Amid all the great new films we have because of Oscar season, one film stands out as one of the worst films I have ever seen. Not only is the title absolutely idiotic (Tak3n) but the film is horrendous. The writing is horrible, the acting is mediocre, the action is stupid, and the editing is simply awful. There is barely anything good in this film, and I really had to search for something nice to say.
Particular Set of Skills
I will start with the good. I liked the opening credits which lasted for about a minute, and some of the acting was ok. The only other highlight in the film is seeing Bryan Mills (Neeson) work with his old pals. That is it. Everything else about the film is bad. I’ll start off with what irritated me the most: the editing. Why does the director, or editor feel the need to cut every couple of seconds whenever there is an action scene? Sometimes there is not an action scene, but the editors think a scene will be tenser if they keep cutting every few seconds. It was extremely annoying, as well as, incredibly lazy. Action in films strive when the action is quick and fierce, not the editing. This is an action film, so when the action is sloppy, there is a big problem. Not all of the action is bad, but because of the editing it is extremely choppy. The cinematography itself is decent, but far too shaky during action scenes, and quite uninspired. Then there is the acting. Liam Neeson is a fantastic actor, but he does not show it in this film. He is okay, but occasionally his delivery is not that good. Maggie Grace is pretty good, but she is not given much to do at all. In fact, if the film did not have her in the film, it would not be different in any way. The only other actor worthy of mention is Forest Whitaker. He does a good enough job, but his character is a walking cliché. It is a character that people have seen on the big screen before, and the film does not do anything different with it.
It Ends Here (PLEASE!)
Now we have arrived to the writing of the film, which includes the plot and dialogue. Both are bad. So much of the film does not make much sense, and it was also really irritating that a key character from the first film go recast in this one. It would not be a big deal if he looked anything like the original actor. From start to finish, there are conveniences, unnecessary plot lines, and just purely stupid plot points. I do not want to give anything away (I honestly do not know why anyone would watch this film, but just in case), but a character learns some information by the end of the film, and the way he figures it out is laughable.
Closing Remarks
I really wanted to like this film. I think the first Taken is a very well done action film, and the second Taken film is pretty bad, but still watchable. This film takes the franchise to a whole new low, and I hope never again to see Neeson in a Taken Film. He is better than them, and all they do is take people’s money and time. Stay Away!