Taken 3 (2014)

Olivier Megaton takes the directorial reigns again as Bryan Mills fights to clear his name when he is framed for his ex-wife's murder. This time on American soil, he must circumnavigate the police and one very crafty detective (Forest Whitaker). While Neeson is usually cast now as the grisly yet crafty veteran, I really saw his age in a few of the chase scenes. The camerawork covers it up with nauseatingly jarring close-up shots and movements. I found the vehicular chase scenes completely laughable and groan-inducing. But the close-combat hand-to-hand fight sequences were the true highlight of the film. Predictable twists and a mountain of plotholes and corn-veniences aside, the third installment keeps up the action and thrills despite an aging Neeson.

2½ unwanted crotch shots out of 5

TAKEN 2 [2012]

Liam Neeson is back as the scary-as-hell father on a mission for vengeance in the sequel to the surprisingly fun action/thriller Taken.
With Pierre Morel out of the director's chair, it seems like a no-brainer to get The Transporter 3 director Olivier Megaton behind the camera seeing as Luc Besson is still involved.
While the first one as a refreshingly violent and brainless thrill-ride, the second one is dull, predictable and pretty much seems like the first one only tamer, tired and completely forgettable.  As an action star, Neeson is still a joy to watch but nothing much more is worth seeking out in Taken 2.

2 grenade triangulations out of 5

The Fog (2005)

John Carpenter's version of The Fog didn't have much of a plot. but it made up for it by having a lot of atmosphere, some great music, and some decent actors. This one doesn't have much of anything going for it.

There's Tom Welling, who's very far from the Kent farm, looking lost and out of his depth. Then there's Selma Blair at the radio station; she was barely tolerable in the Hellboy films, but doesn't do anything here to remove the whiff of shite from the remainder of her CV. She's perhaps the worst thing in a barrel of worst things.

0½ a missing clapper out of 5

TAKEN [2008]

With a little help from Luc Besson as writer & producer, Pierre Morel directs Liam Neeson in the violent action/thriller Taken.
What serves as a vehicle to redefine Neeson as a highly effective action star, Taken is riddled with plotholes, flat-lining dialogue and not a whole lot of thought put into it.  However it's the fast-paced action that keeps the story charging forward, never really giving you enough time to realize all the things wrong with it.  If not for Neeson's performance the film might not have been as fun as it is, so take it with a grain of salt and hopefully enjoy giving your brain a little bit of down time.

3 memorable phone calls out of 5

FASTER [2010]

After a long string of bad kiddy films, Dwayne Johnson returns to fine form in 2010's stylish revenge flick Faster.

The Rock looks great seething with hatred and anger as he mows down the bad guys in whatever way seems fit.  Unfortunately the film gives away it's mystery 30 minutes in and becomes predictable for far too long.  The dialogue could have used a little more flash and perhaps setting the film in a different era might have helped the attitude a lot more.  Don't expect any surprises but if you know what you're expecting it's a guaranteed good time.

3 bad days at the office out of 5