Luc Besson and his protege, Olivier Megaton, have probably burned more fossil fuel and blown up more vehicles between them than a post-bankruptcy Detroit. In an age when many filmmakers are trying to go green, you'd think there would be a quota on car chases and vehicle explosions in every flick, but such rules don't seem to apply to King Luc. He has written (or co-written) all three films in the "Taken" series, and Megaton has directed two. Though "Taken 3" is touted as the final installment, the last 10 minutes seem to be begging for just one more shot before the bar closes.
This third film is probably the most violent and nonsensical in the franchise. Liam Neeson as ex-government agent Bryan Mills once again racks up a body count and wreaks total havoc on Western civilization as we know it (not to mention some bad guys) — all in the name of saving his womenfolk. Admittedly the scenery is a bit different because Bryan is on the brink of being reunited with his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen), annoying the hell out of Lenore's current hubbie, Stuart (Dougray Scott). Bryan winds up the prime suspect in a murder he didn't commit and then defies the odds to kill a whole lot of people to protect the "only thing I have left" — his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). Hot on Bryan's heels is a cop named Dotzler (Forest Whitaker) who treads ponderously on the carnage Bryan leaves behind, always too late to catch him. Dotzler makes a show of being a razor-sharp professional with a few ghosts, but among the loose ends and overall mayhem, it's not like we care at this point.
Poor Kim — for three whole movies, she's been "the one thing" Bryan must protect at all cost. It's time to let the poor girl go.
| Rating | |
|---|---|
| Director | Olivier Megaton |
| Run Time | 109 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Opens | Now Playing |
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.