You don't have to be a parent to know the feeling of standing by helpless while a loved one suffers. Vicariously fight back. Gruesome electric torture is almost satisfying. Through Albanians, Parisians, Arabs, the closer he gets, the harder my heart pounds.
villain Murad, hero Bryan, daughter Kim
Preview. Patriarch Murad (Rade Serbedzija) swears revenge for Slavic slavers killed in Taken 1 Original by CIA agent Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), rescuing his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace). The hero is "Die Hard" solo-style strong, brave, determined, relies on his own brain, brawn, and some borrowed guns. Suspense; chases - foot, car; fights - gun, fist. Villains and hero take separate roads to meeting point, when everything explodes. Rooftops, grenades, countdowns. I turn away at torture.
Bryan invites ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen), separating from second husband, and daughter Kim along on his next trip, to Istanbul. If patriarch says "take him alive", why do they all shoot wildly? Here, Kim starts out tough, climbs to roof-tops, 'pitches in' throwing grenades, then wimps and whinges. Lenore delays natters nags in both - unlikeable. She is not Mrs Mills, so why not speak up and say so? Or scream so he could follow? They do keep shooting back at him.
Question: Yellow leaves on trees and ground mean fall. What school holiday is that?
---------- Spoilers: Bryan may offer to drop his gun, but I don't trust patriarch. Smart saving bullet, but he'd have his own gun. Two sons remain for Taken 3. Filming in steps exaggerates look that fights staged, especially final fight in Turkish baths.Just because Kim can crash-smash standard-gear cab like a maniac in a chase doesn't mean she can parallel park (American automatic?). But of course she passes "three weeks later". "Don't shoot this one, I like him" is a weak joke about new boyfriend Jamie (Luke Grimes). Closing song "going separate ways" seems opposite of happy families eating sundaes by the seaside.
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Extras: Alternate ending repeat chase with mom in car, "navigating", "What I do best" same line. Bathing stranger for hostage instead of wife? Not a good choice. Same three weeks later, pass driving test, ice creams. FX Neeson interview - real fear for stunt driver on car roof, real soldier choreographed fights trailers
Previews: Broken City, Chasing Mavericks, TV The Following, Bond 50th Anniversary, Skyfall, Red Dawn (Chris Hemsworth), Lawless (Shia Lebouf), Killing Them Softly
Audio: English Français Español Subtitles: English Español
Captain Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson) leads other Army Rangers, rescues "Face" Peck (Bradley Cooper) from Mexican villain General Tuco (Yul Vázquez), driven by "B.A." Bad Attitude, Baracus (Quinton "Rampage" Jackson), flown by chopper pilot Murdock (Sharlto Copley), to chorus "AMF"' (Adios Mother-F-er).
"80 successful missions later", the tight group is visited by hot brunette Captain "Crunch" Chlarissa Sosa (Jessica Biel), and baddie CIA Lynch (Patrick Wilson ) who wants engraving plates and the one billion American dollars printed thereby, out of Baghdad. Pike (Brian Bloom, also writer) leads well-paid Black (Ops) Forest unit to steal the plates, blows up the tent of General Morrison (Gerald McRaney), who left no record of official orders. The team is discharged and sentenced to a minimum of ten years incarceration, until Lynch wants them to get back the plates.
From previous viewing, I remember the plot didn't make much sense and does not have to, especially with surprise twists. This film is action, fast and hard, sprinkled with one-liners. "Cash don't buy guts .. or brains .. and you're short on both."
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Spoiler After the credits, original TV series actors for Face (Dirk Benedict) and Murdock (Dwight Schultz) have cameo scenes with corresponding film actors, as another tanning client and observing psychiatrist, respectively. ---------- Liam Neeson as Col. John "Hannibal" Smith Bradley Cooper as Lt. Templeton "Face" Peck
