Taken 3 (2015)

Taken 3 tries to reinvent itself with contrived plot and ends up accomplishing nothing. The movie sacrifices its simplistic nature and opts for Fugitive knock-off plot, a change born out of necessity since the daughter couldn't possibly get kidnapped again. It crams too many subplots and expositions into a series that's not known for cerebral approach. When the characters need to explain every move they do for audience's sake, it's a clear sign that the plot has become too convoluted. The action sequences are also subpar with previous Taken movies, which ultimately makes it nothing more than generic action movie.

With a good director, you get good action. With good action and a credible actor, you get Taken. The movie opened up in 2008 and made surprising money at the box office. It wasn't a great movie, but I had fun. What I thought made the movie stand out more was that it was discussing the dangers of traveling and sex trafficking. In 2012, Taken 2 got audiences rooting for Liam Neeson again as he was…rescuing his kidnapped ex wife. It was a boring rehash of the original. It surprises me that we now have Taken 3 to close the trilogy.

I was very disappointed at the story line. Expecting to see the final showdown between the ex CIA operative and a ruthless group of criminals from eastern Europe who had every reason to attempt a third time to destroy him and his wife and daughter. But instead all i saw was a pathetic attempt at a change in plot as if we were watching another movie altogether. The acting in some scenes was shallow and the film was very predicable after you had realized what the main plot was.

Forest Whittaker's character as the clever detective came across as a bit too clever with some shallow one liners and lack of character development considering the plot completely changed for the film any way. It was the least they could do! I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say this but i really wish they had stuck to the 1st and second films story line and introduced the same family as a grand finale for the film.

As an action movie, there is not much wrong here, all the ingredients are present. It never drags, and you are never more than a few minutes away from a shooting. But beyond that there is a vacuous emptiness which stalks proceedings. Canal Plus co-funded the project, and it is a shame that the setting was not in France, an element which contributed to the original success of the franchise.