Ah the beginning of
the year. When two types of films are being released into theaters:
Oscar hopefuls from the previous year and usually terrible but
sometimes decent genre-fare dumped there by the studios while trying
to make a quick buck. Try to guess which one “The Commuter” is.
Look when you settle in for a January release at the theater you have
to keep your expectations in check. There's no real way a Liam Neeson
thriller set aboard a NY commuter train is going to be the epitome of
great cinema but here we are. I'm a sucker for a decent
transportation themed action thriller. Why else would I have gone to
see things like the surprisingly good “Unstoppable” and the fine,
if forgettable, “Non-Stop?” Speaking of the latter, Mr. Neeson
reteams with his “Non-Stop” director Jaume Collet-Serra who is
quickly becoming the go-to guy for halfway decent, mindless
thrillers. He worked wonders in the shark thriller “The Shallows”
and I still argue that his “House of Wax” remake is stylish to a
fault. Let's get real, you're not seeing “The Commuter” for its
directorial achievements; the film is fine as a mindless diversion
and it has a pretty impressive cast. But like most Liam Neeson
thrillers it's utterly ridiculous and silly but it somehow works
despite how preposterous it gets as it goes along. In other words,
the movie is pretty much the guilty pleasure you've been looking for.
“The Commuter”
may actually be a little too plot heavy for its own good. It's one of
those films where you don't really know what's going on until certain
things are revealed and even then it's not really all that shocking.
Neeson plays a NYC businessman who commutes into the city daily. He
knows the train life inside out and even knows some of the fellow
passengers and crew members. After having just been let go from his
job, with only a few years away from retirement, a stranger played
by Vera Farmiga shows up and makes him an offer. She's looking for a
passenger on the train and if he can find him or her then he'll get a
stash of money that's hidden on the train. Seems simple enough but is
anything in life that easy? Of course not. A friend of his ends up
getting pushed in front of a bus which signals that people are
watching him and he's now caught up in a serious conspiracy that
could easily mean life or death. And then the plot goes from
ridiculous to preposterous. And may even involve the train derailing.
Remember I said I
was a sucker for transportation thrillers? I'd argue that “Speed”
is the best. It's simple premise and dynamite execution still holds
up today. This is not “Speed.” This is not even “Unstoppable.”
Though it is technically better than “Under Siege 2.” Odds are
you know whether you're the right audience for this movie. It's sort
of dumb fun and it feels like Neeson isn't even really trying
anymore. But that's ok because the film doesn't really take itself
too seriously… most of the time. I don't think the story itself is
as satisfying as it could have been but that's beside the point
really. There's enough style and flashy camerawork to make you
realize that the movie just sort of backs itself into a corner and
the big twists aren't really all that exciting. It's mildly suspenseful
fun if you're willing to hop on board. GRADE: B-
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