Theatrical Retribution (2023)

[Jason_V]

Title: Retribution (2023)

Tagline: All roads lead to the truth.

Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime, Drama

Director: Nimród Antal

Cast: Liam Neeson, Jack Champion, Emily Kusche, Arian Moayed, Embeth Davidtz, Matthew Modine, Lilly Aspell, Noma Dumezweni, Jerry Kwarteng, Christian Koerner, Daniel Grave, Nedy John Cross, Antonije Stankovic

Release: 2023-08-23

Runtime: 91

Plot: When a mysterious caller puts a bomb under his car seat, Matt Turner begins a high-speed chase across the city to complete a specific series of tasks. With his kids trapped in the backseat and a bomb that will explode if they get out of the car, an everyday commute becomes a twisted game of life or death as Matt follows the stranger’s increasingly dangerous instructions in a race against time to save his family.

Not off the wall enough to be a guilty pleasure, not smart enough for a lot of replay value and certainly not recommendable by any stretch of the imagination, Liam Neeson's lastest take on Taken takes place in exploding cars. There's a little more to it than that, but that's the gist of Retribution. These kinds of movies need to understand what they are and lean into it; here, Retribution is far too serious for it's own good and there's not a shred of fun in anything that happens.

A solid not recommend from me. The story would make a great 45-minute episode of a TV anthology series or something packaged with another 45-minute film. But stretched to 90 minutes (with credits), Neeson wears out his welcome fast.

I'm not sure the final reveal holds up, either. Maybe I missed something which would lead to it making sense, but I honestly don't care to ever revisit this movie.