Retribution (2023)

[Monterey Jack]

Neeson's so creaky that they have to have him sitting down for a whole movie now.

[Jennifer Lawrence Fan]

This movie was pretty bad. Worse so than Blacklight and Memory last year.

The majority of this movie is LN sitting in a car talking on the phone. The movie was 80 some mins without credits. But felt far longer.

Also Liam Neeson seemed to old to be the kids father. Being their grandfather be more believable.

[Monterey Jack]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Lawrence Fan

Also Liam Neeson seemed to old to be the kids father. Being their grandfather be more believable.

This is very much a Hollywood thing, where aging actors have actresses much younger playing their wives and apparently start having kids around 50.

[Jennifer Lawrence Fan]

There's a 52 year age gap between Liam and Jack Champion who played his son. He certainly feel down the wheel hard. From Avatar 2 to this.

This was directed by the same guy who did Vacancy and Predators. Whose first name is Nimrod funny enough. 😂

[unberechenbar]

Wonder if Lionsgate will give this a UHD.

[russweiss1]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Lawrence Fan

Liam Neeson seemed to old to be the kids father. Being their grandfather be more believable.

I saw The Hill yesterday and this is exactly the way I felt about Dennis Quaid.

[Bugg]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

This is very much a Hollywood thing, where aging actors have actresses much younger playing their wives and apparently start having kids around 50.

[Zivouhr]

In Retribution, you're driving kids to school, then you get a call from an unknown phone in the car, and they say one of the worst things you could imagine. That is the set up to Retribution with Liam Neeson, and if you're okay with that, then I think you may enjoy this movie as I did.

The movie doesn't waste time, and within the first fifteen minutes I'd say, we're dealing with the major threat, and slowly unraveling some subtle clues along the way.

The end reveal didn't quite make a ton of sense IMO, but they were going for a surprise, and I did appreciate them explaining some loose ends, so that was at least smart.

Overall, if you like car chase thrillers, this movie is actually entertaining IMO. I liked it and it's one of Neeson's better action thriller films. As long as you know he'll be seated in his car the whole movie pretty much. That's the whole point of the film's set up.

Like that movie, Phone Booth, where Colin Ferrell is stuck at the phone booth most of the movie. I thought this was better because there were some good car chases and blasts, action.

Retribution: 4/5
For this style of film. Neeson delivers a really good performance once again. My only complaint being the logic of the villain. It's a real stretch but in this society, probably not.

For the kids, I think Neeson may have adopted them or been their step-father situation. I'd have to see it again, but the kid calls him by his first name, and Liam says "I'm your father". The kid doesn't correct him about step-fatherhood, so maybe not?
But didn't Robert De Niro just have a kid? And he's 80 years old. I think Pacino too had a baby with a lady in 2023. They're going for Great Grandfatherhood rather than just fatherhood.

[Walter Kafka]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

Neeson's so creaky that they have to have him sitting down for a whole movie now.

He's entered Seagal territory.

[Hedrox]

Originally Posted by Walter Kafka

He's entered Seagal territory.

Honestly, ever since that 2019 interview, it hasn't been the same. It low-key ended his popularity, now he's just another cog in the Geezer teaser genre.

[Pondosinatra]

Neeson's fu**ing stupid daughter get kidnapped again????

[Jennifer Lawrence Fan]

Originally Posted by Pondosinatra

Neeson's fu**ing stupid daughter get kidnapped again????

No. His kids are in the car with him the entire movie.

[50strat54]

I enjoyed the movie and dutifully will buy this on BF.

There’s a bomb in the bus! (The Commuter), there’s a bomb on the plane! (Non-Stop), there’s a bomb in the car (Retribution and not a spoiler it’s in the trailer). Next up is the bomb on a boat, probably a cruise liner.

Just like Gerard Butler films, these are easy watch action films.

You can nitpick them all you want, but I just love to turn off my brain and enjoy the ride.

Honest Thief which I enjoyed is truly one of his stupidest. It aggravated me to no end how absolutely dumb those FBI agents were…come on! Cameras everywhere you morons! It was a truly stupid film which I still enjoyed but I had to nitpick on those FBI agents, it was like waving a red flag in front of a bull and I felt so disrespected by this plot point and yet on BF I dutifully bought it for $8.

[Samus Aran]

Originally Posted by 50strat54

There’s a bomb in the bus! (The Commuter), there’s a bomb on the plane! (Non-Stop), there’s a bomb in the car (Retribution and not a spoiler it’s in the trailer). Next up is the bomb on a boat, probably a cruise liner.

There's a bad bomb on the good bomb!

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by 50strat54

I enjoyed the movie and dutifully will buy this on BF.

There’s a bomb in the bus! (The Commuter), there’s a bomb on the plane! (Non-Stop), there’s a bomb in the car (Retribution and not a spoiler it’s in the trailer). Next up is the bomb on a boat, probably a cruise liner.

Just like Gerard Butler films, these are easy watch action films.

You can nitpick them all you want, but I just love to turn off my brain and enjoy the ride.

Honest Thief which I enjoyed is truly one of his stupidest. It aggravated me to no end how absolutely dumb those FBI agents were…come on! Cameras everywhere you morons! It was a truly stupid film which I still enjoyed but I had to nitpick on those FBI agents, it was like waving a red flag in front of a bull and I felt so disrespected by this plot point and yet on BF I dutifully bought it for $8.

The bomb in the boat has been done (Speed 2)

[rsp_clark]

The ending just makes no sense!

[Show spoiler]So Matthew Modine was doing two voices in two separate phones when he was in the car in the trainyard and Liam Neeson didn't see? Is Modine a ventriloquist?

And I was actually enjoying the movie up to that point...

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by rsp_clark

The ending just makes no sense!

[Show spoiler]So Matthew Modine was doing two voices in two separate phones when he was in the car in the trainyard and Liam Neeson didn't see? Is Modine a ventriloquist?

And I was actually enjoying the movie up to that point...

Yes it was so absurd

[Show spoiler]like you said, how did Liam Neeson’s character or his kids not notice him when they were talking on the phone and directly across from each other at the same time? Also what was Matthew Modine’s character’s plan with the gun, obviously he assumed he wouldn’t shoot him, but what if he did? Maybe the gun had blanks, but then the plot would be given away.

I thought the cop was gonna be the villain during their face to face meeting near the end. Like she found out about the hidden account in an investigation, just because of how ridiculous the actual twist was.

Same, while not great, I was having fun until it goes totally off the rails at the ending

[klauswhereareyou]

It might be about time to pull the plug on Liam Neeson action movies/thrillers. Seems like they've run their course.

[DR Herbert West]

Time for more Darkman.

[Zivouhr]

Liam Neeson, does he ever take a break from acting? His career of films is packed with new movies every year since the 1980s. About 3 movies made a year. Memory was so slow and had literally 1 minute of action in the parking garage. It was really a slow thriller about memory loss and not action based at all.
I didn't see Marlowe. It was during other films releasing in theaters at that time.

[Show spoiler]Year Title Role Notes
1978 Pilgrim's Progress Evangelist / Jesus Christ
1981 Christiana Greatheart
Excalibur Gawain
1983 Krull Kegan
1984 The Bounty Charles Churchill
1985 Lamb Michael Lamb
The Innocent John Carns
1986 The Delta Force Delta Force Commando Uncredited
The Mission Father John Fielding
Duet for One Totter
1987 Suspect Carl Anderson
A Prayer for the Dying Liam Docherty
1988 Satisfaction Martin Falcon
High Spirits Martin Brogan
The Dead Pool Peter Swan
The Good Mother Leo Cutter
1989 Next of Kin Briar Gates
1990 Darkman Peyton Westlake / Darkman
The Big Man Danny Scoulars
1991 Under Suspicion Tony Aaron
1992 Shining Through Franz-Otto Dietrich
Husbands and Wives Michael Gates
Leap of Faith Sheriff Will Braverman
1993 Ethan Frome Ethan Frome
Ruby Cairo Dr. Fergus Lamb
Schindler's List Oskar Schindler
1994 Nell Dr. Jerome 'Jerry' Lovell
1995 Rob Roy Rob Roy MacGregor
1996 Before and After Ben Ryan
Michael Collins Michael Collins
1998 Everest Narrator Voice; documentary film
Les Misérables Jean Valjean
1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Qui-Gon Jinn
The Haunting Dr. David Marrow
2000 Gun Shy DEA Agent Charlie Mayough
The Endurance Narrator Voice; documentary film
2002 Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones Qui-Gon Jinn (voice) Uncredited cameo
K-19: The Widowmaker Captain Mikhail Polenin
Gangs of New York 'Priest' Vallon
2003 Love Actually Daniel
Coral Reef Adventure Narrator Voice; documentary film
2004 Kinsey Alfred Kinsey
2005 Kingdom of Heaven Godfrey of Ibelin
Batman Begins Henri Ducard / Ra's al Ghul
Breakfast on Pluto Father Liam
The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Aslan (voice)
2006 Home Himself Documentary film
2007 Seraphim Falls Colonel Morsman Carver
2008 The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Aslan (voice)
The Other Man Peter
Taken Bryan Mills
2009 Five Minutes of Heaven Alistair Little
Ponyo Fujimoto Voice
After.Life Eliot Deacon
Chloe David Stewart
2010 Clash of the Titans Zeus
The A-Team John "Hannibal" Smith
The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Aslan (voice)
The Next Three Days Damon Pennington
The Wildest Dream Narrator Voice; documentary film
2011 Unknown Dr. Martin Harris
2012 The Grey John Ottway
Wrath of the Titans Zeus
Battleship Admiral Terrance Shane
The Dark Knight Rises Henri Ducard / Ra's al Ghul Cameo
Taken 2 Bryan Mills
2013 Third Person Michael Leary
Khumba Phango Voice
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues History Channel Reporter Cameo
2014 The Nut Job Raccoon Voice
The Lego Movie Bad Cop / Good Cop / Pa Cop
The Prophet Mustafa
Non-Stop Bill Marks
A Million Ways to Die in the West Clinch Leatherwood
A Walk Among the Tombstones Matthew Scudder
Love Thy Nature Narrator Voice; Documentary film
Road Narrator
Taken 3 Bryan Mills
2015 Run All Night Jimmy 'The Gravedigger' Conlon
Entourage Himself Cameo
Ted 2 Customer
A Christmas Star Narrator / Radio DJ Voice
2016 The Huntsman: Winter's War Narrator Voice; uncredited
Operation Chromite Douglas MacArthur
A Monster Calls Monster /
Conor's Grandfather Voice and motion capture
Uncredited photograph cameo
Silence Father Cristóvão Ferreira
2017 The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature Raccoon Voice; original cut only
Mark Felt:
The Man Who Brought Down the White House Mark Felt
Daddy's Home 2 Actor In Missile Tow Voice; cameo
2018 The Commuter Michael McCauley
The Last Horsemen of New York Himself Documentary film
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Impresario Segment: "Meal Ticket"
Widows Harry Rawlings
2019 Cold Pursuit Nelson 'Nels' Coxman
Men in Black: International[2] High T[3]
Ordinary Love Tom Thompson
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker Qui-Gon Jinn (voice) Cameo
2020 Made in Italy Robert Foster
Honest Thief Tom Carter / Tom Dolan
2021 The Marksman Jim Hanson
The Ice Road Mike McCann
2022 Blacklight Travis Block
Memory Alex Lewis
Marlowe Philip Marlowe
2023 Retribution Matt Turner
In the Land of Saints and Sinners TBA Post-production
TBA Thug TBA
Cold Storage Roberto Diaz Filming[4]

Originally Posted by rsp_clark

The ending just makes no sense!

[Show spoiler]So Matthew Modine was doing two voices in two separate phones when he was in the car in the trainyard and Liam Neeson didn't see? Is Modine a ventriloquist?

And I was actually enjoying the movie up to that point...

Originally Posted by xbs2034

Yes it was so absurd

[Show spoiler]like you said, how did Liam Neeson’s character or his kids not notice him when they were talking on the phone and directly across from each other at the same time? Also what was Matthew Modine’s character’s plan with the gun, obviously he assumed he wouldn’t shoot him, but what if he did? Maybe the gun had blanks, but then the plot would be given away.

I thought the cop was gonna be the villain during their face to face meeting near the end. Like she found out about the hidden account in an investigation, just because of how ridiculous the actual twist was.

Same, while not great, I was having fun until it goes totally off the rails at the ending

I'll have to watch it again on disc.
Keeping in mind, his

[Show spoiler]friend was using a voice altering filter, and early on, was calling Liam as both his friend investor and the villain. How he got into his car to place the other phone and explosive cell phones, he said it was through the dark web resources. The gun was probably filled with blanks. I did appreciate he explained the train as his cover to sneak out of the exploded car.
During the scene where Liam was told to shoot his friend in the car, that could've been prerecorded by his 'friend' and played back as he was talking as Liam's friend in the car. I'm not sure.
In the end, it was definitely a big stretch his friend would go through all of that to get big money, but villains often have insane and unlikely plans in real life too.

Speaking of off the rails, I thought Liam was going to drive full speed off the bridge, but he got stuck at the end. I'm glad he was able to unbuckle his belt in time.

That was good.

Originally Posted by DR Herbert West

Time for more Darkman.

Liam could return as an older Peyton Westlake, still using disguises. For the masked scenes, they can just use a stunt actor. Just a matter of Sam Raimi releasing the rights to Darkman or however that works with who is holding the property all this time since Darkman 3 of the 1990s.