Retribution

Directed by Nimród Antal, Retribution follows Liam Neeson’s Matt Turner as he and his children (Lilly Aspell’s Emily and Jack Champion’s Zach) attempt to extricate themselves from a deadly scenario involving a car bomb. Filmmaker Antal, working from Chris Salmanpour’s screenplay, delivers a watchable yet entirely forgettable thriller than benefits substantially from Neeson’s intense, committed performance, as the actor offers up a dynamic turn that goes a long way towards sustaining the viewer’s interest through the picture’s less-than-enthralling stretches (ie Neeson is certainly giving it his all here). It’s clear, too, that the movie benefits from a midsection that contains more than a few engaging, exciting set-pieces (including a car chase!), and although the whole thing does peter out somewhat in its limp third act, Retribution is nevertheless a decent-enough (and comfortable) watch that’s consistently elevated by Neeson’s better-than-anticipated efforts.

**1/2 out of ****