Film Review: ‘Taken 3’
Director: Olivier Megaton
Cast: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Forest Whitaker
Age Restriction: 13 LV
Genre: Action, Thriller
Runtime: 109 minutes
Release date: 16 January 2015
Liam Neeson returns to the franchise that made him a household action star in what is dubbed the final instalment in the Taken film series.
I’m sure most of you can agree that Taken 2 was sort of disappointing compared to its predecessor and once it [Taken 2] concluded, there was just no way the filmmakers could take this franchise any further story wise – yet we’ve got another sequel in the form of Taken 3.
So, was making a third film a wise choice? I’m glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised as Taken 3 basically fixes Taken 2’s mistakes and redeems the franchise – plus it’s a really great film. I didn’t expect it to be this good and would deem it 10 times better than its predecessor although it just can’t compete with the original – which is expected.
The first few minutes of Taken 3 begins with a sinister plot and then jumps to Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) who has been framed for the murder of his ex-wife Lenore "Lenny" St. John (Famke Janssen). Desperate to clear his name and find his ex-wife’s killers, Bryan uses his "particular set of skills" in order to get the job done while also being pursued by the police led by Franck Dotzler (Forest Whitaker).
The sinister plot in the film’s opening makes you wonder how it ties into Bryan’s situation, and that, along with the many plot twists, is what keeps Taken 3 captivating most of the time. Also, once Bryan begins investigating, more clues and revelations are unveiled leaving viewers glued to the screen with fascination.
Besides the story being captivating, the filmmakers were able to pull off a valuable story that entertains far beyond the average plot. The acting is superb as Neeson’s character Bryan faces his most emotional journey yet as the woman he was about to reconcile with and truly loves is unexpectedly murdered and because he’s now on the run, he feels that he can’t protect his daughter one hundred percent. Neeson pulls off a great performance and once again proves to us why he’s one of the best action movie stars of the moment.
Taken 3 is the franchise’s most emotional instalment yet as it was sad to see Lenore go because she’s such a likable character – expect lots of cries along the way. Many will argue as to who actually gets taken in this film, and it’s safe to say that Lenore’s life gets taken with Bryan going after the killers. The characters are fairly well developed and will have audiences invested in them except for Whitaker’s Dotzler who’s quite underplayed here.
Taken 3’s action is average and not quite as violent or interesting as the action in the first two instalments. However, it’s still acceptable in quality as it manages to keep viewers entertained.
Because it’s the final film in the franchise there should be some sort of indication that this is Bryan’s final journey, but there are no such indications – except in the trailers and posters. Despite this, Taken 3 ends the franchise on a high note.
Surprisingly, Taken 3 is considerably entertaining and far superior than its predecessor with a strong story that allows the film to bring the franchise to a satisfying conclusion.
