Liam Neeson recently passed a significant milestone in his career, having passed the 100 credits mark on his CV. It does feel like the majority of those have been in the latter stages of his professional life, since becoming the action hero that he has. It’s just a shame that a touch more quality control wasn’t involved, as he’s been able to walk the action walk, but talk the talk - not so much.

For his latest however, his action contribution takes somewhat of a back seat, as it were, as it places him in the driving seat, quite literally, in this European thriller.

Living and working in finance in Berlin is Matt Turner (Neeson), along with his wife Heather (Embeth Davidtz) and two children Zach (Jack Champion) and Emily (Lilly Apsell).

He’s already having one of those days with some work stuff on his plate, and his kids being really rather annoying. It gets worse when his wife announces that it’s his turn to take them to school, despite his work schedule.

From the tone his wife takes with him he knows best not to mess with her, so eventually gets his kids packed into the car.

Not long into their journey and Matt gets a phone call, but not on his, or even his kids’ phones; it’s a phone that he simply finds in his car, so he decides to answer it. He soon wishes he hadn’t as it soon becomes the day from hell.

Although this may be an action thriller, at least Neeson doesn’t exert himself physically as he spends the majority of the time behind the wheel of the car. And let’s face it, the 71-year-old actor could do with the rest considering all the running around his action star status has had him doing over recent years.

Director Nimród Antal keeps the pacing tight, but there’s just a sense of seen it all before – only better – about it. You know the thing where there’s a mysterious voice on the end of the phone that demands you do as they say, or people are going to get hurt. And although the Hungarian director gives it that real-time-esque quality, it just comes across more like a discarded episode of 24, with the threat hanging over them never really ever feeling, well, threatening.

Kudos to the young actors involved however; it’s never easy to keep children entertained in the back seat for long journeys, but their involvement is one of the more believable aspects of the film.

And then there’s Neeson, who doesn’t do a lot wrong, considering he’s on his arse for most of the film, but as the film lacks a tangible tension throughout, you kind of wish he had the opportunity to stretch his legs and maybe cause a bit of mayhem while he did so.

It’s not the fairly generic hunter killer type film we’ve sadly become accustom to Neeson starring in then, but for a film solely set inside a car, it tragically lacks direction.