Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

The Commuter Blu-ray Movie Review

Strangers on a train.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 13, 2018

The Commuter is one of those films that hinges on such an almost absurd amount of coincidences and outlandish plot conceits that it may actually provoke anger on the part of some viewers, until, that is, the typically reliable fury of Liam Neeson kicking an equally insane amount of butt in the confined space of a daily train to the suburbs provides a bit of distraction. This is a film that relies on a shadowy conspiracy of such ubiquitous knowledge that they are able to line up a patently ridiculous amount of strategies that include not just surveilling an ex-cop named Michael McCauley (the aforementioned Liam Neeson), but then enticing him with a stash of cash he just so happens to be deeply in need of, and then having everything so much under their shadowy control that they can instantly contact him on a stranger’s cell phone when Michael’s own phone is stolen (whether or not they arranged that is never adequately explained), not to mention more or less instantly killing several characters who either depart the train or who actually stay on it. And yet, for all their obvious octopus tentacle like reach into seemingly every area of this film’s characters and subtext, they’re not able to successfully identify and take out another passenger on the train, which is what that huge stash of cash is intended to persuade Michael to do for them. It’s just “eye rolling” territory after a while, and relies on such an astounding amount of suspension of disbelief that the film may actually ultimately be enjoyed as a kind of unintentional comedy.

The Commuter reunites Neeson with director Jaume Collet-Serra, with whom Neeson has also made Unknown, Non-Stop, and Run All Night. While The Commuter bears a number of probably too close for comfort similarities to Non-Stop (a harried “everyman” on a vehicle seemingly randomly contacted to achieve a certain result), all of the previous Neeson — Collet-Serra collaborations actually may provide a bit of insight into some of this particular film’s issues, at least as evidenced by some deliciously snarky pull quotes from my colleague Ken Brown’s reviews of those previous three films:

Unknown is a plot twist wrapped inside of a riddle slathered in complete and utter implausibility. It creeps and stalls, lurches and lunges, shrugging off any and every glaring plot hole that might put another thriller out of its misery. And just when things can't get any more convoluted (or any more reminiscent of Roman Polanski's Frantic), it takes a sharp right at [spoiler], jams its foot on the action-accelerator and never looks back. Come to think of it, Unknown stitches together the remains of at least seven different films, making it as derivative as it is cumbersome and as predictable as it is uneven.

"Thrilling and intense," screams Non-Stop's cover art. "A taught, suspenseful thriller in the vein of Hitchcock," raves a random Midwestern critic trying much too hard to achieve poster-quote fame. Adding, "with an ending you won't see coming!" Is Jaume Collet-Serra's Non- Stop thrilling? Sure. Intense? You bet. Suspenseful? Absolutely. Hitchcockian? In many ways, yes. Strands of its DNA are ripped straight from the Master of Suspense and, for a while, it sorta, kinda, almost works. (Squinting and staring at the script sideways helps too.) Stop, pause or take a breath, though, and it all starts to unravel. And good God, don't for a second actually devote any thought to anything that happens on screen.

Yet another misfire in an extended mag of generic geriatric action flicks starring the always irresistible Liam Neeson (who hasn't really killed it since The Grey), Jaume Collet-Serra's Run All Night is best approached with the lowest of expectations.

The Commuter actually seems to want to offer some bona fide “philosophy” at times, beginning with a rather nicely done montage that clearly documents the grind of daily life that Michael experiences, something that is in fact almost like a “real life” Groundhog Day. And the film returns over and over again to an underlying idea of people trapped by their supposed careers, doing time (in every sense) until they manage to “escape” — by dying (as one supporting cast alludes to). And then there’s the whole (again, patently ridiculous) plot point of Michael suddenly getting approached by an enigmatic woman named Joanna (Vera Farmiga), who (supposedly “hypothetically”) informs Michael there’s a cool 25K in cash stashed in a nearby restroom that is Michael’s if he manages to find a certain individual and then “mark” that person, who will be dealt with later in ways that aren’t instantly clear. (Nothing is overly clear in this film, just to be fair.)

It’s almost pointless to document the gaping plot holes running rampant throughout The Commuter, because whether or not this film works for any given viewer is going depend almost totally on whether the viewer simply doesn’t care about those gaping plot holes. The film careens through a number of elements (including a suspected kidnapping of Michael’s wife, played by a sadly underutilized Elizabeth McGovern), until it ends with a series of deadly showdowns that include a number of hand to hand combat scenes, as well as a train derailment and other mayhem. When another supporting character turns out to be the lynchpin around which everything revolves, eye rolling may ultimately turn into remote control throwing, or some similar sign of audience frustration.

Despite a plot that almost invites disparagement, The Commuter at least has a certain claustrophobic style, one emphasized by Collet- Serra and cinematographer Paul Cameron with some really nicely done interior shots (a brief supplement adorning this Blu-ray release shows the exclusive rig that was constructed for some of these shots). And Neeson of course is appropriately intense as yet another character with a seemingly perfect “particular set of skills”. It’s unfortunate that those skills are put in service of such a ludicrous journey.

Note: For fans of this film who are fuming over my less than glowing rave, aim your umbrage at my colleague Brian Orndorf (that's a joke, in case I'm not clear). Brian evidently liked the film even less than I did when it was released theatrically and he reviewed it then. You can read Brian's thoughts here.

The Commuter Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Commuter is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Shot with Arri Alexa Mini cameras and finished at a 4K DI (according to the IMDb), The Commuter makes a surprisingly spectacular debut on Blu-ray, at least considering the confined, often shadow laden, interior spaces. The film actually does have a few interstitial outdoor moments, including the opening montage, as well as a few "stops" along the way, and here detail pops agreeably and the palette looks fresh and inviting. Inside the train, things tend to be skewed more toward the slate gray side of things. That approach, combined with dim lighting and some fairly soft looking CGI, can tend to prevent fine detail from really resonating excellently all the time (there are a couple of important scenes, including of one with Michael underneath the train, that are actually a bit hard to make out). Director Collet-Serra and cinematographer Paul Cameron utilize a number of extreme close-ups (including one that consciously apes Hitchock's so-called "Vertigo shot") where fine detail is remarkably precise in showing fine detail on Neeson's crag ridden face. There are a couple of very brief and minor moments of banding, a relative rarity on Lionsgate Blu-ray releases.

The Commuter Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Commuter's Dolby Atmos track tends to offer "wow" effects in fits and starts, but it consistently provides excellent immersion in terms of the background noise of the "click a clack" of the train, as well as the sounds of the passengers. As things become more violent as the film progresses, there are a number of standout effects, including a train out of control and, ultimately, a derailment. Here, the LFE channel is engaged forcefully and the Atmos channels offer clear placement of overhead effects. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly, and Roque Baños' pulsing score is also splayed invitingly around the side and rear channels.

The Commuter Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• End of the Line (1080p; 9:15) is standard EPK fare, with interviews, behind the scenes footage and snippets from the completed film.


• Off the Rails (1080p; 4:18) is a bit more focused, albeit still pretty interchangeable with the first featurette, and offers a good if brief look at some of the challenges of trying to shoot in such a confined space (this is the supplement with info on the rig constructed escpecially for the shoot which I reference in the main body of the review).

The Commuter Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Commuter is ultimately so relentlessly silly that its high octane thriller elements are repeatedly undercut. Still, for those looking for an undemanding adrenaline rush, The Commuter will probably suffice handily enough. For those so interested, this Blu-ray offers top notch technical merits.