Retribution (2023)

User Review

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  ScreenZealots

  5 / 10

  Liam Neeson certainly has a type of movie role, and he’s not slowing down with making action thrillers. While he isn’t doing as many physical stunts, he still has a screen presence that seems to appeal to just about everybody. He’s the only thing that’s good about “Retribution,” a tired ticking clock thriller that is a far more boring version of “Speed.”
  
  Bank executive Matt (Neeson) has angered the wrong people. He’s sitting on a lot of money from running a financial scam on his wealthy clients, and someone from his past wants to collect it all. When he gets a mysterious call that there’s a bomb under his car seat, Matt (with his two kids in tow) finds himself on a high speed chase across the city to complete specific tasks at the direction of the unknown caller. If anyone in the car attempts to get out, a bomb will explode. This leads the man on a dangerous race against time to survive.
  
  It’s an okay story that’s simply not that engaging. Neeson, although he is simply going through the motions here, is perfect for the role of a guy in extreme danger, and the actors portraying his kids (Jack Champion, Lilly Aspell) thankfully aren’t annoying. I suppose I was rooting for the characters to make it out of their perilous situation alive, but eventually I just stopped caring (especially when it was far too easy to crack the code as to the identity of the terrorist who targeted him).
  
  In movies like this, there needs to be a solid “gotcha” and twist to make it worth the time investment. This one doesn’t have it. It’s a generic story that delivers few thrills, and even the biggest Neeson fan is going to leave the theater disappointed.
  
  “Retribution” isn’t unwatchably bad, but it’s not good, either. It’s just another run-of-the-mill Neeson thriller that’s bland and forgettable.
  
  By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS

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