This movie sucks. I really don’t think hardcore action fans are going to go bananas for this watered-down, PG-13 action. And Liam Neeson fans (myself included) are going to be left wondering when (if ever) the great-actor version of Liam Neeson is coming back.
What Works: [Crickets]
What Doesn’t: It’s depressing to see actors of Leland Orser, Neeson, and Forest Whitaker’s caliber slumming it in such trash. Taken 3’s first third is really cheesy, family-style “shenanigans” where Neeson is forced to give unintentionally creepy smiles to his daughter and ex-wife in order to humanize him, but this only highlights Taken’s fundamental flaw: for a film series about a family that is constantly in danger, we don’t care all that much about them. Would parents as intense and dark-haired as Famke Janssen and Liam Neeson really have a daughter as sunnily blonde as Maggie Grace? And why does this film’s best attempt to “flesh out” the characters just wind up being an extended, stupid-ass joke about a giant panda?
“Taken” fans really come for the action, and except for a decent car chase, I can’t recommend much of what goes on here. The climactic gun battle in a penthouse is straight-up laughable, and actually kind-of gross. [So…much…pale…Russian…skin…in…tightie…whities.]
What I Would Have Done Differently: For people looking for quality action and/or thrillers in theaters there’s “American Sniper,” “A Most Violent Year,” and even “Blackhat” is a better than this. And for Liam Neeson I might recommend a vacation for a year or two, and come back with the kind of passion project he couldn’t get made before he became a fairly reliable action star. Grade: D