Liam Neeson (Taken) stars in Retribution, directed by Nimrod Antal (Armored) with a screenplay written by Christopher Salmanpour (FBI: Most Wanted). The film also stars Noma Dumezweni (The Little Mermaid), Lilly Aspell (Wonder Woman), Jack Champion (Avatar: The Way of Water), Matthew Modine (Oppenheimer), Embeth Davidtz (Old), and Arian Moayed (Spider-Man: No Way Home).
In Retribution, neglectful father and husband Matt Turner (Neeson) is tasked with taking his two kids to school. Upon answering a call from an unknown number, on a phone he's never seen before, tucked into the center console of his brand-new Mercedes, he is told there is a bomb which will go off if anyone moves from their seat or vacates the car at all. Will Matt and his children get out of this alive? What does the caller want? What did Matt do to deserve the worst morning of his life?
Retribution is typical action Liam Neeson fare: lone man (whose loved ones are in danger) who must overcome the odds and fight the bad guys by himself. While being pigeonholed into a role might be detrimental to some, there are certain times when it can come in handy. There isn't much need for extensive background or worldbuilding around a typecast actor, and Neeson may have become that, at least for his action roles. The audience knows what to expect, so they can jump into the juicy scenes sooner rather than building up the backstory. This film does that, throwing the viewers into the action as soon as humanly possible.
Retribution is a remake of a Spanish film called El desconcido meaning "The Stranger" (or "unknown") which is a much better name for the movie since the concept of "retribution" plays no part in this one. While the premise itself is interesting and evokes images of danger and tension, the awkward writing rips all of that away from the audience. There are explosions galore, fancy cars racing to various points in the city, being chased by cops (and possibly bad guys) most of the time. So how in the world could it be missing tension?
Many things can add to the tension in a scene: the expression on the actor's faces, the delivery of the lines, the score (or lack thereof), action happening in the background, and the script. In the case of this film, the script takes away much needed suspense by having the antagonist repeatedly give directions to Matt to the point of annoyance. The climax of the film is spoiled by plot holes and logistical issues overlooked by the screenwriter and director. There are also many times where the tension could have been ramped with clever or powerful dialogue, but instead characters are left standing awkwardly in place for too long.
For a movie consisting mostly of three people trapped in a car and each suffering from tumultuous relationships, there isn't an attempt to fix their tenuous bonds. They don't talk out their issues. They don't discuss anything and continue to ignore one another as much as they could, given the situation they are in. There is even a scene where they have to wait for something to happen. But instead of talking, they merely point fingers and perpetuate the themes of "lying" and "poor communication" which are both heavily implied and outright mentioned in the movie, but not resolved.
There is a lot of great potential for Retribution. Liam Neeson and Lilly Aspell do amazing jobs with the lines they are given. The talents of Noma Dumezweni are wasted in this role, however, as she hardly speaks. Half of her dialogue is in a scene in which viewers can barely see her face.
That being said, the twist is quite riveting. The cast does a decent job. Script aside, the action within the movie is quite effective at raising adrenaline levels. The opening sequence is artful and the dialogue spoken over the closing credits is also interesting.
Unfortunately, Retribution is forgettable and not one of Liam Neeson's best action flicks. Only adrenaline junkies and Neeson fans may find the film somewhat passable; for others it will be severely lacking.