten stars.

Retribution (2023) : Movie Review -

Retribution Movie Review: Nimród Antal's action thriller Retribution sees Liam Neeson take the lead role. Based on the Spanish flick "El desconocido" (2015), Retribution restores all the original elements but seems too soft for today's audiences. Actually, remaking a 2015 flick that hasn't gotten a high repeat value or universal acclaim wasn't a good idea in the first place, but technically it was a safe bet. The script did not demand a huge budget, long hours, or any transformations, so it sums things up quickly. That's easy, but somebody has said the right thing: "Easy is boring". You need something exciting and thrilling just to add one more layer to your decent watch, and the product should land safely. Retribution gets to that decent point, but not to that one extra layer.

Retribution revolves around bank financier Matt Turner (Liam Neeson), who is more busy at work than his family. He thinks everything's alright with his wife, son, and daughter, but it isn't. One day, Matt is off to leave his children at school in a car, and he receives an anonymous call on a cellphone that has been left inside and is told that a bomb has been placed under each of the car's seats, set to explode if any of them leaves their seated position. The unknown caller asks Matt to do everything he says, and as we all know, he wouldn't give easy tasks. From money scams to murder, framing, and destroying one's identity, Matt's life is turned upside down. Can he get it back and save his children?

Retribution is a wannabe revenge drama that hardly has any sensible revenge theories. On the positive side, it is a very engaging hostage drama. You might have seen hostess dramas set in a godown, room, or house, but never inside a car. Retribution scores high in those attributes. One can feel the pressure that's built inside the vehicle and the way those three characters and one horrible voice behave. What goes wrong is the shortening process. The best thing about Retribution is that it's pacy and short, and the worst thing is that it's too short for a complete feature film experience. Predictability is caused by the remake factor, but it wouldn't be there for first-timers. The script has completeness intellectually but is incomplete as a thrilling ride. A little bit of extension to the storyline would have made a good difference.

Talking about performances, Retribution is all about Liam Neeson's acting finesse. This man suits the age, look, and personality of the character, but more than that, it's his own charisma that makes it look better. "I can't," says Matt, dropping his gun. Watch out for Neeson's expression and the situational brilliance provided by him. Noma Dumezweni shines in that one particular scene when she has a conversation with Matt, aka Liam. Matthew Modine will surprise you, despite limited screen space, while Embeth Davidtz underperforms, unexpectedly. The supporting roles of Lilly Aspell, Jack Champion, Arian Moayed, and others are somewhat noticeable.

Retribution's strength lies in its screenplay, even though the storyline is a bit pulpy. El desconocido showed the protagonist in a bad light as a dishonest person, while Retribution is way too mild in presenting the hero. It derives a lot from the sympathetic image of the hero, as we see his children and even the cops being too supportive towards him. It's generous and lovable occasionally-not fully, though. The technical aspects are okay, with a special mention to the background score. Flavio Labiano's camerawork is fine, and Steven Mirkovich's editing doesn't let you have a nap. Nimród Antal's return to the movies after 7 years may be alright, but I still prefer that aggressive Antal from Predators (2010). Moviemaking is far different now, so he must update himself. It's mandatory when you are remaking a so-so one-time film. Retribution is a one-time watch too, but how many people prefer that nowadays?

RATING - 5/10*

It's not a great movie by any means. I did not know walking into this movie it was a remake, but I sure hope the original was better. But what this movie lacked in dialogue, acting ability, characters, it made up for in story.

The overall plot of the movie is good. I love a good low budget thriller, and that's exactly what this was. Liam Neeson had to be this movies biggest expense, because everything was shot in a Mercedes Benz (btw this movie did not make me want to buy that car). The story was not completely predictable and it had some good moments that were fun to watch in a theatre.

But that's it. Other than that, the acting is terrible. The dialogue for the first 15min of the movie felt like it was written by AI and I almost left. And every character is as bland as an off brand cereal from Walmart.

Listen, if you like Liam Neeson thrillers, go see this, but don't expect anything spectacular. It will entertain but it does not go beyond its surface level plot line.

I don't know where to start.... The dialogues are bad, wooden, and cheesy. The acting is far from enjoyable. The characters are dull and absolutely undeveloped. There is no motivation for the bad guy I can find. The Police and "Europol" are far from realistic, and speaking of Europol: this is not a European FBI, as shown in the movies. And of course the way they show Berlin hurts to see. They drive down one street, the next turn he is 20km away in another part of the town.

I'm just happy I saw this in a sneak preview with cheap tickets, because if it was a regular screening with full price tickets I would have demanded a refund.

Retribution is barely for those of us who fell in love with Neeson when he did the ultimate man meal Taken. Ever snice That trilogy I've been running to the theatres to watch Neeson flicks and this is the Frist time I actually said to myself why (which i now found surprising).

Not to say this was a bad movie, but it really seemed unnecessary. Wild thing, it feels like a similar plot to a better Neeson movie the Commuter. The movies may seem polarizingly deferent but if you seen The Commuter you'll notice the same plot devices creating the same loop holes in both, but the Commuter is worth seeing while i could have skipped Retribution altogether.