Taken 3 Blu-ray Review
With the script once again in the hands of Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, one shouldn’t expect any flashes of inspiration that set this installment of the series apart from the previous two. Yes, the action is taking place in more comfortable and familiar surroundings in Los Angeles (rather than in Paris or Istanbul as were the previous two films), but the last minute getaways, the flashy combative confrontations, and the overuse of lethal firepower seen in earlier installments is here, too, though those expecting to see the aggressive-from-the-get-go Brian Mills of the first film will have to wait about an hour before he gets down to serious business. Until then, he’s more cat-like in trying to get to clues and leads before the police do so he can stay one step ahead of them. Constantly on his tail is master LAPD detective Franck Dotzler (Forest Whitaker) who, even though confronted by evidence which would easily clear Mills, continues to chase him (and use lethal force) throughout the film’s near two-hour running time. That’s just one of the plot holes in this scenario which makes the ultimate villain of the piece a bit too obvious even though along the way there are dozens of Russian gangsters under the command of Sam Spruell’s Oleg Malankov who also make these some of Brian’s darkest days. Director Olivier Megaton uses a great deal of flash cutting not just in the numerous chases and fight scenes but also in regular activities like walking down a hall or driving out of a car park. It’s certainly his cinematic signature, but its continual use becomes rather prosaic after a time.
Liam Neeson hasn’t added any new arrows to the quiver of his performance as Brian Mills from the first two movies, but he’s just as dynamic in this as he’s been in the earlier films and in the recent spate of action movies that he’s been top-lining. The character does seem to make a careless mistake or two in a convenience store where his adversary rather than he uses store overhead mirror surveillance to ascertain the whereabouts of his quarry, but he still stays on top of most matters adroitly and is always a pleasure to see in action. Maggie Grace’s Kim is still keeping secrets from her dad and still seems to be a bit older than her character, but the father-daughter bond does seem as strong as in the second film where they worked together to bring down the bad guys. Dougray Scott seems as disagreeable as ever as Stuart St. John, and Forest Whitaker fairly coasts along in his role of the department’s sage detective. Brian’s partners-in-crime are again played by Leland Orser, David Warshofsky, and Jon Gries, an interesting trio who give Mills some assistance this time out and might have been more effectively used throughout the story rather than just in the end. Sam Spruell makes for a stereotypical Russian thug while Don Harvey and Dylan Bruno are other LAPD detectives whom Brian runs rings around.
Deleted Scene (7:16, HD): a sequence cut from both versions of the movie showing another episode with the vicious Russian mobster Oleg Malankov.
Sam’s Bunker aka The Rabbit Hole (3:01, HD): a brief summary of the high tech used by Brian in the movie to stay one step ahead of the police and his other adversaries.
Taken to L.A. (4:16, HD): a behind-the-scenes look at filming the latest installment partly in Los Angeles and partly in other parts of the world (Spain, for example) to simulate L.A. Commenting are director Olivier Megaton and stars Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace.
A Taken Legacy (4:54, HD): Liam Neeson talks about the differences between the three Taken films assisted by comments from co-stars Maggie Grace, Forest Whitaker, Leland Orser, and director Olivier Megaton.
Gallery (HD): a dozen color stills from the movie which the viewer may step through.
Theatrical Trailer (2:15, HD)
Promo Trailers(HD): The Marine 4, Kingsman: The Secret Service, among others.
Digital Copy/Ultraviolet: code sheet enclosed in the case.
Stars Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace along with director Olivier Megaton return for the third and presumably last edition of the Taken franchise. Lacking the freshness of the first film but continuing with the considerable energy in the fighting and stalking scenarios that were established in the first entry and have continued through these other two, Taken 3 should be the last entry in the series unless some new twist can be unearthed to breathe some originality into what has become a comfortably fast-paced but thoroughly predictable genre series.
Studio: Fox
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC
Aspect Ratio: 2.39.1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, Spanish 5.1 DD, French 5.1 DD
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Rating: Not Rated, PG-13
Run Time: 1 Hr. 49 Min./1 Hr. 55 Min.
Package Includes: Blu-ray, Digital Copy, UltraViolet
keep case in a slipcoverDisc Type: BD50 (dual layer)
Region: A
Release Date: 04/21/2015
MSRP: $39.99
The Production Rating: 3/5
With the script once again in the hands of Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, one shouldn’t expect any flashes of inspiration that set this installment of the series apart from the previous two. Yes, the action is taking place in more comfortable and familiar surroundings in Los Angeles (rather than in Paris or Istanbul as were the previous two films), but the last minute getaways, the flashy combative confrontations, and the overuse of lethal firepower seen in earlier installments is here, too, though those expecting to see the aggressive-from-the-get-go Brian Mills of the first film will have to wait about an hour before he gets down to serious business. Until then, he’s more cat-like in trying to get to clues and leads before the police do so he can stay one step ahead of them. Constantly on his tail is master LAPD detective Franck Dotzler (Forest Whitaker) who, even though confronted by evidence which would easily clear Mills, continues to chase him (and use lethal force) throughout the film’s near two-hour running time. That’s just one of the plot holes in this scenario which makes the ultimate villain of the piece a bit too obvious even though along the way there are dozens of Russian gangsters under the command of Sam Spruell’s Oleg Malankov who also make these some of Brian’s darkest days. Director Olivier Megaton uses a great deal of flash cutting not just in the numerous chases and fight scenes but also in regular activities like walking down a hall or driving out of a car park. It’s certainly his cinematic signature, but its continual use becomes rather prosaic after a time.
Liam Neeson hasn’t added any new arrows to the quiver of his performance as Brian Mills from the first two movies, but he’s just as dynamic in this as he’s been in the earlier films and in the recent spate of action movies that he’s been top-lining. The character does seem to make a careless mistake or two in a convenience store where his adversary rather than he uses store overhead mirror surveillance to ascertain the whereabouts of his quarry, but he still stays on top of most matters adroitly and is always a pleasure to see in action. Maggie Grace’s Kim is still keeping secrets from her dad and still seems to be a bit older than her character, but the father-daughter bond does seem as strong as in the second film where they worked together to bring down the bad guys. Dougray Scott seems as disagreeable as ever as Stuart St. John, and Forest Whitaker fairly coasts along in his role of the department’s sage detective. Brian’s partners-in-crime are again played by Leland Orser, David Warshofsky, and Jon Gries, an interesting trio who give Mills some assistance this time out and might have been more effectively used throughout the story rather than just in the end. Sam Spruell makes for a stereotypical Russian thug while Don Harvey and Dylan Bruno are other LAPD detectives whom Brian runs rings around.
Video Rating: 5/5 3D Rating: NA
Audio Rating: 4.5/5
Special Features Rating: 3/5
Deleted Scene (7:16, HD): a sequence cut from both versions of the movie showing another episode with the vicious Russian mobster Oleg Malankov.
Sam’s Bunker aka The Rabbit Hole (3:01, HD): a brief summary of the high tech used by Brian in the movie to stay one step ahead of the police and his other adversaries.
Taken to L.A. (4:16, HD): a behind-the-scenes look at filming the latest installment partly in Los Angeles and partly in other parts of the world (Spain, for example) to simulate L.A. Commenting are director Olivier Megaton and stars Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace.
A Taken Legacy (4:54, HD): Liam Neeson talks about the differences between the three Taken films assisted by comments from co-stars Maggie Grace, Forest Whitaker, Leland Orser, and director Olivier Megaton.
Gallery (HD): a dozen color stills from the movie which the viewer may step through.
Theatrical Trailer (2:15, HD)
Promo Trailers(HD): The Marine 4, Kingsman: The Secret Service, among others.
Digital Copy/Ultraviolet: code sheet enclosed in the case.
Overall Rating: 3/5
Reviewed By: Matt Hough
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