Liam Neeson returns as ex-covert operative Bryan Mills, whose reconciliation with his ex-wife is tragically cut short when she is brutally murdered. Consumed with rage, and framed for the crime, he goes on the run to evade the relentless pursuit of the CIA, FBI and the police. For one last time, Mills must use his “particular set of skills,” to track down the real killers, exact his unique brand of justice, and protect the only thing that matters to him now – his daughter.
In Taken, which became a global box-office sensation, distinguished actor and multi-award winner Liam Neeson, became the cinema’s newest and perhaps most unexpected action hero. At the same time, the gravity he brings to the role of Bryan Mills provides added depth to the film series, which constantly flirts with the codes of the genre. In a manner that’s original for a thriller, Bryan is as much defined by his love for his family as he is for his lethal skillset.
The character’s unique qualities helped propel Taken to box-office glory, as it became of the one of the surprise hits of 2008. A few years later, Neeson, producer-screenwriter Luc Besson, and screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen returned for Taken 2, with Olivier Megaton taking the directorial reins. Once again, audiences cheered Neeson as an overprotective father whose skills – forged through years of covert ops – continue to be put to the test long after his retirement from the CIA.
THE STORY
Having enjoyed inhabiting Bryan Mills and the character’s world in Taken and Taken 2, Neeson was ready to return for a third film, but wanted to ensure there was something new TAKEN 3 could offer audiences. “I was excited to come back for the third film,” he explains, “but I did have some reservations at first, because what else could we do? Bryan Mills couldn’t have his daughter taken again. Otherwise, he’d be up for really bad parenting. But our screenwriters, Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, came up with an interesting storyline.”
TAKEN 3 sees Bryan facing his biggest challenge ever, as he deals with the aftershocks of his ex-wife’s murder, while evading pursuit from several law enforcement agencies, hunting down the real killers, and most of all, protecting his daughter Kim.
“What makes TAKEN 3 a quintessential Taken movie is that, at its heart, it’s still about Bryan Mills doing everything in his power to save his family,” says Neeson. “That’s why these films resonate with a global audience, because at their core, they are about the love and sanctity of family and the lengths we’ll go to protect that.”
Balancing the emotional and psychological elements with the no-holds-barred action sequences is an enormous challenge, especially in a motion picture franchise. “The more action you have, the more you have to prepare the audience,” says director Megaton. “So you have to build your characters in another way. It’s tricky because things keep snowballing. And that spiraling pace is even built into the characters’ emotional and human development. First, we’re in the midst of some emotional turbulence, and then the action bursts in, like a big typhoon. The two elements dovetail; it’s a gradual process, like in a recipe. You have to calibrate every moment. When the action barrels in, you don’t see it coming because you’re submerged in that emotional chaos. Then suddenly you’re in this physical chaos. That’s the basic structure of this movie.”
Neeson elaborates on the films’ careful mix of action and drama: “Even though Bryan Mills is a guy with a ‘particular set of skills,’ he’s also a kind of everyman. People identify with his love of family. Parents will do anything for their kids and they see that in Bryan. For all his faults, he still is a very devoted father who’ll do anything for his child. But I think audiences also enjoy the fact that he bucks the system and doesn’t trust anyone in authority. And if he has to break the law, then he does.
“The underlying stories in the Taken films are solid,” Neeson continues. “We’ve tried to avoid doing anything in excess just to excite an audience. The triggers for that action have always been very strong. And it’s, of course, about Bryan Mills defending his family and protecting them, against all odds. You have that bedrock of a very stable relationship that’s being tested all the time. So once you have that base in place and audiences believe in that charge of love – especially between Bryan and his daughter Kim – you can take the action anywhere you want.”
Post a Comment
0Comments