Review: 'Taken 3' starring Liam Neeson and Forest Whitaker

Well, after two formulaic  Taken flicks of grizzled old Liam Neeson kicking ass like a spry young chicken, those looking for something new have finally got their wish. Taken 3 breaks the mold for nigh indestructible badass ex-CIA agent Bryan Mills; there's nobody "taken' for once and instead of punching guys in the neck he actually has to work out the pieces of a mystery, one that has cost him something dear. Be careful what you wish for because watching Bryan follow clues is pretty lame when all anybody wants to see is him dispatching bad guys.

The first Taken worked because, hey, this is gentle soul Liam Neeson breaking a bunch of dudes in half to save his daughter. That's just cool to the ultimate degree. It should have ended there, though, and the sequel showed just how brittle the whole premise really was. Another family member gets swiped and tough guy Bryan is looking like the least protective parent ever. The only upside was the ending, which seemed like the perfect setup for an explosive wrap-up to the trilogy. It concluded with a vow that a vanquished foe's sons would continue the vendetta forever. So surely that's where Taken 3 goes, right? Nope. Instead it has practically zero continuity with the prior flicks...except that Bryan seems to have a knack for beating up anybody of questionable nationality. Instead much of the focus is on the personal connections between Bryan and his family, although these bonds hardly resonate because we know that in the end none of it matters; punching things does.

This time around Bryan is playing the good father to Kim (Maggie Grace) and the hovering ex-husband to Lenore (Famke Janssen), a fact which doesn't make her new husband Stuart (Dougray Scott) happy. The two former lovebirds can't stay away from one another, but when Bryan comes home to find her murdered, he becomes suspect numero uno and the target of top cop, Detective Dotzler (Forest Whitaker). Dotzler's a smart cookie; we know this because he plays with a rubber band and carries a chess piece. Seriously. The cops love doughnuts, too. This is a Luc Besson flick and subtlety is not one of his strengths.

So it's up to Bryan to clear his name, find the real culprit, and hit them in the nose really really hard.  The path to getting there is incredibly dull, though, with the action taking a serious backseat to Bryan's clue finding and personal issues. Kim is not only dealing with grief but also a sudden pregnancy, and Bryan is wondering how time flew by so fast. Awwww. Meanwhile the cops bumble around, including Dotzler, always one step behind Bryan and never really impeding his search. Is this not sounding like a Taken film to you? Try watching it. There are brief spells of action that allow the awesomely-named director Olivier Megaton to blow stuff up and flip cars, but they feel strangely disconnected from the rest of the film. Maybe it's the boring California locale. Bryan Mills and his "particular set of skills" were made for the grimy Slavic underbelly, not the sunbaked beaches of Cali. It's hard to figure exactly what Besson and co-writer Robert Mark Kamen were thinking. Surely they had to know this wouldn't be a satisfying payoff. But maybe that was the point? The die-hard fans will surely demand there be a Taken 4 to give Bryan a proper send-off with a proper body count.

 Rating: 2 out of 5

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Liam Neeson is a Wanted Fugitive in First Trailer for 'Taken 3'...er, 'Tak3n'

At the end of Taken 2, badass ex-CIA dude Bryan Mills was targeted by the father of a man he killed in the first movie. Before Mills could get his ultimate revenge, the father promised that his other sons would be seeking payback. The endless cycle of violence continues now in Taken 3 (or Tak3n), but instead of the usual "I will find you" nonsense we're used to, Mills will find himself on the run from the law.

The first trailer for Taken 3 has arrived and it actually looks like they're trying to do something a bit differently for once. Neeson is back as Bryan Mills and, after what appears to be a rekindled romance with his wife, is forced to go on the run when he's framed for murder. Forest Whitaker is a new addition to the cast as the officer assigned to bringing Mills to justice. Good luck with that. Maggie Grace also returns as Mills' oft-distressed daughter, Kim. 

Luc Besson protegee Oliver Megaton returns to direct Taken 3, which opens January 9th 2015, right where it belongs. Neeson has said this would be the end but that's exactly what he said after the last two movies.


TAKEN 3 Official Trailer (2015) Liam Nesson by Trailersstv

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First Look at Liam Neeson in 'Taken 3'

In theaters right now is A Walk Among the Tombstones, a mystery thriller starring Liam Neeson that the studio hoped would attract the crowd who loved him in Taken. That's pretty much been the approach for every Neeson film since he became Hollywood's top action star; marketing them to resemble his butt-kicking role as ex-CIA agent Bryan Mills with his particular "set of skills". But next year the real thing returns when Taken 3 hits theaters, and now the first photos have arrived courtesy of USA Today.

Judging by these images, Taken 3 will look a lot like Taken and Taken 2, meaning lots of Neeson looking very angry, Maggie Grace looking distraught, and...oh, there's Forest Whitaker. That's something different, at least. There's also a slightly different twist on the story as Mills becomes the prey after after being framed for the murder of someone he's close to.

Neeson: "I have to go on the run. I'll put it that way, from the not-so-lawful types and the lawful authorities. Bryan Mills served his country faithfully, but now even they are after him. They must not like me."

The last film ended with Mills killing the chief bad guy (of course it did), but not before he promised his sons would seek revenge. Could this have something to do with it? The awesomely-named Olivier Megaton is back in the director's chair for Taken 3, which opens January 9th 2015. Expect the first trailer to drop very soon.

 

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Trailer for Ensemble Dramedy 'About Alex' with Aubrey Plaza, Jason Ritter, Jane Levy, and More

There must be an unwritten rule somewhere that every indie ensemble that looks vaguely like The Big Chill must have Jason Ritter involved. It's not necessarily a bad thing and he's certainly found his niche in the genre, something he talked about in my interview with him for The Big Ask, and he's got another such film on the way in About Alex.

Ritter stars alongside Nate Parker, Aubrey Plaza, Jane Levy, Max Greenfield, Max Minghella, and Maggie Grace in the dramedy that marks the directorial debut of writer Jesse Zwick. Here's the official synopsis although I'm guessing you can probably figure what this one's about because all of these movies deal with the same issues reflected by the current generation...

In ABOUT ALEX, a circle of twenty-something friends reunite for a weekend away after one of them suffers an emotional breakdown. Despite the group’s best efforts to keep it light and enjoy themselves, a tinderbox of old jealousies, unrequited love, and widening political differences leads to an explosion that, coupled with the flammable combination of drugs, wine, and risotto, cannot be contained. An honest appraisal of adult friendship for our current social media moment, ABOUT ALEX is a lighthearted look at the struggles of a generation that has it all – and wants more.

About Alex hits VOD and theaters August 8th, and along with the trailer here's also a new clip.

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Maggie Grace Returns for 'Taken 3'; Olivia Cooke Eyes 'Me & Earl & the Dying Girl'

* Well, Liam Neeson has said nobody will be taken in Taken 3, which means Maggie Grace will have to find something new to do. She has been confirmed to return for the action film as the daughter of specially-skilled agent Bryan Mills. The awesomely named Olivier Megaton is directing, and Forest Whitaker has been rumored for a supporting role. She's also snagged the female lead in an upcoming CBS comedy exec-produced by John Cusack. Meh. [Deadline]

* Olivia Cooke, who is terrific on Bates Motel, is in talks for the lead role in Me & Earl & the Dying Girl, which surprisingly enough is described as a coming-of-age story in the vein of a John Hughes movie. Jesse Andrews wrote the original novel and adapted the Black List-approved screenplay which "follows a quirky high school student in Pittsburgh who is forced by his mother to befriend a sick girl he once knew when they attended Hebrew school together. Well-liked by every clique in school without actually belonging to any of them, the young man's commitment to the new friendship changes his life." Alfonso Gomez-Rejon is directing. [TheWrap]

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Watch the first five minutes of 'Lockout', starring Guy Pearce

I've been amazed by the amount of attention being received by Lockout, the latest sci-fi film produced by Luc Besson and starring Guy Pearce. A few months ago this looked like just another of Besson's many movies that would do well overseas but be soundly ignored on our side of the pond, but through clever marketing highlighting the film's humor, in particular Pearce's snappy banter, it's suddenly on track to be a sleeper hit for the early part of the year. It doesn't hurt that many of the clips resemble Taken in outer space.

The first five minutes or so are now online, showing Pearce cracking wise("I'm being beaten up by a guy called Rupert"?) as he takes a torturous beating while Peter Stormare questions him about a past screw up. If the rest of the movie is this fast paced and quippy, we could be in for a treat. Check out the clip below, followed by the official synopsis....



PLOT: Starring Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace and set in the near future, LOCKOUT follows a falsely convicted ex- government agent (Pearce), whose one chance at obtaining freedom lies in the dangerous mission of rescuing the President’s daughter (Grace) from rioting convicts at an outer space maximum security prison.

Lockout hits theaters on April 13th!

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Trailer Time: Lockout, starring Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace

When Luc Besson puts his name on something, I tend to stand up and take notice. The French auteur hasn't done a science fiction film in years, going all the way back to The Fifth Element. Instead he's been content with espionage thrillers and beefy action flicks, mixed with the occasional flight of fancy like The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec.  With Lockout, which he exec-produced and co-wrote, he steps firmly back into the sci-fi genre and doesn't look to have missed a beat.

Starring Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace, and Peter Stormare, the film follows a government agent convicted of a crime he didn't commit, but offered a chance at freedom if he can rescue the President's daughter from an outer space prison overrun by the inmates.

James Mather and Stephen St. Leger are directing, two guys I've never heard of so they must be newcomers.

The plot does have a certain Escape from LA vibe to it, doesn't it? Comingsoon.net have the new international trailer for the film, which is set to be released next year on April 20th(4/20 dude!!). Check it out below...

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Faster

Let's face it, it's been a rough few years for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Once considered the new action superstar, stepping into the muddied up boots of such greats as Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Johnson kicked off his beefy resume with brawlers like The Rundown and Walking Tall. However, unlike his predecessors, Johnson made the inevitable move towards family friendly fare way too early before his cred had been firmly established. He's floundered ever since in insulting junk like Race to Witch Mountain and The Tooth Fairy, in which we see far more of Johnson than I ever really hoped to. Faster could best be described as a vengeance thriller on steroids, and hopefully just the first step in Johnson's return to action greatness.


The best revenge flicks are the most simple. Driver(Johnson) is a hurricane force of nature from the moment we lay eyes on him, all seething rage and built up anger. He's just being released from a ten year bid for a crime we know nothing about, and he could  give a crap less about rehabiliation on the outside. He's got a mission. A violent mission. All he needs are his tools. Driver makes his way to the lot where he stashed his ride, a badass ride befitting a badass warrior. Everything he needs is right where he left it: his keys, a gun, and a list. Let the killing begin.

The only question is "why"? Before we ever have a chance to ponder it, Driver has already found his first target. The execution is swift and public. It's as much a shock to us as the victim. The rest of the film is just as aggressive.  You know somebody's got to try and take him down.  Killer(Oliver Jackson-Cohen) is on the trail. Killer is the best at everything. Supermodel good looks, an entrepeneur who has made millions in the software biz, and a survivor of a childhood debilitating disease. He is perfection, but as such he's also gotten bored. He's hired by an unknown client to put Driver in the grave, seeing him as the first real challenge he's had in years.

Killer's not alone. Such a public execution draws the attention of the police, one Cop(Billy Bob Thornton) in particular. In some ways he's a lot like Nicolas Cage's character in Bad Lieutenant. He's a drugged out, shady character with secrets nobody on the force wants to discover. But Cop's not all bad. He has a son that he cares for in his own way, and an ex-wife(Moon Bloodgood) that he's trying to patch things up with.

In case you haven't noticed, none of the characters have any names. They're all bold archetypes, befitting the straight forward, single-minded tone. This isn't about deep, defining characters. It's about pure emotion. About one man making a point. Johnson hasn't been this good in a very long time, which is funny because I don't think he says more than two dozen words the entire movie. He's all energy, with occasional bits of black humor thrown in. This is what I want to see him doing from now on. Billy Bob Thornton makes the most of the occasional weighty scenes he's given, but for the most part this is straight up scene chewing stuff.

George Tillman Jr. isn't known for his action flicks. In fact this is the first one I think he's done, and at times it's obvious that he's more comfortable with less intense sequences. In particular the fight scene between Driver and a hulking opponent(remember Terry Tate: Office Linebacker?) in a bathroom is poorly shot, making it hard to tell what's going on except for the sound effects. Tillman is good at drawing out comedy from tension, in particular in a darkly comic standoff between Driver and a reformed pastor with a criminal past.

It's easy to take movies like this for granted. They're so easy to screw up, and yet so hard to get just right. Faster isn't perfect, but it's a compact, muscular thrill ride that will keep you on your toes. It's good enough that you might even forget this is the same guy you saw in a tutu just last year.

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Maggie Grace joins The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn

Add another sexy vamp to the cast of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn. Maggie Grace(Taken) has signed on to play Irina, a member of the Denali coven. The Denalis are considered the cousins of the Cullen clan since they don't gnosh on human blood either.

Irina comes to blame the Cullens for the death of her lover, setting into motion a "terrifying chain of events".

Grace is forging herself a nice career in mostly supporting roles ever since she left Lost back in 2007(?). Most prominently she appeared as Liam Neeson's daughter in Taken. She can be seen next in the Dwayne Johnson thriller, Faster.

The first half of Breaking Dawn releases on November 18th, 2011. The series concludes the following year on November 16th.

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