This humble opinion is brought to you by T. K. Edwards
THE COMMUTER – Rated PG-13 – 1 hr. 44 mins.
Director by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Cast: Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Sam Neill, Jonathan Banks
A mysterious woman forces an ex-cop turned insurance salesman to find a passenger on his regular commuter train before the last stop, otherwise he will face deadly consequences.
BELOW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS…CONTINUE READING AT OWN RISK
I’m not going to bother wasting your time talking about what this movie really is. Because let’s face it, we ALL know what this movie really is. This movie is Liam Neeson. So straight out, if you’re not a fan of his action movies, then don’t bother reading on. Go see The Phantom Thread (which I hear is a nice film) and have a good day…
You still here? Great. Then let’s talk about LIAM NEESON!!! Because I’m a fan.
The Commuter is another great Liam Neeson action movie. As always there is a slow start to the film, with some “cringe worthy” character development and backstory, but we sit through it because we know the other 90% of the film is going to be Neeson kicking some serious ass. And we love it! Now, before I get too far ahead of myself, I want to list all of the recent Liam Neeson action movies that I really do enjoy. Let’s go in order shall we…Taken (I have a certain set of skills), The A-Team (dah da da dah, da da…daaaaah — did you sing that in your head? LOL), Unknown (January Jones..nuff said), The Grey (Liam Neeson + Wolves = Awesome!!!), Taken 2 (I still have a certain set of skills), Non-Stop (I did not hijack this plane, I’m trying to save it!), A Walk Among the Tombstones (greatest title for a movie ever!), Taken 3 (I’m telling ya, these skills ain’t going nowhere), and Run All Night (unless you’re 6’4” and from Ireland). Take a moment to realize and appreciate how many action movies this man has done since 2008 and he still has a few more he’s willing to do. The man is in his 60s and even he has gone on record as saying that he doesn’t understand why or how he is an action star. Which obviously makes us love him even more!
So now let’s discuss The Commuter. Right away I’m going to tell you this is not his best action film, but it is very entertaining. The fight sequences are very good, but not like the ones in Taken where he’s using the fighting techniques of Nagasu Do (I can’t pronounce it either…i’m just going to call it Neeson-Fu). The Commuter fights are more realistic and they last a bit longer than most of his other movies. The story is strong and does keep your attention throughout the film. And if you’re able to do it, let yourself get caught up in the action, so that when the “twist ending” does happen, you are quasi surprised. Because let’s face it, you’re going to see it coming. So in conclusion, my suggestion is to go see The Commuter in theaters if you’re a fan of Liam Neeson’s action movies, otherwise go ahead and wait until you can watch this one at home. Either way it’s worth watching. Until next time, thanks for reading.
MATINEE CHAT with Kathy Kaiser 