Bookshelf Battle

He’s got a set of skills…that include riding on a train.

BQB here with a review of “The Commuter.”

Liam Neeson’s tough guy using his skills action movie phase continues to go strong and up front, I have to admit that out of all of the post “Taken” movies that still tried to capitalize on that, this one is the best.  Overall, it’s better than what you usually might expect to see in the dull, dreary month of January.

Liam stars as Michael, an ex-cop who got tired of the corruption and became an insurance salesman.  For the past ten years, he’s been a passenger on the same commuter train.  Everyday, it’s the same routine, day in, day out, where he does the same thing at the same time, and always passes by the same fellow commuters.

Alas, one day his ride home is not so routine.  A mysterious woman ( the ever boner inducing Vera Farmiga) approaches him and forces him to do her dirty work, namely, there is someone on the train her evil bosses want found and it is up to Michael to find this person…or else!

Admittedly, the plot is a little thin.  At times, Vera and her mysterious associates are able to watch and manipulate Michael so much from the shadows that one is left to believe that they probably had the power to find the person they want all along without disturbing an insurance salesman.

Still, there are some cool scenes.  There’s a montage at the beginning where Michael does the same various tasks everyday in different clothes to show the monotony of commuter life (get there everyday at the same time and do the same thing.)  There’s also a pretty cool fight scene between Michael and a would-be assassin.

STATUS:  Shelf-worthy.  Liam’s still got it after all these years.  “Breaking Bad” fans will be happy to see Jonathan Banks in a small role.