Retribution (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – A bank executive receives a bomb threat while driving his children to school that his car will explode if they stop and get out. A remake of the 2015 Spanish film “El Desconocido.”

My Take – Just another year, just another month and just another weekend which sees Liam Neeson pull out his particular set of skills and go out to protect his family or just anybody in the vicinity.

Ever since Taken released fifteen years ago and turned him into one of the most unlikely action stars around, the 71 years old Northern Irish actor has been playing almost the same character in solo action ventures, with little variations in set ups and quality. These modestly budgeted mostly mediocre creations have become a Neeson staple.

You could almost designate them as a genre of their own and they usually find themselves a pretty accepting audience. Probably because Neeson has such an excitingly badass yet caring side to him in his roles that make the situations he finds himself in that much more mesmerizing. His latest is also your standard lean and easy to digest action-thrillers, but thankfully, at least in comparison, has better ability to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.

Unsurprising, considering its sees the veteran re-team with filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra (who is one of the producers here) following films like Unknown (2011), Non-Stop (2014), Run All Night (2015) and The Commuter (2018), arguably the best ventures of the ‘Liam Neeson vehicles’ lot.

Helmed by director Nimrod Antal (Predators, Armored), the film is actually the English language remake of the 2015 Spanish film El desconocido, and follows a very straightforward story with a few twists thrown in to give it a kick. By retaining most elements of the original, the film is able maintain its suspense and engage for its brisk 91 minutes run time. Plus, Liam Neeson is always a joy to watch.

Sure, the climax twist is sort of surprising and underwhelming at the same time, but in the grand scheme of things also made sense so I guess it can be considered predictable depending on who you ask.

The story follows Matt Turner (Liam Neeson), a financier living in Berlin with his wife Heather (Embeth Davidtz) and their two children, Zach (Jack Champion) and Emily (Lilly Aspell). Matt, along with his best friend and boss Anders Muller (Matthew Modine) have made a lot of money managing hedge funds.

But they’ve hit a bit of a skid lately and Anders has Matt working overtime to persuade investors to stay onboard. A result of which Matt has become a neglectful husband and father, and is impervious to how his lack of investment has hurt his relationship with his kids, especially the rebellious Zach.

Out of obligation, Matt agrees to drive the kids to school in his new classy black Mercedes SUV. However, a simple drop off to school turns dangerous when Matt takes a call from an “unknown caller” on an unrecognized cell phone located in the console of his car.

The distorted voice on the other end warns him of a bomb under his seat that is pressure activated, and if he or his kids attempt to get out of the car the bomb will detonate. Suddenly, finds himself at the mercy of a madman who seems driven by mysterious motivations.

And what follows next, is an interesting cat-and-mouse chase with some twists, drama and a bit of action, where Matt is going all out to save his kids and hunt the bomber. Most of the time is spent in Matt’s Mercedes, and we see two other luxury vehicles on the wrong end of bombs.

With no apologies, the film borrows heavily from Speed (1994) and Phone Booth (2002), the initial setup, with a bomb placed under Matt’s car seat and his children trapped in the backseat, sets the stage for an intense and nerve-wracking experience.

As the story progresses, Matt’s escalating predicaments and the creative challenges he faces do create sporadic moments of tension. The screenplay introduces a sense of unpredictability, leaving the audience curious about the caller’s motives and how Matt will overcome each obstacle.

Where the film falters is in maintaining the suspense throughout its runtime. The pacing suffers from inconsistency, with moments of high-octane action abruptly transitioning into slower, dialogue-heavy scenes. The central premise, while engaging, raises questions about plausibility and logic. The caller’s ability to orchestrate such an elaborate series of tasks with pinpoint precision strains credibility.

As the challenges become increasingly dangerous and elaborate, the audience is left wondering about the feasibility of their execution. While some suspension of disbelief is expected in this genre, the film stretches the boundaries to the point where it becomes a barrier to full immersion in the story.

Performances wise, Liam Neeson carries the flawed thriller on his capable shoulders and emotes every expression whether it’s pain, agony, or guilt in a convincing manner. Unlike the more physically demanding roles from his catalog, this one doesn’t ask much as the vast majority of his time is spent behind the wheel of a car.

Despite limited screen space, Matthew Modine brings his usual charisma to the role. In other roles, Embeth Davidtz, Jack Champion, Lilly Aspell, Arian Moayed and Noma Dumezweni. On the whole, ‘Retribution’ is a flawed yet watchable action-thriller for fans of Liam Neeson.