Review by Grant Dillard, Staff writer
When it comes to action, Liam Neeson has been no stranger to the genre. Neeson has had action-centric roles in films such as “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” and “Batman Begins,” but it wasn’t until the release of “Taken” in 2009 where he cemented his status as an action star. Since then, he’s been involved in a number of action movies including “Unknown,” “The Grey,” “Non-Stop,” as well as two “Taken” sequels. Reteaming with his “Non-Stop” director, Jaume Collet-Serra, Neeson gives audiences his usual action movie presence in “The Commuter”: a familiar, yet still enjoyable action film.
Michael MacCauley (Liam Neeson) is a retired ex-cop who’s down on his luck after being fired from his job at an insurance company while already struggling to pay for his son’s college education. While taking the train on his way home, he ends up meeting a woman named Joanna (Vera Farmiga.) Joanna gives Michael an offer; that if he can find one particular passenger on the train that she’s looking for, he’ll be given $100,000. Feeling desperate, Michael does accept the offer, not knowing that the task is much more difficult than he anticipated.
It’s easy to compare this film to one of Neeson’s more recent action movies: “Non-Stop,” as it’s basically the same kind of story, only taking place on a train instead of an airplane. “The Commuter” not only shares the same lead actor and director as “Non-Stop,” as well as a mystery involving one of the passengers onboard but the film even resorts to the plot point of trying to make Neeson’s character look like the bad guy even though he’s only trying to figure out how to get out of the situation he found himself in. Surprisingly, despite these similarities, “The Commuter” is still an engaging film to watch.
The film’s story, despite not exactly being original, manages to keep audiences’ attention throughout. Part of what makes this story stand out amongst other Liam Neeson action films is that the main character seems more vulnerable this time around. Michael MacCauley isn’t just a tough guy with a particular set of skills, he’s a simple, ordinary man who’s a lot more nervous and terrified about what he’s gotten himself into. Of course, he’s still willing to fight off whoever’s against him but this added vulnerability makes the character more engaging.
Again, much like “Non-Stop” this film isn’t much of a shoot-em-up action movie, but more of a suspense thriller. The film focuses more on Michael trying to figure out how to solve his predicament than him fighting everyone in sight. Even the action scenes present, while thankfully not horribly edited like the “Taken” sequels, aren’t anything memorable: that is, except for one scene in the middle of the film where Michael faces off against someone, where the entire fight is filmed in one continuous shot. The choreography isn’t exactly mindblowing, but it’s still impressive that the director managed to film the scene in this style. Plus, it’s the only time viewers will get to see Liam Neeson attack someone with an electric guitar. That alone should be worth the price of admission.
While “The Commuter” is certainly an above average action movie, there’s a couple lingering problems that keep the film from being truly great. The film has a large cast of characters, which unfortunately results in some of them not being given a good amount of focus for audiences to get invested. This even includes the passenger who turns out to be the target Michael is looking for, which makes for a disappointing letdown when that particular passenger is revealed to be the target. The buildup and pondering about who it is Michael’s looking for is certainly more interesting than the payoff; But perhaps the aspect which audiences may criticize the most is one particular scene in the third act. Without giving too much away, there’s this huge train crash which is absolutely ridiculous and over the top. This would be fine in something like a “Fast and Furious” movie, but it really sticks out like a sore thumb in a movie like this where everything else is relatively serious and realistic.
Though certainly not the best action film that Liam Neeson has been in, “The Commuter” still makes for good entertainment for those who have enjoyed Neeson’s previous work, as well as anyone looking for a film smarter than an average Hollywood blockbuster. If anything, it’s at least worth seeing at matinee price.