Bryan Mills is back to unleash his very particular set of skills on a whole host of new bad guys in the action-thriller Taken 3. Review after the jump.
Who would have thought when Taken was released back in 2008, it would not only go on to become a very successful action film, but it would also be the beginning of a series of serious money making movies?
After the incidents regarding the Europeans in the first two films, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is unknowingly about to become a grandfather and his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) is on the verge of leaving her husband Stuart (Dougray Scott) to be with him once again. Yet, as we have come to be accustomed with Taken films, Mills’ life soon becomes a jumbled mess again.
After receiving a text from Lenore, Mills goes to meet his ex-wife at his apartment, but finds her dead. The police burst into the room and automatically assume he is responsible. What soon transpires is a cat-and-mouse chase between the police and Mills, as Mills looks for those responsible.
Heading up the investigation is Franck Dotzler (Oscar winner Forest Whittaker), a detective who is every bit as smart as Mills is. Whitaker’s character is actually a breath of fresh air. We are normally watching an inept police force running around aimlessly like headless chickens. Dotzler, is always close to Mills’ tail, figuring out his previous steps aplomb.
Taken 3 is a decent action film but is let down by a “twist” a blind man could see coming, a pretty weak story and some pretty bad editing. The fast cuts of Taken 3 near enough make it impossible to grasp what is actually happening onscreen. It’s the equivalent of a movie epileptic fit.
I would hardly state that the following is a spoiler, as it is expected, but Mills figures out who the bad guys are and leaves a bloody trail in his wake, yet there are no repercussions for his actions. It seems, if your wife has been killed, you can go around killing dozens of men, attack police officers and steal cars without looking at jail time whatsoever.
Taken 3 does have its problems, but if you switch your brain off and sit back, you may just enjoy the ride once more.