Okay, I want to start this review by saying; This is not a terrible movie, and this movie is enough to get an OK from me atleast. I love Liam Neeson, and he was put into so many vehicles in the past few years: Airplane (Non-stop), Train (The Commuter) and now a car in Retribution, and these kind of "Escape" movies are really fitting for whichever character he portrays, and I don't think this movie started off with a bad premise, because I do believe you can make an epic Neeson movie with a plot like this, the problem is... it wants to be so much more while not hitting the bare minimum first. What I mean is that Neeson's character - Matt Turner is someone who can only say two sentences: "Just listen to me" and "It wasn't me who did it." but regardless, his poor character gets outclassed by Neeson's acting and this really is what pushed the movie to me all the way up to a six out of ten. Matt is on the edge of a divorce, he gets involved in work so much so that he forgets to act as a father figure and during the death-threatening ride he sees that and tries to be a hero for once, and tbh this personality is 90% accurate to the ones Neeson portrayed before, it isn't anything groundbreaking but "Hollywood enough" as the directors would call it, the problem isn't really about the "how" of the story, but rather the "Why", that is why people watch a thriller, and Neeson's stunts are just a cherry on top, but in Retribution's case, there's nothing ordinary or interesting about the "Why did you do it?" part. Minor spoiler: It was the money, but the movie goes so far with this simple premise that it becames a mess, with plot-holes all over the place.
Okay let's say that the bad guy of the story does not die, why did he sent the money to Liam if he already had it? What would've happened if he shoots? Because you have to be out of your goddamn mind if you think that a man who is scared to death and have kids to protect wouldn't have the balls to do it.. Why did Matt became insane after he stopped at the police? He promised to his wife that he will come back, and decides to do something so nonsense that could easily get himself killed.
Who exactly is Matt and what did he do? There was some mentioning of somewhere in the desert, of having a life before his family, of being part of a corrupt company and meanwhile he acted like (and believeably so) that he has no clue of ever living a life like that. What the hell was the ending part? Why would someone sit inside a car that has a bomb that could kill him too? How did this man had an entire night to set bombs into like 5 different cars unnoticeably?
So many questions that just makes this movie shallow and bad as a thriller.
What I do liked tho is the cinematography, and the child actors, honestly, their role was spot on and the casting was really well done for both of them, and I also loved the music throughout the movie, including this constant "edge" feel, which dissapeared but it was there at the start.
Overall, if you love Liam Neeson, definetely check this out, Black Light was worse, but don't overthink it, just watch is as an epic "cars exploding for some reason" type of thriller and you should be good to go.
Okay let's say that the bad guy of the story does not die, why did he sent the money to Liam if he already had it? What would've happened if he shoots? Because you have to be out of your goddamn mind if you think that a man who is scared to death and have kids to protect wouldn't have the balls to do it.. Why did Matt became insane after he stopped at the police? He promised to his wife that he will come back, and decides to do something so nonsense that could easily get himself killed.
Who exactly is Matt and what did he do? There was some mentioning of somewhere in the desert, of having a life before his family, of being part of a corrupt company and meanwhile he acted like (and believeably so) that he has no clue of ever living a life like that. What the hell was the ending part? Why would someone sit inside a car that has a bomb that could kill him too? How did this man had an entire night to set bombs into like 5 different cars unnoticeably?
So many questions that just makes this movie shallow and bad as a thriller.
What I do liked tho is the cinematography, and the child actors, honestly, their role was spot on and the casting was really well done for both of them, and I also loved the music throughout the movie, including this constant "edge" feel, which dissapeared but it was there at the start.
Overall, if you love Liam Neeson, definetely check this out, Black Light was worse, but don't overthink it, just watch is as an epic "cars exploding for some reason" type of thriller and you should be good to go.