MOVIE REVIEW: TAKEN 3 – The Final Take

Liam Neeson returns for the final time as Bryan Mills in Taken 3. After finding his ex-wife murdered, Bryan Mills swears to find the culprit behind her tragic demise while avoiding the police who thinks he was behind her death. Now he’ll do what he does best, using his particular set of skills and keeping his daughter safe.

A Change of Plot

The plot revolves around death of Bryan’s wife and his quest to find the one responsible while also proving his innocence. It deviates itself from its predecessor when it comes to the plot.  It’s refreshing to know that this time Liam Neeson isn’t going after someone who kidnapped his wife or daughter. The plot itself is a little more complicated than the past two movies which were pretty straight forward. It is also quite satisfying that this action movie also makes you think while enjoying the action. Let’s just say arms will not the be the only things that will be twisted here.

He Will Find You

Taken 3 fares well enough for your standard action movie. There is not much that makes it truly outstanding but at the same time it is still quite enjoyable. Let’s face it, this is an action movie after all. It aims to fill most of the movie with action packed scenes along with cunningness of Bryan Mills that has made Taken a hit with the audiences. It’s always good to see how he manages to always gets out of a dire situation or how he gets past any obstacle separating him and his enemies. Though it is  also obvious that Liam Neeson isn’t getting any younger, it stills plays right to his character. Nevertheless his performance will still put you on the edge of your seats.

The Usual Suspects

Liam Neeson portrayal of his character Bryan Mills is still commendable. After being in already in 3 Taken movies, the first one being the movie that made him an action star, Liam Neeson has probably perfected being Bryan Mills. Forest Whitaker also did well in playing his character Inspector Franck Dotzle. It was also surprising to see him being able to read through Bryan’s actions and being almost on par with him. It was also surprising that the movie managed to have a few laughs thanks to some situations and witty lines from the inspector. Maggie Grace, who is also a veteran in the Taken series, still manages to act as a teenager even though the first Taken Movie was shown 7 years ago.

The whole movie was set in America. I must admit that I find this a negative point for the movie. Gone is the feel of one man against an unknown group and the unfamiliarity of being in a foreign land which to me was one of Taken’s strong suit. Though the action sequences here are satisfying enough, it fares less if compared its predecessors.

Alas, Taken 3 closes the book on the Taken trilogy. It is a good enough movie to end the story of Bryan Mills and his family. Though we’ll always remember him for his particular set of skills, we should also remember him for how much his willing to do for his family.

Special thanks to 20^th Century Fox Philippines. Taken 3 hits theaters January 14, 2015.