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Taken 3
The retired CIA agent with the very special skillset returns to protect his family from some more very dangerous people in 2014's Taken 3, another solid entry in the franchise that takes a little too long for all the parts of the story to come together, but delivers what fans have come to expect of Bryan Mills.
As the film opens, we learn that Mills (Liam Neeson) is about to become a grandfather and just as he learns his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) is having serious problems with her current husband (Dougray Scott), she is murdered and Bryan is set up for the crime. Of course, this forces Bryan on the run to find out who is trying to frame him and how to keep his daughter (Maggie Grace) safe.
Luc Bresson and Robert Mark Kamen's screenplay isn't quite as personal as the first two films, but it still has his family center stage and it still puts Bryan's very special skillset center stage. Only an agent with this kind of skill would be able to allude the entire LAPD in order to meet privately with his daughter in a high school restroom and manage to get out. The relationship established between Mills and the LAPD police chief (Oscar winner Forrest Whitaker) was also a lot of fun, bringing to mind movies like The Fugitive and Catch Me If You Can.
Director Olivier Megaton, who also directed the second film, scores by beginning this film so quietly, with Bryan delivering a gift to his daughter, that there is no way that the viewer can possibly expect the bloody international action that reaches such a fever pitch. Action fans will get their fill with two hair-raising car chases and Mills dispatching of a group of Russians in a liquor store that are cheer-inducing. One difference between this film and the other two that was a pleasant surprise was learning that Bryan had some back-up in this film courtesy of his former job. In the first two films, he was working virtually alone and it was nice to see that he still had people in his life he could count on.
Nesson is the picture of cool, as always, as Mills, another great hero who never allows anyone to see him sweat. Scott makes his scenes count as the smarmy Stuart as does Sam Spruell as the Russian baddie. The production values, as always in this film, are first rate including spectacular cinematography, art direction/set direction, and stunning Oscar-worthy editing. A third entry in a franchise that delivers the same way the first two did.
The retired CIA agent with the very special skillset returns to protect his family from some more very dangerous people in 2014's Taken 3, another solid entry in the franchise that takes a little too long for all the parts of the story to come together, but delivers what fans have come to expect of Bryan Mills.
As the film opens, we learn that Mills (Liam Neeson) is about to become a grandfather and just as he learns his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) is having serious problems with her current husband (Dougray Scott), she is murdered and Bryan is set up for the crime. Of course, this forces Bryan on the run to find out who is trying to frame him and how to keep his daughter (Maggie Grace) safe.
Luc Bresson and Robert Mark Kamen's screenplay isn't quite as personal as the first two films, but it still has his family center stage and it still puts Bryan's very special skillset center stage. Only an agent with this kind of skill would be able to allude the entire LAPD in order to meet privately with his daughter in a high school restroom and manage to get out. The relationship established between Mills and the LAPD police chief (Oscar winner Forrest Whitaker) was also a lot of fun, bringing to mind movies like The Fugitive and Catch Me If You Can.
Director Olivier Megaton, who also directed the second film, scores by beginning this film so quietly, with Bryan delivering a gift to his daughter, that there is no way that the viewer can possibly expect the bloody international action that reaches such a fever pitch. Action fans will get their fill with two hair-raising car chases and Mills dispatching of a group of Russians in a liquor store that are cheer-inducing. One difference between this film and the other two that was a pleasant surprise was learning that Bryan had some back-up in this film courtesy of his former job. In the first two films, he was working virtually alone and it was nice to see that he still had people in his life he could count on.
Nesson is the picture of cool, as always, as Mills, another great hero who never allows anyone to see him sweat. Scott makes his scenes count as the smarmy Stuart as does Sam Spruell as the Russian baddie. The production values, as always in this film, are first rate including spectacular cinematography, art direction/set direction, and stunning Oscar-worthy editing. A third entry in a franchise that delivers the same way the first two did.