Taken 3

Prequels: “Taken” (2009), “Taken 2” (2012)

When I first found out in the Fall that a third installment in the “Taken” series was to be released, I was fairly happy and excited, because I thought the ending to the previous film was rather lackluster. So I was looking forward to this film; that being said, I was rather disappointed in it. It came off as goofy, something that I assume they did not intend. At least, it was not as graphically violent as the commercials depicted.

The third and (supposedly) final installment in the film series follows Liam Neeson’s character Brian Mills who is framed for his ex-wife Lenore’s (Famke Janssen) murder after being found in his apartment. He then sets out to prove his innocence, while being tailed by the authorities, and protect his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) from whomever it is that is truly responsible.

As fans of the series may already know, Brian Mills is highly loyal and protective of his family, which drives many of his actions (most of them are violent in nature). It is also because of these actions that he gains many enemies that continue to come out of the woodwork. In this film, the main antagonist is not “completely” revealed until roughly the second half of the film, which does add a good mystery factor. So the question throughout is, who would hurt Brian like this and frame him?

I found the film rather goofy (which was obviously not intended); there are many laughable moments, due to the film’s sloppy dialog, uneven plot structuring, and easy-to-spot references to the previous films” events and quotes (mainly when the phrase “I will find you, and I will kill you” is used several times). Though the action segments (mainly bloodless) and Neeson’s role do highlight the film, it is easily the weakest film in the series.

Violence: As an action movie, there is a lot of this; however, most of it is bloodless. There are many people shot and either killed or left for dead; many people are violently knocked unconscious when attempting to attack Brian, and (in an unsettling scene) an assailant kills himself by grabbing Brian’s gun and shooting in his open mouth. There are also several scenes of vehicles getting crushed and destroyed, mainly in one segment of a big highway pileup. There are also scenes featuring explosions (one in a parking garage, and another after a car rolls down a hill). There is also another unsettling scene where a man being interrogated gets tortured by suffocation through a wet cloth.

Coarse language is used throughout the film, including one use of the word f**k, about a dozen uses of s**t, at least 10 uses of G*d-d**n, God and Jesus’s name are used inappropriately, and several vulgarities, like a**hole, a**, and scumbag.

Sex: Infidelity is a topic lightly referenced in the film, as one married character starts questioning her life and begins to pursue an old spouse. Another subplot in the film is Brian’s daughter Kim finds out that she is pregnant with her boyfriend Jimmy (Jonny Weston)’s baby, something that she is not ready to reveal. ***SPOILER*** Near the end of the film, after Brian finds out, he tells Kim and Jimmy that whatever they choose, he will support them. It is not clear what he means by this, but it is implied that he could be talking about whether they will keep the baby. ***END SPOILER***

It is obvious that the film promotes loyalty to family.

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).

That being said, while the film does promote some family values, it is not a film worth watching with the family. I did enjoy the three films as a whole, but not individually. This is easily the weakest entry in this fan-favorite action series.

Violence: Heavy to extreme / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Moderate

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.

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