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There are few occasions in cinema more worthy of simply sitting back, grabbing the biggest bucket of popcorn you can find and enjoying a mindless action flick than one starring Liam Neeson.
The dude just oozes charisma and old-school appeal, growling his way through films as he beats, batters and breaks bad guys at a relentless pace that belies his 62 years.
Quite how Neeson went from Oscar Schindler and Aslan to being the mentor of both Darth Vader and Batman and becoming one of the world’s hottest action commodities after he’s qualified for his bus pass in the UK I’ll never know, but he’s the world’s coolest guy and I can’t get enough.
He’s back for the next (and probably final if the advertising rhetoric is to be believed) instalment in the Taken franchise, following the inspired first film which became a cult hit, and a slightly tepid sequel that was essentially a rehash. This one sits somewhere in the middle of those two.
Here, things are shaken up a bit for the world’s least responsible father. Instead of hunting down the goons who have kidnapped his family, this time there’s a terrible tragedy and Neeson’s Bryan Mills is framed for murder. It’s a pretty neat twist that Mills is now the chased rather than the chaser, and it brings a fresh dynamic to the series.
Some old faces return, such as Bryan’s daughter Kim (Grace), who still has to do nothing but wear a look of extreme anguish and cry a little; but it’s the new faces, particularly Forest Whitaker as LAPD Inspector Franck Dotzler, who shine. As the man intent on finding Mills, his conflicting emotions of determination and admiration for his prey who keeps slipping the net make for compelling viewing, and he gets the best lines.
Of course, the audience is here for the action, which is eventually delivered in spades after a ponderous start. While the stronger focus on story is appreciated and makes us care more about Mills’ hunt to clear his name and find those truly responsible, the movie hits its stride during the frenetic shootouts and furious punch-ups that follow.
Considering Neeson’s age, over-the-top stunts and The Raid-esque martial arts are eschewed in favour of fast, breakneck edits and close-up camera angles. Although it keeps the tension high and the pace brisk, it is occasionally difficult to see what is going on and keeping track with the camera changing so quickly is difficult.
The direction could definitely have done with some tweaking so that fight scenes could breathe a little. Furthermore, compared to the first film, the brutality has been noticeably turned down a notch. Despite the stakes being arguably at their highest in the series so far, the same intensity is not there. Whether that’s due to trying to secure a lower age rating or just the tune of a studio sat plump and content on a franchise name, I’m not quite sure, but it is a little disappointing.
The setting – downtown Los Angeles – has a very much ‘been there, done that’ feel, as the city of a hundred other action movies. The first two films had the thrill of a different locale (Paris and Istanbul respectively) and the problems of getting information through a language barrier. Here, however, information is gleaned through a twist of the arm or a punch to the jaw, with the opportunity for a good detective mystery almost entirely ignored.
Luckily, watching Neeson do his thing is so absorbing. His face can change from gruff nonchalance, to incensed fury and back to a smile that could charm a lion to sleep all within one conversation. His desire to clear his name and protect his family anchors the film, while watching him pummel enemies into submission and crack one-liners will never get old.
Overall, this is a solid entrant in the franchise. Neeson is as great as ever and the supporting cast is above average, but sadly the action isn’t. Better direction and editing would have made it more watchable, rather than the schizophrenic pummelling we receive here. If you liked the first two, you’ll enjoy this one too no doubt, but there is absolutely nothing new to tempt those not so keen.
