Taken 3 (M)
Starring: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace
THEY say with Taken 3, it ends here – but does it really?
Liam Neeson is back yet again as grumpy super ex-CIA operative Bryan Mills, again saving his family from unclear and present dangers.
Framed for the murder of ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) Mills must again deploy his mad skills in defence of his long-suffering daughter (Maggie Grace).
So is it a reheated, warmed over, blurry photocopy of a photocopy of the original two movies? Well, sort of, but not quite.
It’s not quite as good as the original, but better than the pretty horrible second instalment, sitting comfortably between the two.
Creaky old man Neeson can still put on a burst of speed when it comes to dealing out the biffo and the usual symphony of gun, car and plane-based chaos ensues.
Cack-eyed Forest Whitaker steals the show as the razor-sharp detective tracking Mills through a twisted labyrinth of revenge.
Mills again employs his private army of black ops badasses to great effect and they help him remain one step ahead of the gimlet-eyed detective.
So, where to from here?
Well, with takings reportedly doubling its production budget after the first weekend on the screen, the smart money says Taken 4 can’t be ruled out – despite the fact the series has long run out of steam.
If on-screen daughter Maggie Grace pops out the inevitable next generation of offspring to be Taken, then yet another instalment seems nearly unavoidable.
Watch for a campaign based along the lines of “Taken 4, The Grandkid – It Doesn’t End Here”.
– Jason Beck
