Retribution is currently the ninth most-watched film on Amazon Prime Video. That dubious honor represents considerably more praise than anything it received at the box office. The film failed to outearn its modest $20 million budget and received a withering 28% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes. Few remember the trailers for this film that came out around five months ago. It’s another brilliant example of the bizarre boon provided by a theatrical release.
Retribution Gets Its Revenge Through Amazon
You read the title correctly. Retribution is a 90-minute movie in which 71-year-old action star Liam Neeson is trapped in a Mercedes SUV. In the style of thrillers like Phone Booth and Con Air, a bomber threatens Neeson’s family if he leaves his seat. This is the final step in his downfall from an omnicompetent super soldier to an unconvincing parody of the same. Anyone willing to sit through the Taken trilogy can see him lose his action chops across six years. He would kill a role as a mentor to an up-and-coming talent, but name recognition demands he remain the star. Retribution gives Neeson nothing to work with and reaps no rewards. It’s violently boring, even as twists and turns unfold and forgettable characters explode left and right. The dull experience earned a proportional response in theaters, but Amazon must be Retribution‘s proper home.
A movie that launches straight to streaming has an indelible mark against it. A theatrical run, even a woefully unsuccessful one, grants a film prestige. People remember the ads, even if the marketing left no impact on them. A movie like The Northman, which underperformed at the box office, but often finds its audience on streaming. Retribution suffered the same cycle, but its return won’t win it any retroactive appreciation. Jamaica and the Netherlands contributed the most toward its position on Amazon Prime Video. Many Latin American countries pushed the film into their top ten. Spanish viewers ignored the film, likely because it’s a remake of a considerably better 2015 Spanish offering. Retribution‘s limited success on Amazon comes from the star on the poster and the trailers on TV. I sincerely hope those Dutch and Jamaican viewers found enjoyment in this literal Liam Neeson vehicle.
There’s not much worth watching in Retribution, but it could be worthwhile as a fascinating piece of the star’s legacy. Few action heroes could pull off a movie about sitting in a car, and now we know Liam Neeson fits comfortably on that list. Director Nimród Antal has created more engaging projects, but his current era remains unimpressive. Expect Retribution to slip from its top ten position quickly. Retribution got what it deserved, but every good revenge story has a few shocked onlookers.
