Take me once, shame on you; take me twice, shame on me; take me three times??… well, that’s what we’re here to find out. Yes, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is back, with his particular set of skills which are necessary once again because something has been taken from him, this time his freedom… oh and his ex-wife who just never seems to learn.
Several years on from his last brush with danger, Bryan Mills is living a calmer life, trying to spend time with his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) while reconciling with his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen), who is having issues with her new husband Stuart (Dougray Scott). When Bryan sets out to meet Lenore one morning to lend support, he finds her dead and himself framed for her murder. So begin his efforts to clear his name and find the real killers while evading a FBI manhunt through LA.
While Taken 2 was something of a rehashed Taken, this (apparently) final installment flips things, and the hunter becomes the hunted (although he still does plenty of hunting in his investigation of his ex-wife’s murder). As such, the film is less action oriented than its predecessors and plays out as more of a detective thriller. The fights and action scenes are still in there but come at you less frequently. In spite of this changeup the problems with the franchise remains. There is little originality and the whole endeavor lacks impetus, just going through the motions merely moving from one fight to another with a bit of detective work in between. Action set pieces fail to inspire, villains are one dimensional fodder, and the plot is so predictable you saw it coming two movies ago. It’s surprising how the franchise so quickly turned to rehashing the original film when with a little effort they could have thrown what so quickly became a beloved and memorable character into so many interesting situations. Laziness is the first thing that springs to mind when viewing these sequels.
Neeson still carries himself with a genuine likeability as well as being a legitimate threat. Whether loving father, considerate ex-husband, or vengeful assailant in a leather jacket, he sells it. Despite the far fetched abilities of Mills reaching ridiculous new levels he’s still the best thing about the film. Grace and Janssen provide the adorable reasons for Neeson to fight as well as they ever have. The only real additions to the script include the customarily slimy Dougray Scott and Oscar winner Forest Whittaker, who continues his trend of sleepwalking his way through every performance since his accolade.
Director Olivier Megaton, as well as having a name befitting the greatest wrestler who ever lived, shows solid work imbuing a lifeless script with some energy. Action sequences are engaging, fights are shot well, and time is taken for shots of Neeson to look moody or mad — all prerequisites for a Neeson revenge movie. But it fails to lift the lackluster script that feels derivative and unambitious.
THE PACKAGEThe transfer of the film is excellent, showing off great detail, clarity, and good contrast. With a film that gets a little frenetic at times with editing and action, it is presented well.
As well as the theatrical edition the Blu-ray release contains an Unrated version of the film with roughly 7 minutes of extra throat punching. Special features include a deleted scene “Flashback Malankov,” an interactive game Sam’s Bunker A.K.A. The Rabbit Hole, and two short featurettes, Taken to L.A. and A Taken Legacy. A solid sets of extras.
THE BOTTOM LINEThe makers of these films have a particular set of skills, skills that have become tiresome and predictable. The gravelly presence of Neeson is still a draw but insufficient to salvage a film that ends a once promising franchise with a whimper, the visceral passion of the first film having faded long in the memory. Something for the devout fans only.
Tak3n is released by Fox on April 21st, 2015; purchase via Amazon.