Taken 3 - D

Liam Neeson

Rated PG-13, 93 minutes
Wes's Grade: D

Fast-paced but preposterous and sluggish "Taken 3" isn't worth the ride this time

"Taken 3" is the "Taken" movie where no one is taken. Doesn't make sense to me, either, in the predictable, incoherent mess that is "Taken 3," supposedly the final chapter in this mediocre action franchise. Liam Neeson and his special skill set are the only reason to see this sluggishly preposterous thriller, which may be enough for Neeson's fan base. Ex-covert operative Bryan Mills' (Neeson) reconciliation with his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) is tragically cut short when she is brutally murdered and he is framed for the crime. He goes on the run to evade the relentless pursuit of the CIA, FBI and the police (led by Forest Whitaker, utterly wasted here in a throwaway role). For one last time, Mills must use his "particular set of skills," to track down the real killers, clear his name and protect the only thing that matters to him now - his daughter (Maggie Grace). Let's hope this thing ends after the fast-paced but ridiculously predictable "Taken 3" in which no one is taken, just chased and shot at endlessly. Directed by Oliver Megaton, who directed "Taken 2," and co-written and produced by acclaimed filmmaker Luc Besson (of the recent "Lucy"), if you thought the first two "Taken" movies were far-fetched, this one is so over-the-top it makes those look like a documentary: Bryan Mills and his special skill set are in need of a more substantive story and character development, of which this is sorely lacking. Admittedly, Mills and his skills are fun to watch, though by now it gets tiresome and the novelty of it has worn itself out since the first film, with writer Besson now content with having Mills escape some pretty far-out car crashes and other situations, and if you think he won't actually get the bad guys in the end, then you must be crazy. Other than the awful script and lackluster plotting (and the fact they kill off the lovely Janssen, by far one of the prettiest things about these movies), the scariest thing about "Taken 3" is that bowl haircut that the villain (TV character actor Leland Orser) sports, which is just painful to look at. Also, the whole premise - the lack of someone being taken - really makes "Taken 3" a wasted, largely unnecessary effort. A handful of decent action scenes, but otherwise skip this one as the January dumping ground for movies continues.