‘Taken 3’ is a Go!

Are you a European kidnapper who has devised a plan to snatch at least one member of an American family? If you answered yes, then I have bad news for you; Liam Neeson is back for Taken 3.

Poor Bryan Mills. All he’s looking for is some peace and quiet, yet he’s repeatedly forced to go toe-to-toe with a barrage of baddies in order to keep his family safe. However, the third instalment to the action franchise — which will hit cinemas on January 9 — will see things turn on their head as it will be Neeson’s Mills who is the hunted party after he is framed for the murder of someone close to him.

Neeson has now been talking to USA Today about the upcoming blockbuster, and he revealed that Mills’ plight is so desperate the US government is even chasing the former CIA man. “I have to go on the run, I’ll put it that way, from the not-so-lawful types and the lawful authorities,” the 62-year-old Irish thespian explained. “Bryan Mills served his country faithfully, but now even they are after him. They must not like me.”

It seems like no one likes Bryan, Liam. In fact you can check out an image of Neeson doing his best Harrison Ford impression at the top of the page, while here’s Bryan trying to convince his daughter that he’s just a regular, run-of-the-mill dad:

Forest Whitaker is along for the ride in Taken 3, and, let’s face it, any film that features The Last King Of Scotland star is immediately more watchable so it’s already got a step-up on Taken 2. Sorry Rade Serbedzija.

To most modern-day moviegoers, Liam Neeson is regarded as a bona-fide action-star thanks to his triumphant turn in the first two Taken films. The 2008 original saw Neeson trawling through Europe, creating havoc after an Albanian gang captured his daughter, Kim, played by Maggie Grace, as she vacationed in Paris. While it was about as subtle as a shot to the throat with a sledgehammer, there’s no denying the fact that Taken was riotously entertaining, plus it possessed enough thrills, spills and surprises to gain praise from even the most hardened film cynic. The fact that it went on to gross over $225 million around the world, from a budget of just $25 million, meant that a sequel was a formality. Yet, when Taken 2 arrived in 2012, it lacked the charm or excitement of the original and was ravaged by critics. It still did good business at the box office, and it even managed to surpass its predecessor’s total, taking in $375 million.

Liam Neeson admitted that the third installment is an attempt to refresh the saga. “This time, no more traveling,” he declared. “If my daughter was ‘taken’ again on a trip, Bryan Mills would have to be certifiably locked up for bad parenting.”

He then went on to reveal some further details regarding the adventure, noting that Mills “wants to fight quick, using the dirtiest moves possible to finish” off his opponents. Forest Whitaker, who joins the series as an agent on the prowl for Bryan, praised Neeson’s movie “presence” before adding that “he gives people a sense of comfort and security.”

However, despite his obvious excitement over the upcoming addition to the franchise, Neeson believes that this will be the last Taken film. “It’s a rollicking good story. But I think this is the end,” he conceded. Whitaker isn’t so sure though, and as there’s no big fight between the two of them in Taken 3, he believes it will “have to wait until Taken 4.” Ultimately though, the film’s box-office total will make their decision for them.