Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra
Stars Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Jonathan Banks, Elizabeth McGovern, and Sam Neill
Stately actor Liam Neeson should give any male senior hope and pause. He still looks good, carries himself with sufficient swagger, and can confidently defend himself against any bad guy half his age. In turn, audiences still believe he can engage them, save them, get the girl, avert the bullet and, if not quite come out on top, can take down enough of his adversaries to survive and maybe thrive.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because the 65-year old has become the poster boy for such action thrillers as “Taken” and “Non-Stop.” He once staked his reputation on serious artistic features and bio pics such as “Schindler’s List,” “Kinsey” and “Michael Collins” but found himself the reluctant action star through an ongoing serious of high-profile hits.
In his latest film, “The Commuter,” the Northern Irishman once again applies such a position to convince viewers that, however implausible this action thriller’s plot elements are, this world-weary vet can figure out a sufficient response to the threat at hand so that he can thwart his and everyone else’s enemies.
This time, he’s insurance salesman Michael on his daily commute home, something that quickly becomes anything but routine after a mysterious stranger (Vera Farmiga) sits across from him and threatens his family if he doesn’t figure out which passenger is carrying evidence of a murder. With great trepidation, he’s forced to uncover this hidden train rider before coming to the last stop. Working frantically to solve this dire puzzle, he realizes that, as this deadly plan unfolds, he is unwittingly caught up in a criminal conspiracy that endangers everyone on the ride.
Okay, so having been a former police detective does give Michael something of an edge. And his apparently serendipitous choice as the pawn in this elaborate ploy to do the bidding of mega wealthy corrupt individuals who wield enormous power is not quite the case. Veteran director Jaume Collet-Serra is adroit at handling tale-twisting films laden with surprising storylines fraught with complications, even when he allows for too many twists.
Though there are enough plot holes in the proceeds that Swiss cheese seems a more solid alternative, Neeson’s presence and the movie’s brisk pace makes this tale of a man who goes from bewildered innocent to avenging savior is quite viewable if not absurdly enjoyable.