TAKEN 3

2014 / Director. Olivier Megaton.
Review by Glenn Cochrane.

The TAKEN franchise comes to a close with this third instalment, which finds Liam Neeson's Bryan Mills character framed for the murder of his ex-wife and on the run from the cops. The franchise has never been one with much character depth and has always relied on its action, pacing and style. TAKEN 3 is more of the same, with a new premise.

It has come to the point of being lazy and Liam Neeson practically phones in his performance. His tough-guy routine has become laborious, although he does still command a strong presence on screen. So lazy has the series become that he can't even muster the energy to deliver his now-famous catchphrase... Instead he offers what (I assume) is supposed to be a comical quip "I don't know where you are but I will find you... and you know the rest". 

As with almost every movie that Luc Besson has written or produced, TAKEN 3 is still a cut above many other action movies and offers the viewer a good time. It's a popcorn flick and doesn't ask much of the viewer. Shifting the premise away from the first two films and into a FUGITIVE style of thriller was a wise move and keeps the series from becoming too flaccid and stale. There is a lot of potential for the TAKEN franchise to continue. I would love to see Bryan Mills back in the field as a secret government operative. We've spent three instalments hearing all about his past and perhaps those skills are where the unexplored strength of the character exist. Lets have him return to duty and see what he can do for his country. 

TAKEN 3 is easily the weakest of the trilogy but makes for a decent no-brainer nonetheless. Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker and Dougray Scott lend some calibre to the proceedings with Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace also returning for one last spin. If you enjoyed the first two films then there's no reason why you shouldn't enjoy this one. It's a bit of fun.

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