43
Metascore
26 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleNeeson’s last few action flicks may have been just for fans, but Retribution is for everybody.
- 60VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanThe film’s 90 minutes whiz by.
- 50SlashfilmChris EvangelistaSlashfilmChris EvangelistaOnce upon a time, a movie of this ilk could be unremarkable but fun; sturdy and dependable; solid, even. Not this time, though.
- 50Slant MagazineRoss McIndoeSlant MagazineRoss McIndoeWithout a compelling reason for us to care about the people inside the car, a reasonably diverting journey never accelerates into an outright thrill-ride.
- The action-thriller is formulaic and obvious. In other words, it's just another Neeson movie, nothing more, nothing less.
- 50Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanDirector Nimród Antal (“Predators”) does a serviceable job of keeping everything interesting and suspenseful, if not exactly fresh.
- 50Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperChicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperWe’re halfway through the movie when the villain’s identity becomes painfully obvious. Spoiler alert: We’re not wrong. The dialogue is often so painful, it’s almost entertaining on some level.
- 50Austin ChronicleJosh KupeckiAustin ChronicleJosh KupeckiIn the hands of director Nimród Antal, a filmmaker who’s made good movies (2003’s Kontroll) and bad movies (2010’s Predators), who has worked on engaging TV shows (Apple TV+’s Servant) and brain-dead TV shows (Netflix’s Stranger Things), Retribution falls pretty much right down the middle.
- 40The New York TimesAmy NicholsonThe New York TimesAmy NicholsonIt’s clear why these films need Neeson: He commits to every line like his life actually does depend on it. But gravitas alone can’t salvage the frustrating plot contrivances and ridiculous dialogue that make the characters sound dumber and dumber the more they explain their motivations.
- 40The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckDirector Nimrod Antal (Predators) stages the mostly vehicular mayhem with as much variety and visual excitement as possible, especially in a crucial scene in which Matt is cornered by the police in a tunnel. But there’s only so much he can do with the hackneyed premise.