Review: Liam Neeson was 'taken' to elevate 'Retribution's shortcomings, but that doesn't happen

Retribution

Usually, I am always up to watch Liam Neeson doing Liam Neeson things in Liam Neeson films. The man, on-screen, is always in an unprecedented situation, troubled marriages, and somehow in a life-or-death dilemma. The complaint doesn't occur that he is doing the same thing because even though the repetition is almost too much because it makes for some fun, campy, cliched, yet guilty pleasure survival mystery viewing. The complaint does occur when even ridiculousness takes a backseat as much as you begin laughing at the happenings but for the wrong reasons.

In his latest, the 71-year-old actor is, yet again, in a situation that is bonkers. Trapped in a car where a bomb is attached to the rear end of the seat as he is instructed by an unknown voice to do things that are questionable. Add to that; his kids are also trapped in the car with him. Thus begins a dilemma-filled Matt Turner (Neeson) on who is doing this and why, saving his kids and getting some 'retribution'? Perhaps. Having had the chance to see the film beforehand, here is what I thought about it-

What is Going on?

With the most forgiving runtime possible at just over 90 minutes, a film so limited in its premise and characters can pass off rather impressively as it can be concise yet engaging. Unfortunately, not here! Retribution does a fine job indeed in having an apt amount of build-up to Neeson's Matt learning about having a bomb under his car seat, and even the early aftermath of the same is fun. 

However, once this is clear, the many developments that follow keep getting more and more ridiculous. One surprise kill to an incredibly long and unwanted conversation between Matt and a cop who is investigating the case (I mean, who in the world takes so long and is so weird with their dialogues when you have a suspected bomber being stopped by a million cops at gunpoint); the kids having no business after being rescued to a forced dysfunctional family angle - none of these aid to the story in any way except only raising more questions.

I mean, by the end, the actual villain literally comes and sits in the car! Why? One will never know.

Liam Neeson Cannot Save It

Usually, in films like these - logic takes a serious hit, and that happens here as well. That can easily be shielded by some foppish yet pleasurable scenes or action scenes, especially when you have the master, Liam Neeson as the leading man. For the ones who know the Taken franchise, we all know just how bad the second and the third instalment got, but even then, it was watchable and even enjoyable owing to Neeson's charm and screen presence that is aided by good fun. Alas! Retribution doesn't have any of that and fails to capitalise on Neeson's forte and limits him to a car seat where he is looking older than ever, acting weirder than ever and just unable to lift a slapdash script.

The Few Good Things

To the film's credit, there are a few aspects to enjoy, and one of them is the cinematography and the car chase choreography. Amidst all the madness going on figuratively in the screenplay, the madness that is going on literally with car explosions, accidents, speeding chases and, so do make sure that you are hooked up to that for the time it lasts. Cinematographer Flavio Martinez Lovano has limited locations and setting to place his camera to capture the possible angles, but he does a fine job when inside the car or outside the car. It is still rather disheartening that in a film with such a short runtime, we need to find aspects that make the experience somewhat entertaining.

The Verdict

Retribution had all the correct ingredients set to make a delicious guilty pleasure of twists, turns, thrill and action with an actor who is especially known for the same. Instead, director Nimrod Antal takes this limited setting of a story to a screenplay with further limitations and ends up relying on amusing situations to make it seem plausible. Also, the biggest question remains unanswered  - just why in the world was the film called 'Retribution'? There was vengeance, there was punishment, but there was no endgame to it, with the comical 'bad guy' making further stupid claims about his 'reasons' for doing what he did.

The film is brought by Lionsgate and will release in theaters on 25th August.

Rating - ** (2/5)