The Commuter (2018)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Pretty Good

Blistering performances.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

"The Commuter" is about a 60-year-old man whose repetitive life is interrupted by a time-sensitive mystery on a train that threatens the lives of all the passengers aboard. He receives instructions to solve this mystery by Vera Farmiga. If I hadn't known better, I might've thought I was watching a reworking of "Source Code" (2011). After all, the opening credits sequence shows Liam Neeson going through the same basic routine everyday, which always results with him commuting to and from work--plus train, plus Farmiga. But, no, instead, it's "Non-Stop" (2014), with the same star, with the twist being he's on a train this time rather than a plane.I miss the simplicity of the "Taken" series and the more-acceptable logic that a former CIA operative would have "a very particular set of skills" that would allow him to kick butt even as he enters the age of a senior citizen. In "Non-Stop," at least, he's still a federal air marshal, but, now, in "The Commuter," he's a former insurance salesman and even-more-former police officer. Talk about straining credulity. Most people, including police officers, go their entire lives without ever having the athleticism and combat skills of Neeson's salesman. If they do continue this path until Neeson's character bounces out of his wheelchair without an ounce of combat training in his past careers to beat up guys half his age or younger, then I hope the plots aren't as convoluted as this one.And Farmiga is not in her mid-30s, as the police captain suggests. If audiences can accept the premise of an elderly man leaping between railroad cars like he's prime Michael Jordan, then I think they can accept that a mid-40s-aged woman is attractive.

Actually very entertaining but also quite common Liam Neeson auctioner that was really full of holes like Swiss cheese. Too bad, because it had some tense and fine style as well as interesting cinematography but the problem was that the format is really dried out now... we saw the same kind of thing in "Non-Stop" by the same actor/director duo and this time the story just takes place on a train and is even more unbelievable just like many of the stunts. Too bad that a good cast was wasted. Next to Liam Neeson, who really was not in top form here, we have Vera Farmiga in a wasted role that mostly focuses on a voice performance only. Sam Neill who was also quite non existing except for the beginning and ending. But I always love to see him. Patrick Wilson did his usual boring thing. Good to see Jonathan Banks and Elizabeth McGovern who almost had no lines. The score was good some effects decent and it never got boring but even if you try to switch off the logic you just can't, its so illogical its funny how it got a green light. Oh well never change a winning team or concept I think... but maybe its time to do so now.

I'm a big fan of the Liam Neeson kick some ass action. The formula works for me, despite his age. The Commuter, not so much.Both the action and plot were disappointing. The beginning montage was too long and fill and could easily have been shortened to edit out unnecessary scenes and the length of the movie. Or add some coherence to the plot.It could have been a good psychological thriller, but never took it beyond a few scenes. He barely strained his conscience. Then it tried to be an action movie, but wasn't coherent or fulfilling as that. His mission on the train was him roaming back and forth in a panic and trying to call for help. A more intelligent selection process would have made up for a lot of the silly physicality of the stunts. There were some red herrings, but nothing really interesting.Then, other than a train crash, there's absolutely no explanation of the villians. They are omnipotent, except for the main plot point. We never know who they are. And the last scene... Just skipped ahead without any backstory. A lot of wasted potential. There are struggling writers who could have done better.

This is a mainstream standard movie. You have seen it all before. You have even seen Liam Neeson tons of times in that role before. So if you want a cliché movie THIS is the Big deal.