The Commuter

Starring: Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Jonathan Banks, Sam Neill, Elizabeth McGovern, Killian Scott, Letitia Wright
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Drama
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A man (Liam Neeson) riding the train home from work finds himself forced into the middle of a criminal conspiracy.

Review:

Tim: I'm all for Liam Neeson having a career and making money, but I wish he wouldn't make so many generic action films. I've loved his career renaissance as this older action star, but many of his movies are simply too forgettable. The Commuter is unfortunately one of those films. It's fine, but there isn't anything inspiring about it. It has its moments, but there are far too many flaws.

I'm pretty convinced that we need to break up the duo of director Jaume Collet-Serra and Neeson. This is the fourth pairing of these two and the results have been middling. They first partnered on the average and forgettable Unknown, improved on that effort with the good (but not more than that) Non-Stop, dropped down again for the lackluster Run All Night, and then again here for the decent but not good enough The Commuter. That's not the greatest track record. As bland as this movie is, it's still the second-best collaboration between the two. Not great.

The movie actually starts out with some promise. Neeson is a commuter riding the train home from work. He is approached by a mysterious woman who makes him an offer that could be hypothetical or could be real. He unwillingly gets involved in this conspiracy and is called upon to do dangerous things if he wants his family to live. There's one aspect of this that sort of works. Neeson is great as an average guy forced to go beyond the norm to protect those he loves. There is a legitimately interesting mystery here that propels the early parts of the film forward. I was genuinely interested in what was going on and how it would all play out. The beginning of this film is certainly the strongest. As the movie progresses, the lackluster script starts to show. The frayed edges become more visible as you realize this story offers nothing new and isn't particularly interested in even trying. It feels like most of those involved are going through the motions- there's no sense of anyone giving their very best, nor being expected to. The movie quickly feels like a paycheck for most involved.

Now, while none of the cast members were outstanding, there was still a lot of talent here. Neeson is a legitimately good actor, and even his B-level performance is entertaining. He plays it ultra safe here, doing the exact same thing he's been doing for 10 years (!) now, after 2008's Taken. He's comfortable in the role- but actually too comfortable. Still, he's fun to watch. Vera Farmiga is a talented actress, but this felt like a show-up-and-get-paid performance. She doesn't have much to do and has minimal screen time. Patrick Wilson likewise was decent, but his role is obvious and small and he seems to know all this. I liked seeing Jonathan Banks, but his role was small. The same can be said for Sam Neill- he's good, but has minimal impact on the film. It's kind of funny, for a cast with Neeson, Farmiga, Wilson, Banks, and Neill, it feels like the only one we spend considerable time with is Neeson. He's mostly paired not with the most talented cast members, but a bunch of forgettable actors. It's an interesting approach and one that doesn't work very well. For a cast with this much talent, Collet-Serra sure doesn't use most of them very effectively.

The story itself is fine, but it offers nothing new. There's a few okay twists. The movie does get more and more outlandish the longer it goes on. It feels convenient that Neeson knows so many people on the train. The movie explains this by suggesting commuters know each other by riding the same train every day, but I think a lot of commuters have a very different experience than the one described here. The climax of the film is hard to buy. It feels like the film was trying to remain believable and ultimately couldn't hold it in any more.

Look, The Commuter isn't a bad movie. It's a decent little thriller. It just feels exactly like multiple movies we have seen in recent years. It's not an A-level effort from anyone involved and the results show. I'm being harsh because it feels like this could have been better, but I have to admit the film is pretty decent.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Run All Night, Unknown, Non-Stop, The Girl on the Train