Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Action violence in tight, entertaining Liam Neeson thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Retribution
What's the Story?
In RETRIBUTION, busy bank executive Matt Turner (Liam Neeson) has been tasked with driving his kids -- teen Zach (Jack Champion) and Zach's younger sister, Emily (Lilly Aspell) -- to school. Zach and his father have a fight, and Zach reluctantly gets in the car. Matt takes some calls and does some wheeling and dealing, and then the family hears a strange phone ringing. Matt finds the phone and answers it: A sinister, distorted voice tells him that there's a bomb under his seat, activated by a pressure plate. If Matt gets out of the car, he and his family will die in the subsequent explosion. Matt must do everything the bomber says, which involves getting his hands on 208 million euros, or face the consequences.
Is It Any Good?
With a simple idea, a handful of characters, and a compact running time, this speedy, high-concept action/thriller does its job exceedingly well, handily smoothing over any inherent ridiculousness. Directed by Nimród Antal, whose action-oriented B-movies are usually pretty solid, Retribution is a remake of a 2015 Spanish-language movie. Yet it also borrows ideas from earlier movies like Speed, Phone Booth, The Call, The Guilty, etc. and mixes them up into a nifty new brew. It's fun to see Neeson playing a less-than-honorable character who has no idea how much he's neglecting and even dishonoring his family. He keeps saying that he's done nothing wrong, but we don't really believe him. (It's also nice to see him re-teaming with his Schindler's List co-star Embeth Davidtz, who here plays his wife.)
The friction between characters plays nicely along with the action. Antal keeps things moving at a good clip, building suspense with his use of space and speed in the traffic scenes. (The movie was shot and takes place in Berlin.) He also avoids going too far over the top, Fast X style. Retribution has a bit of a disappointing ending with the mystery villain's big surprise reveal, but that doesn't detract from its pure entertainment value.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Retribution's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
What's the relationship between the father and his children like? How is it similar to your own family relationships? How is it different?
Do you think Matt is redeemed in the end? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 25, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : September 15, 2023
- Cast : Liam Neeson , Matthew Modine , Embeth Davidtz
- Director : Nimrod Antal
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Lionsgate , Roadside Attractions
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some language and violence
- Last updated : November 16, 2023
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