Liam Neeson is one of the best known actors of all time. While he’s built a storied career with critically acclaimed films like Schindler’s List, recently he’s best known for The Taken Franchise and “Taken on a plane” (Non-Stop). His newest film, The Commuter, is Taken on a train.

WARNING BAD TRAIN PUNS AHEAD

Micheal MacCauley (Neeson) is the hero in The Commuter. He is an ex-cop with a very particular set of skills which include being fired from his insurance job right when he needs money to get his son through college.

On his daily commuter train, he meets a woman named Joanna (Vera Farmiga) who has a suspicious loco-motive. She tells Micheal he can have 100,000 dollars if he finds a passenger who doesn’t belong. This brief set up leads to a standard Liam Neeson thriller that is disposable and slightly entertaining.

The Commuter’s writing is sloppy and the plot is trite, predictable, and boring. The Commuter contains dialogue so bad not even Neeson’s Irish charm can make it interesting.

The action is a mixed bag. In typical Liam Neeson movie fashion, he kicks some caboose and takes some names. Much of the action is poorly blocked and edited. However, one scene is a long single take that is very impressive. As the third act rolls around, the action becomes so far-fetched that it drew laughter from the audience.

The Commuter is a bland, generic Liam Neeson action movie. The movie is competently made but it’s the same stuff Neeson has made at least four different times. Maybe choo-choo-choose it if you’re at a local Redbox, but it is not worth the commute to the theater.

Score 5/10