With Taken, Liam Neeson became an unlikely action star, with his quiet, solemn masculinity lending gravitas to even the silliest dialogue and story beats. But rather than use the success of that instantly meme-able film as an excuse to pursue more period dramas and British weepies, Neeson embraced his newfound action hero identity. Now, after seven years of snapping necks and gunning people down across several continents, it looks like he’s ready to retire from the action hero game for good.
The former CIA operative turned full-time rescuer of his perpetually kidnapped family at the center of the ‘Taken’ series is famous for—as he put it to the men who took his daughter in the first film—a “particular set of skills” that make him “a nightmare” for bad guys. Here now is a partial list of the particular skills Bryan Mills—played by the 62-year-old Liam Neeson—displays in ‘Taken 3’:
The opening shot of 'Non-Stop' has Liam Neeson pouring whiskey in a coffee cup and stirring it with a toothbrush. He then reaches out to a photo of a young girl to stroke it with his fingertips. After this the phone rings and the caller ID reads 555. In other words, three of the biggest movie cliches, all in about sixty seconds.
Although 'Taken 2' didn't live up to the glorious, trashy heights of the first film, its absurd box office meant that a 'Taken 3' was inevitable. Now, the gears are officially in motion. A director is attached, Liam Neeson is returning and Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker is reportedly being sought for a mysterious role.
How many times can someone get taken before Liam Neeson is like, "I'm tired. Just sort this mess out amongst yourselves"? Maybe the third time's the charm -- at least that's what we're hearing from the writer of 'Taken 2' in a new interview.
It's a movie that I initially blogged about a little while back. Based on the trailer, it looks like if 'Transformers' (Hasbro in the house, y'all) and 'Independence Day' had a baby...in the water. I thought the same thing about 'Steel Magnolias' though so my opinion may not be the most sound.