Poor Liam Neeson.

Or perhaps it is good for Liam Neeson.

The 65-year-old actor continues to etch out a career as the unlikely action hero – an everyman pushed into extraordinary situations.

Once again, Neeson is thrust in the middle of the action in “The Commuter,” re-teaming with director Jaume Collet-Serra (the duo previously worked on “Run All Night,” “Non-Stop,” and “Unknown.”).

Of the four films, this is definitely the silliest of the bunch, with a contrived story that only gets more ridiculous with each stop along the way.

In “The Commuter,” Neeson plays Michael, a former cop turned insurance agent who takes the train to New York every day from the suburbs, confined to a rather mundane life.

One day on the ride home, Michael is approached by a mysterious woman named Joanna (Vera Fermiga) who has a simple request: find the passenger on the train that “doesn’t belong” and receive $100,000.

At first Michael agrees, but as the conspiracy begins to unfold he realizes that perhaps he has agreed to more than he bargained for.

“The Commuter” starts fine enough, with a few visually interesting set pieces and Collet-Serra using the camera to create some interesting shots inside the train.

But once the set-up is established, and the supporting cast that includes Jonathan Banks and Patrick Wilson is dispersed across the board like chess pieces, the film gets bogged down in its own logic.

Neeson’s character takes a beating, the physical exertion so absurd that even being a former cop makes he hard to believe he can keep powering his way through. The mystery of who the person he is looking for on the train isn’t very suspenseful, either, with plenty of red herrings thrown in the way before the reveal (which comes with still 30 minutes left in the film).

That reveal also occurs about the same time as a spectacularly staged train derailment that is so over the top and preposterous that you can’t expect the film to continue. Unfortunately, it does, proving that even “The Commuter” doesn’t know when to quit while it’s ahead.

Starring: Liam Neeson, Vera Fermiga

Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra

Rating: PG-13 for some intense action/violence, and language

Playing at: Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas (Glasgow)

Grade: C-