Taken 3 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.0

Taken 3 Blu-ray Movie Review

Givin' up.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 22, 2015

One of the more appealing things about Taken was its economy: little fuss, less bother, kidnapped daughter, a father with “special skills,” and we’re off and running. Liam Neeson’s Bryan Mills may indeed have had a past (and even a name), but did it really matter? Taken was a film about a vigilante bringing a bunch of thugs to justice, and it simply marauded through a series of interchanges where Bryan “took care of business” in his own inimitable way as he attempted to rescue his daughter from a human trafficking syndicate. Whatever narrative flaws Taken may have had, it was at the very least a breathless and often viscerally exciting film, one filled with a number of unsettling but undeniably effective “gotcha” moments as Bryan taught those silly bad guys exactly what his “particular set of skills” could accomplish. The perhaps unexpected success of Taken probably unavoidably led to its follow up Taken 2, and while stuffed to the gills with the same sort of intense action as the first film, there were already cracks to be seen as co-scenarists Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen attempted to come up with enough actual story to support the set pieces. Now with Taken 3 the law of diminishing returns is fully in effect, and rather ironically it’s largely due to the fact that Besson and Kamen try in this third installment to provide more character beats and/or background in which Bryan, now a doubly hunted desperado, attempts to navigate. Overly contrived and just flat out silly (not that the first two films weren’t), Taken 3 still has a number of exciting action elements, but it’s a pretty drab and unconvincing effort, one that even Neeson seems to be tired of.

Note: While every summary of the film I've seen online (including my colleague Brian Orndorf's theatrical review) mentions a major (and unavoidable) plot point, lest anyone accuse this review of posting a "spoiler," some may want to skip the following summary since it, too, mentions this same plot point.

Perhaps incredibly, Taken 3 takes a page out of The Fugitive’s playbook by having Bryan (falsely) accused of murdering his wife Lenore (Famke Janssen). (Take a gander at the eleventh screencapture accompanying this review for an idea of how literal this "homage" to The Fugitive actually is.) Before that hoary cliché can be fully exploited, however, there’s a brief prelude which details the nefarious murderous activities of a Russian mafioso named Malankov (Sam Spruell). Even those without an inkling of the formulaic Syd Field approach to screenwriting will know that an eventual showdown between this character and Bryan is inevitable, and that (of course) Malankov has a connection to Lenore’s tragic death.

While the first two Taken films dealt with kidnapping, this third installment simply posits Bryan as a man on the run, both from the Los Angeles police, who are of course initially at least convinced he killed Lenore, and from the real bad guys, whom Bryan at least is aware have set him up for some unknown reason. In just the first of several completely ridiculous and improbable plot machinations, once Bryan eludes the grasp of the cops, including detective Frank Dotzler (Forest Whitaker), he hightails it to an impossibly well appointed “safe room” that he has of course just had waiting for him on the off chance he got wrongly accused of murder (or something like that).

Part of what ails this Taken is the very premise that Bryan is a guy with “special skills.” The fact that Bryan is so well skilled removes any hint of suspense from this enterprise, as it’s patently obvious going in that Bryan not only has the techniques necessary to get himself out of any jam, he’s also seemingly almost frighteningly prescient about what obstacles fate is going to throw at him, making him doubly prepared. Daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) is along for the ride, seemingly less upset over her mother’s murder than by her unexpected pregnancy. Lenore’s new husband Stuart (Dougray Scott) also plays into the overheated plot mechanics, and no amount of dunderheaded misdirection can really divert attention from this character’s ultimate place in the overall scheme of things.

As with the previous two films, Taken 3 blasts through a series of action set pieces which should easily please those who like lots of things that go boom accompanied by flashy camera angles and occasional fight choreography. Had Taken 3 (ahem) taken the John Wick route and simply opted for an hour and a half of merciless butt kicking, it might have been able to sustain more momentum. As it stands, the attempts to inject some human emotion into this enterprise largely fall flat (ironically, somewhat like the Keanu Reeves action flick). Unfortunately not even an actor of Liam Neeson's stature can overcome this uninvolving and noisy morass.

Taken 3 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Taken 3 is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.38:1. Shot on film with a variety of different 35mm cameras, Taken 3 boasts a nicely filmic appearance on Blu-ray, one with appropriate depth and texture. Director Olivier Megaton and cinematographer Eric Kress opt for various bells and whistles including hand held sequences, occasional image manipulation and the like, elements that don't seriously distract from a cohesive, organic viewing experience. Colors are nicely suffused and accurate looking (perhaps surprisingly, Taken 3 is not that aggressively color graded). Detail and fine detail are both excellent (see screenshot 2) and in the several dark sequences, shadow detail is also quite commendable. There are no issues with image instability and no signs of overly aggressive digital tweaking.

Taken 3 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Taken 3's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is expectedly forceful, offering a glut of LFE in scenes like one where a car explodes or several of the cat and mouse chase sequences. There's some good attention paid to varying ambient environments, with Bryan's trek through various places like the underground sewer drain offering good opportunities for convincing and immersive sound effects. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly. Dynamic range is extremely wide on this problem free track.

Taken 3 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scene - "Flashback Malankove" (1080p; 7:16)


• Sam's Bunker, A.K.A. The Rabbit Hole (1080p; 3:01) is a completely silly animated "tour" through Sam's secret hideaway and some of the weapons it holds. Somewhat incredibly, this disc has been authored so that you can access each of the separate items on its own, in addition to a 'Play All' option.


• Taken to L.A. (1080p; 4:16) is a brief look at some of the locations utilized for the film.


• A Taken Legacy (1080p; 4:54) is perhaps indulging in a bit of wishful thinking.


• Gallery (1080p; 1:05) offers both Manual and Auto Advance options (the timing is for the Auto Advance option).


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:15)


• Theatrical (1080p; 1:48:57) and Unrated (1080p; 1:55:18) versions of the film.

Taken 3 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Taken 3 is relentless and often bombastic, at least in its action set pieces, but it's a curiously lifeless property (and not just due to the accretion of bodies by film's end). Even Neeson seems tired, and he looks a bit wan at times throughout this presentation. A rote screenplay and ham handed direction don't help this enterprise, but adrenaline junkies will probably get a jolt or two out of a couple of the chase sequences. Technical merits are very strong for those considering a purchase.