I don't know where to start.... The dialogues are bad, wooden, and cheesy. The acting is far from enjoyable. The characters are dull and absolutely undeveloped. There is no motivation for the bad guy I can find. The Police and "Europol" are far from realistic, and speaking of Europol: this is not a European FBI, as shown in the movies. And of course the way they show Berlin hurts to see. They drive down one street, the next turn he is 20km away in another part of the town.

I'm just happy I saw this in a sneak preview with cheap tickets, because if it was a regular screening with full price tickets I would have demanded a refund.

I saw Retribution early as part of Regal's Mystery Movie Monday. I have so many things to make fun of so I will try to keep this part short. This movie is ridiculously dumb. You have to fully turn your brain off and that still probably won't be enough.

Even if you are able to ignore the complete lack of logic, the characters and dialogue make this movie insufferable and infuriating. The main issue is, no one listens to anything anyone says. Everything is repeated at least once if not more. This starts even before the conflict with Matt's (Neeson) ridiculously annoying kids.

Matt says, "please, just listen" or something along those lines so many times I wanted to cry. And even worse, Matt ends up doing the same thing, not listening and questioning things. This is even after he's confirmed the threat is real.

Liam Neeson has been on a bad streak lately, with movies like Blacklight (2 stars), The Marksman (2 stars), and Honest Thief (3 stars). If these are the only movies where he can get a leading role, he should consider supporting roles in better projects.

(1 viewing, early screening Mystery Movie Monday 8/14/2023)

SPOILERS

SPOILERS

SPOILERS

Where do I begin...

1) At the start of this conflict, Matt pulls over to confirm that there is a bomb under the seat. He has no reason to believe there are pressure sensors in the backseats, especially since he almost never drives his kids to school. He could have even confirmed that there's nothing under the passenger seat. In conclusion, why in the world would you not immediately tell your kids to get out of the car???? You're already stopped!

2) The bomber mentions multiple times that he's watching Matt. At no point is this ever explained. I assumed he was a hacker and had access to traffic cams or Matt's phone camera. But nope, just nonsense.

3) The Interpol agent calls Matt. He tells her he can't stop because there's a bomb under his seat. The agent doesn't believe him... Even though there have already been two bombings. I don't understand. The news is even talking about a serial bomber. Even if she suspected him, anyone in their right mind would have proceeded as if there really was a bomb under his seat.

4) Matt could have easily convinced her of the caller by leaving her line open and putting the bomber on speakerphone. But this movie is too dumb to have the character do something smart.

5) When the cops have Matt's vehicle surrounded, the Interpol agent goes to talk to him. She's still accusing him of being the bomber. The son tries to tell her, "My dad didn't do it, there's someone on the phone telling him what to do!" Her response (paraphrased) is, "I'm busy right now, I'll talk to you later." I couldn't believe it. This is vital information you're ignoring.

6) Even after the bomb squad confirms a bomb under Matt's seat, she STILL thinks he's the bomber. Are you out of your damn mind? Why would he do this to himself?

7) Matt ends up losing the entirety of the police force and is alone for an extended period of time. In a fully recognizable car with no doors. This has to be the worst police force of all time. How did they not find him, especially when they think he's a serial bomber?

8) The ending... oh the ending. The bomber is now in the backseat with a seatbelt on. But Matt's mindless plan is to crash into a light pole. Even though his own momentum would be thrust forward and his weight would no longer be on the seat. But let's let that one slide.

The car ends up on its side. There is now ZERO weight on the pressure sensor. But the bomb doesn't go off. Unbelievable.

And he escapes by removing his seatbelt and dropping from the vehicle into a river... Even though earlier we saw someone try to run out of a vehicle and was completely engulfed in flames. And it's hilariously convenient the way the vehicle stops in the perfect place to allow Matt to fall out into the river but not have the entire vehicle fall into the river. Atrocious.

Retribution (2023) : Movie Review -

Retribution Movie Review: Nimród Antal's action thriller Retribution sees Liam Neeson take the lead role. Based on the Spanish flick "El desconocido" (2015), Retribution restores all the original elements but seems too soft for today's audiences. Actually, remaking a 2015 flick that hasn't gotten a high repeat value or universal acclaim wasn't a good idea in the first place, but technically it was a safe bet. The script did not demand a huge budget, long hours, or any transformations, so it sums things up quickly. That's easy, but somebody has said the right thing: "Easy is boring". You need something exciting and thrilling just to add one more layer to your decent watch, and the product should land safely. Retribution gets to that decent point, but not to that one extra layer.

Retribution revolves around bank financier Matt Turner (Liam Neeson), who is more busy at work than his family. He thinks everything's alright with his wife, son, and daughter, but it isn't. One day, Matt is off to leave his children at school in a car, and he receives an anonymous call on a cellphone that has been left inside and is told that a bomb has been placed under each of the car's seats, set to explode if any of them leaves their seated position. The unknown caller asks Matt to do everything he says, and as we all know, he wouldn't give easy tasks. From money scams to murder, framing, and destroying one's identity, Matt's life is turned upside down. Can he get it back and save his children?

Retribution is a wannabe revenge drama that hardly has any sensible revenge theories. On the positive side, it is a very engaging hostage drama. You might have seen hostess dramas set in a godown, room, or house, but never inside a car. Retribution scores high in those attributes. One can feel the pressure that's built inside the vehicle and the way those three characters and one horrible voice behave. What goes wrong is the shortening process. The best thing about Retribution is that it's pacy and short, and the worst thing is that it's too short for a complete feature film experience. Predictability is caused by the remake factor, but it wouldn't be there for first-timers. The script has completeness intellectually but is incomplete as a thrilling ride. A little bit of extension to the storyline would have made a good difference.

Talking about performances, Retribution is all about Liam Neeson's acting finesse. This man suits the age, look, and personality of the character, but more than that, it's his own charisma that makes it look better. "I can't," says Matt, dropping his gun. Watch out for Neeson's expression and the situational brilliance provided by him. Noma Dumezweni shines in that one particular scene when she has a conversation with Matt, aka Liam. Matthew Modine will surprise you, despite limited screen space, while Embeth Davidtz underperforms, unexpectedly. The supporting roles of Lilly Aspell, Jack Champion, Arian Moayed, and others are somewhat noticeable.

Retribution's strength lies in its screenplay, even though the storyline is a bit pulpy. El desconocido showed the protagonist in a bad light as a dishonest person, while Retribution is way too mild in presenting the hero. It derives a lot from the sympathetic image of the hero, as we see his children and even the cops being too supportive towards him. It's generous and lovable occasionally-not fully, though. The technical aspects are okay, with a special mention to the background score. Flavio Labiano's camerawork is fine, and Steven Mirkovich's editing doesn't let you have a nap. Nimród Antal's return to the movies after 7 years may be alright, but I still prefer that aggressive Antal from Predators (2010). Moviemaking is far different now, so he must update himself. It's mandatory when you are remaking a so-so one-time film. Retribution is a one-time watch too, but how many people prefer that nowadays?

RATING - 5/10*