Taken 3 (2015) Movie Review – Action, Revenge, and a Familiar Formula

                                              

Introduction: The Return of Bryan Mills

Released in early 2015 in the United States (following a December 2014 premiere in Germany), Taken 3 marked the final installment of the action-packed Taken trilogy. Directed by Olivier Megaton and starring Liam Neeson once again as the brooding, sharp-witted former CIA operative Bryan Mills, the film attempted to build upon the momentum—and box office success—of its predecessors, Taken (2008) and Taken 2 (2012).

While Taken 2 wrapped up the revenge storyline and seemingly brought closure to the characters, the franchise’s popularity and cult following made a third installment almost inevitable. Commercial viability drove the creation of Taken 3, and although it treads familiar territory, fans of the series were eager to see Neeson’s character back in action.

Spoiler Alert.

Plot Overview: Murder, Framing, and Relentless Pursuit

In Taken 3, the narrative takes a slightly different direction. Rather than Bryan Mills rescuing a kidnapped loved one, the plot focuses on Bryan being framed for murder. The stakes remain personal, but the setting shifts from international locations to a cat-and-mouse game within the United States.

Bryan’s ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen), is experiencing marital problems with her current husband, Stuart (Dougray Scott). There are subtle hints of a possible reconciliation between Lenore and Bryan, especially after the intense experiences they shared in Taken 2. Bryan, already on good terms with his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace), seems ready to reconnect with his family.

But tragedy strikes. On the morning of a planned breakfast meeting with Lenore, Bryan discovers her murdered in his apartment. The police arrive quickly and immediately consider him the prime suspect. Given his history as Lenore’s former husband, the suspicion seems plausible from the authorities' perspective.

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Bryan on the Run: Escapes and Investigation

As expected from a trained covert operative, Bryan escapes police custody with calculated precision. He heads to a secure hideout, setting the stage for the film’s core narrative: uncovering the real killer while evading the law.

From his hideout, Bryan begins to analyze the situation. He reconstructs the crime scene, traces surveillance patterns, and uses his unique skill set to start piecing together the conspiracy. As the police close in again, he makes another daring escape, this time using their own vehicle. It’s vintage Bryan Mills: quiet, efficient, and effective.

The investigation leads Bryan to his daughter, Kim, who is unknowingly being tracked via a planted device. He removes the tracker, warns her about the danger, and begins to suspect that Stuart knows more than he initially claimed.

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High-Stakes Action and a Global Web of Deceit

The middle portion of the film escalates with a series of fast-paced sequences—car chases, close-quarter fights, and intense showdowns. One of the more memorable scenes involves Bryan crashing down a cliff in a car, only to emerge relatively unscathed and more determined than ever.

Eventually, Bryan confronts Stuart and learns that a former Spetsnaz operative, Oleg Malankov (Sam Spruell), was hired to kill Lenore. But the deeper truth is more sinister: Stuart orchestrated the entire setup to claim a $12 million life insurance policy and needed Bryan to take the fall.

In true action-thriller fashion, Bryan stages a final takedown. After a brutal gunfight and a dramatic chase, he captures Stuart and delivers him to the authorities. The police, having uncovered the truth, clear Bryan’s name.

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Performance and Direction: Neeson Delivers, but Familiarity Breeds Fatigue

Liam Neeson once again proves why he remains a compelling action lead. His portrayal of Bryan Mills is consistent—resolute, composed, and unwavering in his loyalty to family. Neeson’s performance grounds the film, lending it emotional weight even as the plot strains believability.

Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace reprise their roles with sincerity, though they have limited screen time. Dougray Scott’s portrayal of Stuart adds a layer of corporate menace, although the twist in his character arc feels predictable.

Director Olivier Megaton maintains a frenetic pace, leaning heavily into shaky cam techniques and rapid editing during action scenes. While this adds urgency, it sometimes hampers clarity, especially during fight sequences.

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Critical Reception vs. Audience Response

Critically, Taken 3 received mixed to negative reviews. Many reviewers pointed to its formulaic plot, lack of innovation, and overreliance on clichés. However, for fans of the series and general action moviegoers, the film hit the mark in terms of adrenaline and familiar storytelling.

Audiences came for the action—and they got it. Whether it’s Bryan escaping the police, hacking into systems, or engaging in brutal hand-to-hand combat, the film delivers its promises. Viewers who appreciated the first two installments found Taken 3 a satisfying, if not groundbreaking, conclusion to the trilogy.

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Box Office Performance: A Commercial Success

Despite its lukewarm critical reception, Taken 3 was a box office success. Produced on a budget of approximately $48 million, the film went on to gross over $325 million worldwide. This financial performance confirmed the franchise’s profitability and Neeson’s continued bankability as an action star.

The trilogy as a whole became a staple of early 2010s action cinema, inspiring a wave of similar “retired agent” revenge thrillers. Neeson’s success in these roles even prompted discussions about the evolution of the middle-aged action hero archetype in modern Hollywood.

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Themes and Legacy: Family, Revenge, and Survival

The core themes of Taken 3 remain consistent with the rest of the series: family, justice, and the relentless pursuit of truth. Bryan Mills is a character forged by personal loss, professional trauma, and an unyielding code of honor. In this final chapter, the emphasis shifts from saving his loved ones to defending himself, while still protecting his daughter.

Unlike the international abduction plots of the first two films, Taken 3 brings the danger home. The shift to domestic soil adds a fresh dynamic but also makes the story feel less epic. Nevertheless, the emotional beats—Bryan’s love for Lenore, his devotion to Kim, and his moral compass—continue to resonate.

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Conclusion: A Familiar but Entertaining Farewell

Taken 3 doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It follows a proven formula—tight pacing, gritty action, and a lone hero with unmatched skills. But for fans of Liam Neeson’s Bryan Mills, that’s more than enough.

While critics may have found fault in its structure and execution, the movie’s success lies in its straightforward delivery of action and emotional stakes. It concludes the Taken trilogy with a sense of closure, if not innovation.

If you’re a fan of the franchise, Taken 3 is worth watching. The emotional motivations are there, the action is solid, and Neeson remains a commanding presence. And in a cinematic world saturated with spectacle, sometimes familiarity can be its own reward.

Taken 2 (Released in 2012) - Sequel to fast paced action (starring Liam Neeson, Rade Šerbedžija, Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen)

Taken was an interesting movie and a big hit. The concept of having an unlikely superhuman type of character (wrapped in the body of a normal person, although with a highly skilled background) who is possessed with getting his daughter back from whoever had kidnapped her, proved to be a package that was very interesting for viewers, and the movie was a hit, both commercially and with critics. Liam Neeson was an unlikely looking extra-ordinary man, who when faced with a kidnapping happening in another country, is able to figure out what to do and start executing on such a plan, was fun to watch. And when he started on his killing spree, using guns just like that, or when he wired up the main kidnapper to electric cables for interrogation, all of that was attractive to viewers (he was trying to get information about his kidnapped daughter, wasn't he?). However, all such movies have a loose end - he killed a number of people, won't their folks want revenge ?
Well, Taken 2 is based on the concept of the family members of the killed villains wanting their revenge, and they are also ruthless in terms of this revenge. So, when Marko was killed, strapped to an electric cable and died of electrocution, his father wants revenge and promises that he will get the killer back to Albania, to suffer as the family of Marko has suffered. However, it is not clear as to who the killer is (after all, Neeson had killed almost everybody in the first movie), so Marko's father, Murad, goes to Paris, looking for the former intelligence friend of Neeson whose card was found near where most of the people were killed. He gets some information from this guy and then kills him and his family, and is now on the hunt for Neeson and his family.




Neeson is in Istanbul for a piece of work, and finds Lenore (ex-wife) and Kim (daughter) ready to surprise him over there. And then the action hots up. Kim wants Lenore and Neeson to go out for lunch while she would remain the hotel. However, Neeson spots them being tailed, and this starts the explosive action. He has to give up when Lenore is captured, but is able to warn Kim off, who just manages to escape the people hunting for her at the hotel. Later, when he has been captured, he is able to use a hidden phone (they did not search him for a hidden phone) to tell Kim to go to the American Embassy, but she refuses and persuades him to let her help, and he agrees (another weird thing, agreeing to put his daughter in danger). In the meantime, to make him suffer, Murad cuts Lenore's neck slightly, enough for her to bleed and hangs her upside down so that she can bleed in front of him.
The next part is fun - he tells his daughter that she has to explode grenades at regular intervals through which he will be able to use the sound to determine the location where she has to go to (seems a bit out of the world for me, but am not an ex-CIA operative, so maybe I do not know enough). She finally arrives at the house where he is, and he is able to get out and take Kim with him, but Lenore is recaptured.
Finally putting Kim in the safety of the US embassy, he is able to retrace the path and find where Lenore is, and after dispatching every other bad guy, he is finally left with Murad in front of his gun. He offers to let Murad go to end this killing urge, but when Murad agrees and then tries to kill him, he kills Murad (but thankfully, this does not form the basis for Taken 3).
The movie made a lot of money and the performances were also appreciated, but the surprised of the first film always makes it more difficult for the second film. Even though stuff such as using grenades to get location was a twist, the movie still seems to follow a regular script. You will like it if you like action, but it is not the same as the first version.

Demolition Man (Released in 1993) - A corny futuristic movie starring Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne

Experimenting with different genres to exercise his talent (maybe) - Stallone’s Demolition Man is a sci-fi thriller, released in 1993 starring him as John Spartan, an LA cop nicknamed ‘Demolition Man’, for his reckless and destructive law enforcement work style. He is pitted against Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) who is evil to the core. In 1996, Spartan is set up by Phoenix in a case implicating him for the deaths of hostages in a bus, which was taken hostage by Phoenix. Spartan leads a Special Operations Unit which is unable to rescue the people, as result they all perish and he is sentenced to sixty years approximately, in prison.
This is where the movie takes off - in 2032. In that distant future, prisons are scientifically more advanced and sound ‘cryo prisons’; prison inmates are cryogenically frozen. A terrible natural catastrophe has struck LA, as a result of which much of the city is destroyed. A new one is formed in its stead - wherein erstwhile LA and San Diego are merged to form San Angeles, the city is in the capable hands of Dr. Raymond Cocteau (Nigel Hawthorne). What merges, other than the geographic territory, is also the criminal demographic, despite the fact that weapons are banned and every human desire is sanctioned by the SAPD.
Phoenix seizes the opportunity to escape during a prison hearing for parole - he is able to overpower the guards and prison warden without problems. He is the quintessential villain - physically strong with fighting prowess, multi lingual, with a superior understanding of futuristic sciences and heightened sensory skills. Given the largely pacific environment in San Angeles, the law enforcement agencies are incapable of dealing with the heightened menace of Phoenix. A veteran on the Force suggests that the ‘Demolition Man’ Spartan be resurrected to help capture Phoenix.




Unlike Phoenix, Spartan has adaptability issues and is unable to make a smooth transition from the cryo stage to part human-part machine creature. The actual face behind menacing Phoenix is actually Cocteau who aims to overpower the underground resistance called ‘Scraps’ and reign supreme over San Angeles. Spartan sees security footage of a conversation between Phoenix and Cocteau; the former is in a museum at the weapons exhibit, in a bid to arm himself. Sandra Bullock is Lenina Huxley, who is Stallone’s love interest in the film - awkward kisses are exchanged between the two as they remain in their robotic, machine state.
The culture represented in the film is truly surreal - no one dies of unnatural causes, there are no human activities that includes sex (great future there!), best aspect is that there is no poverty. There are no fast food joints, they were all ‘killed’ in the franchise wars - only Taco Bell survives (for overseas audiences, the equivalent was Pizza Hut, since it had more brand presence abroad). Every person is fitted with a microchip, which can be tracked by a central federal computer. What happens in the battle between Spartan and Phoenix, given that they cause mayhem all around during their fights ?
The film was well received by audiences, 64% audiences ruled in favor of the film, and Stallone was lauded for his performance, even Snipes gave a stellar performance as Phoenix. Rolling Stone magazine called it the ‘Frankenstein of action thrillers’ -directed by Marco Brambilla, it is his directorial debut.

Nighthawks - Starring Sylvester Stallone, Billy Dee Williams, Rutger Hauer and Lindsay Wagner - Released in 1981

This 1981 film was directed by Bruce Malmuth, and is about two hardworking cops, who don’t always believe in playing by the rules but are dedicated to law enforcement. Detective Sergeants Deke DeSilva (Sylvester Stallone) and Matthew Fox (Billy Dee Williams) are Men Friday for the LAPD - assault team, sniper team – they’re always in demand!

Across the globe, Heymar Reinhardt, a noted terrorist also known as Wulfgar (Rutger Hauer) carries out the heinous bombing of a departmental store in London. Few days later, DeSilva and Fox carry out a raid on an alleged drug cartel’s kiosk. They have already been compromised, unbeknownst to them, by two members of the LAPD, shedding light on the rot within the system.

Wulfgar’s financer and handler - Mercer, is upset with him because a number of women and children were killed in the attack, and as a result, he withholds the payment to be made to Heymar. This upsets the terrorist, and in a bid to flee police, ends up murdering his contact - Kenna. He travels to Paris, to meet Shakka Holland (Persis Khambatta), who comments that killing Kenna was a bad move - for Wulfgar’s passport was found on his body, infact, Kenna was a willing associate and killing him has served no purpose other than creating problems.

The murder has alienated Wulfgar from his own peers as well, who see him as a traitor. In a desperate bid to flee the authorities and avoid arrest, the terrorist undergoes surgery to alter his appearance - predictably, he murders the surgeon, post the operation. After this he escapes to New York City. Meanwhile, DeSilva and Fox are reassigned to serve in a special task unit - ATAC, an anti terrorist outfit put together by an Interpol officer Peter Hartman (Nigel Davenport). Opposing Hartman’s shoot at sight and shoot to kill policies, DeSilva voices his opposition, stating he is a policeman, not a hired assassin.

Wulfgar, feeling safe in the US, starts planning his next move. He finds a safe house with Pam, a flight attendant. He discloses to her his true identity although withholding his name, ironically, she thinks he’s joking. The terrorist decides to make his presence felt by bombing locations near Wall Street. While he is away, Pam uncovers the cache of weapons in their apartment. Wulfgar murders Pam - her death is the first clue he leaves behind for Hartman and DeSilva.

Unable to identify him after his surgery, police are incapable of arresting Wulfgar, who plans a hostage crisis, and escapes narrowly, but not before he slashes Fox’s face - this infuriates DeSilva who vows to kill him no matter what. Shakka, now in the USA, keeps Wulfgar informed of every move made by the NYPD & US authorities, and tells him that the UN delegation has given a description of him as well. She also tells him his allies back in Europe are still miffed with him, to the extent that they do not wish to hire him again. Upset, the two plan their move to deal with the police and ATAC.

A UN Conference at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is target for the terrorist; Shakka attends the meet in disguise, cornering Hartman and killing him, she then teams with Wulfgar to hijack the UN reps - Wulfgar even kills the French ambassador’s wife in full view of the police chopper and DeSilva. On their way to escape the police and the detectives, Shakka makes a run for it, but is gunned down - Wulfgar escapes once more - and makes his way to Irene’s house (Lindsay Wagner) – DeSilva’s ex wife. As luck would have it, the cop is already there, and he shoots Wulfgar dead.

A tiresome and long winded story, with forgettable performances, the film wasn’t well received by audiences either.

The Ambassador (movie released in 1984) - Starring Robert Mitchum, Ellen Burstyn and Rock Hudson

Directed by British film director, J. Lee Thompson (King Solomon’s Mines) The Ambassador is a romantic-political thriller. The story’s is loosely sourced from the novel 52 –Pick Up by Elmore Leonard. Notable for having a cast which was aged, yet well known for its acting prowess, the film tells of the US Ambassador Peter Hacker (Robert Mitchum) and Head of Security Frank Stevenson (Rock Hudson) head out to the Middle East, as it suffers yet another diplomatic set back concerning Israel and Palestine. They have brokered a peace deal with the PLO, and are going to meet a group of young Israelis and Palestinians in the midst of the Judean Desert-only to have the meeting disrupted by the Israeli Armed Forces, both the Ambassador and Head of Security are apprehended.
Unbeknownst to the Ambassador, his wife Alex (Ellen Burstyn) is having an affair with Mustapha Hashimi (Fabio Testi). On one of their trysts in Jerusalem, they are followed and the rendezvous is videographed, anonymously. Frank’s role in the apprehension in the Desert is suspect, as he reports to a superior that Hacker is unfit to be envoy, after the two meet with the Israeli Defense Minister Eretz (Donald Pleasence), who reaffirms his commitment to the peace process.
Alex, very much besotted with her lover, chooses to create a drunken scene at a diplomatic-do, going off in a frustrated huff to meet Mustapha. She calls him from a booth in front of his apartment, when an explosion injures her, killing several others. Hacker and Stevenson are clueless with regard to her whereabouts, a phone call alerts the Ambassador to come to a movie theater all by himself. When he enters the building, the recorded images of Alex and her lover are played out on the screen- Frank, who was close at Hacker’s heels- witnesses this as well.
The Ambassador is informed that his wife is alive, and being cared for in a hospital. When the two men visit her, Alex tells her husband she would like to leave Israel and return to the US.

Back in his office, Peter is privy to a phone call which warns him that if he doesn’t pay ‘hush money’, the videographed events will be mailed to the President of the US. Hacker refuses, saying he would do no such thing, and tells Frank that he suspects foul play. That night, Peter tells Alex he is aware of her affair and that she is pawn in a dangerous game.

Heartbroken and shocked, Alex wants to find out Mustapha’s real identity. She learns he is a prominent member of the PLO and a wealthy businessman. The film, it appears, was made by the Mossad, to be used in case of ‘protection of its interests’. But as luck would have it, the Palestinians steal it from them. Stevenson is able to crack the case, unearthing the identity of the blackmailers as well- who had managed to get $500,000 from Hashimi. The two men also reveal that the KGB has sent a man called Stone to assassinate the Ambassador.

Peter sets up a meeting with Mustapha, confident that he can once more embark on the path of peace. He meets Israeli and Palestinian students in the outskirts of Tel Aviv, the talks are successful, but tragedy strikes when the students are ambushed by Palestinian terrorists, it ends in a massacre, and the tragic killing of Mustapha Hashimi.

On their return to the Embassy, Frank foils an assassination attempt to kill Hacker by KGB hireling-Stone, shooting him in the back of the head. Peter, overwhelmed and saddened by the chain of events that has been wrought, despite his best intentions, wants to retire, but Alex bids him not to, and the film ends with Hacker, looking misty eyed as group of Israeli students hold a peace rally, still optimistic that someday the Conflict would be resolved.

National Treasure (released in 2004) - Starring Nicholas Cage, Jon Voight, and Diane Krueger

Directed by Jonathan Turteltaub (other credits include: While You Were Sleeping, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice), the film is about  cryptologist and historian - Benjamin Franklin Gates, played by Nicholas Cage (other famous movies - The Rock, Con Air). It also stars Diane Krueger (Inglorious Basterds, Mr. Nobody), Jon Voight (Pearl Harbor, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), and Christopher Plummer (The Sound of Music).
Young Benjamin is loitering about in the attic, on a stormy night in 1974, he is about to open an ornate wooden box, when his grandfather John Adam Gates (Christopher Plummer) chances upon him; the old man then narrates to him the story behind the scrap of paper in the wooden box. The year was 1832, the only surviving signatory of the Declaration of Independence, Charles Carroll is anxious to speak to the then 7th President – Andrew Jackson - before he dies. However, the President is not at the White House that night, and Carroll has to share the secret with a stable boy -Thomas Gates, young Benjamin’s ancestor.
Thomas is apprised of a great treasure collected throughout history from different parts of the world, before it was discovered by the Knights Templar - who ‘spaced it out’ all over Europe and America, so that it did not fall into any one man’s hands. The Freemasons, an offshoot of the Templars, with big names like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin had helped the Knights conceal this treasure from the British. They devised covert codes, maps and clues, which only they knew; as time went by, all the clues save one were lost - that last trace was left with Charles Carroll, and it read ‘The secret lies with Charlotte.’ In keeping with the nature of clues -  it was so cryptic, Carroll had no idea what it meant!




When Ben asks his father Patrick Henry Gates (Jon Voight) about the treasure and the Knights Templar, he expresses skepticism, and asks the child’s grandfather to leave, but not before Ben asks the old man whether he is a knight. Instead of answering the child, he asks him whether he would like to be knighted, and why would a kid refuse such an offer? John knights Ben, charging him with the duty of finding the treasure.
We meet Benjamin, with his trusty aides - in the inhospitable Arctic, in search for a sunken ship called the ‘Charlotte’. They sift through the wreck, finding only kegs of gunpowder, till the team comes across the corpse, which they think is most likely the Captain’s; what makes it noteworthy is that it sits guarding a barrel, in macabre-after-life allegiance. When the barrel is opened, it cases a meerschaum pipe, in ivory-at the bottom of which is inscribed a riddle:
‘The legend writ, the stain affected. The key in Silence undetected. Fifty-five in iron pen, Mr. Matlack can't offend.’
Apparently, fifty five men had sworn to carry out a task, Matlack was Timothy Matlack, the scribe at the Continental Congress, the men had signed the Declaration of Independence that he had penned. When one of the team - Ian Howe, wants to have a closer look at the document, Ben refuses, reluctant to get close to an artifact of such import; this angers Ian, who declares he can steal the Declaration and find the treasure using the clues in it. Ian steals the pipe and document, escaping, but not before he sets fire to the ship, trapping Ben and Riley (Ben’s friend) in it - the two however, unbeknownst to Ian, escape unscathed.
Back in the US, the duo try and convince the FBI, DHS and lastly Dr. Abigail Chase (Diane Krueger), an expert on historical documents, that the Declaration of Independence could be stolen - no one believes them. Ben tries to win the latter over by sending her the missing election pin of General Washington, as a token.
As Ben and Riley discuss things over, they come to the conclusion that in order for it to be safe - the Declaration must be stolen before it falls into Ian’s hands. This they plan to do at a gala event to be hosted at the National Archives sometime later in the week.
In the guise of a worker at the gallery, Ben makes his way in, he later changes into a tuxedo, offers champagne to Abigail, and uses her thumb print to open the ‘Preservation Room’ using the password ‘Valley Forge’ to get in. He now stands before the Declaration of Independence, but just as he is about to open the case, Riley’s video feed is interrupted - by none other than Ian. With no way out, Ben grabs the case with the Declaration, only to bang into Ian on his way out - dodging bullets, he makes for the elevators, freeing it from its case. Meanwhile Abigail’s suspicions are raised when she does not see the pseudonym Paul Brown (used by Ben when he met her first) on the guest list - cornered; Ben makes a dash for it, whilst Abigail is accosted by Ian and his goons, who think she has the coveted document. Ben saves her, while Ian escapes with a document - a hysterical Abigail is told that the original is still with Ben and she needn’t worry.
The only safe haven for the three now is Ben’s father - Patrick’s house. Here they decipher the inscription behind the Declaration, which further links them to letters written by Benjamin Franklin.
A few more wild chases later, and a clever ruse to get Ben away from the FBI planned by none other than Ian, the duo meet and go down to a tunnel in search of the last clue - only to reach a dead end, that almost costs Ben his life, but he is saved by Patrick who intentionally misleads Ian with a false clue. When Ben is ready to turn over the Declaration, the Agent reveals he too is a Freemason, and promises the safe delivery of the document to the National Archives and arrest Of Ian. Considerably richer and financially secure Ben and Riley call it a day, with Riley still grumpy about the money they could’ve earned.
The movie has been called all sorts of things, ‘silly’ being one of them, but an enjoyable ride for kids and adults alike, despite holding only a 44% rating with Rotten Tomatoes.

Action thriller - Gone in 60 seconds (released in 2000) (starring Nicholas Cage, Angelina Jolie and Robert Duvall)

"I didn't do it for the money. I did it for the cars." (Memphis)

Gone in 60 Seconds is somewhat loosely based on the 1974 film by the same name; the current movie was directed by Dominic Sena (Swordfish), was released in 2000, and stars Nicholas Cage, Angelina Jolie and Robert Duvall, among an ensemble cast.
Randall “Memphis” Raines (Nicholas Cage, The Rock, Con Air) is an ex-car thief, who is forced to go back to his thieving ways when the Brit crime czar threatens to kill his brother Kip, when he failed to deliver a consignment of stolen vehicles on time.
How to save his brother ? The condition is to steal 50 cars in 72 hours, with his former partners-in-crime Otto (Robert Duvall, who played roles in Godfather, Speed) and Sway (Angelina Jolie, most famous in Lara Croft and Salt).
Suspicions are fanned when LAPD detectives come to learn of Raines’ return- Memphis must get the cars to the Long Beach Docks. These fifty beauties range from the Aston Martin, the Dodge Viper, Ferrari, to the Pontiac, Lamborghini and Volvo, each of them are code named after girls - Bernadine (Jaguar XJ220), Pamela (Chevy Corvette), Sharon (Pontiac GTO) etc.




All goes according to plan, until Detective Castlebeck (Delroy Lindo) throws a spanner in the works and takes out three cars - not one to be deterred, Memphis steals three cars from the police parking lot in retaliation. The Achilles’ Heel is Eleanor, the 1967 Mustang – which Raines has tried to steal on many occasions prior and failed. A Hollywood style chase takes place, which ends with Memphis jumping the car over a jam.
Unfortunately, Memphis reaches 12 minutes late - which almost cost him his life and the Eleanor is ordered to be crushed. When LAPD learns of the actual reasons for Raines return to crime, Castlebeck teams up with him to kill Calitri -who falls to his death. Kip presents Memphis with the keys to an old Mustang, which he bought in exchange for his chopper, finally happy, with his criminal past behind him, Raine and Sway drive into ‘happily-ever-after’.
Despite the impressive cast, the film received mostly poor reviews, the real star of the movie though, was Eleanor, the Mustang - with its replica named Roneale (Eleanor spelt backwards). The movie promises turbo-charged, adrenaline pumping thrills, but delivers only high decibel hype - do consider watching it just for Jolie’s pout, since Cage’s mumbling tone and the alternating screeching of brakes makes for little that could be termed entertaining.
The plot seems jaded, and the rush one awaits at the prospect of fifty machines displaying such brazen horsepower-never really happens. Great cast, fifty awesome cars, and 118 minutes later - the movie is still lame and boring. Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced Days of Thunder, The Rock, Con Air etc, really lost the plot this time. Love your cars, maybe make a really nice movie with cars that tell the story , but do refrain from glorifying car theft, no matter how pressing the reasons are!

Film - Con Air - Action thriller starring Nicholas Cage and John Malkovich (released in 1997)

The movie marks the 1997 directorial debut of Simon West, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (The Rock). Con Air, the name borrows inspiration from the JPATS (Justice Alien and Prison Transportation System), the largest prison transport network. Nicholas Cage (Face Off, The Rock) plays Gulf War veteran Cameron Poe, who returns home to his wife, pregnant with their first child, and who ends up killing a drunken man who assaults her- this lands him in a maximum security prison.

Eight years down the line, he is being let off for good conduct. He nervously looks forward to meeting his daughter - the child he’s never seen before. Flying on a C-123, the Jailbird will take him home to Alabama. His co-passengers include Mike "Baby-O" O'Dell, the vicious Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, along with his   right-hand man, Nathan "Diamond Dog" Jones - they are being transported to another penitentiary. 

Also on the plane is the Drug Enforcement Agent Duncan Malloy, who gets another agent Willie Sims on board, in guise of a prisoner; unbeknownst to the others, Malloy arms Sims with a gun. Their aim is to get the transported drug lord Francisco Cindino to divulge more information about his operations; the US Marshal Larkin (John Cusack, America’s Sweethearts) on board agrees, unaware that there is a weapon on the person of the agent.
Cyrus (John Malkovich, In the Line of Fire) provokes his fellow passengers to riot; they end up hijacking the Jailbird. Pretending to befriend him, Poe plants a recording device on one of the guards, who would be off loaded in Carson City, dressed as a prisoner. The aircraft is now manned by “Swamp Thing”, with Cindino, the master mind close at heel. Cyrus commands Joe "Pinball" Parker, to get rid of the transponder telling plant it on another plane. But just as the Jailbird is airborne, the guards discover the device Poe had planted, and they alert Malloy and Larkin.

Joe Parker meets a gory end as his body is lodged in the landing gear when the plane takes off - but not before Poe sends in a note to Larkin telling him about what’s going to take place. The Marshal alerts the National Guard to go to Lerner Airfield, an abandoned airbase. Meanwhile, Poe’s identity and intentions are discovered by Billy Bedlam, who had found the parole letter, thus revealing the fact that Poe was the traitor amongst them - he ends up dying at the hands of Poe.
The  plane lands at the airfield but goes off the runway - skidding to halt in sand, next to a tank of propane.
Cindino had planned for his jet to already be there - but seeing that it isn’t, the Virus commands everyone to start digging into the sand to free the plane. Marshal Larkin makes it to the scene, preventing Cindino and his minions from escaping, when the Virus gets to know how Cindino duped him - he kills the drug lord.
An ambush is evaded as Larkin helps the Guardsmen - all the other prisoners return to the Jailbird, including Cyrus – who discovers the true intent of Poe, he tries to get even by shooting Poe’s friend Mike Baby’O.
The transponder helps Malloy track the aircraft, ordering it to land in Las Vegas, but lack of fuel causes it to crash land at The Strip. Cyrus is killed by a pounder at a construction site, as are his pals Swamp and Jones.
Poe is reunited with Casey and his wife, all’s well that ends well, or like Baby ‘O said –‘God’s got my back’.
Almost ten different aircrafts were used while filming the movie. It has a wonderful soundtrack, especially the song “How Do I Live Without You” (which was nominated for an Oscar in 1997) is hauntingly lovely!
The audiences worldwide received the film well- its current approval rating is 55% on Rotten Tomatoes- it is an action-packed entertaining thriller, worth a second watch!

Film - Face Off (starring John Travolta and Nicholas Cage) - Action thriller - Released in 1997

“There is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face.”
Face /Off is an out and out thriller, throw in sentiment for good measure, a few teary eyed moments and voila - a full thriller where you don’t have to think too much. The cops and robbers routine is taken to the next level when FBI Special Agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) loses his son to Castor Troy’s (Nicholas Cage) bullet - one which was meant for him.
Castor’s Achilles’ Heel is his brother Pollux Troy (Alessandro Nivola); they are both planning a bomb blast in LA -  whilst Castor is severely wounded in the gun battle that ensues, Pollux, the only guy who knows the location of the bomb, is taken captive.
Meanwhile, the vegetated state of Castor ensures there’s no way he’s disclosing the whereabouts of the bomb, so it’s now left to Archer to step up to the moment.
In a bizarre proposal, doctors tell Archer he can take on Castor’s identity – by way of a ‘Face/Off’. He has so much at stake but mainly the memory of Michael, his son, needs to be laid to rest. And so agrees to get a new face, a new identity. After the operation, Archer (as Troy) is incarcerated in the same prison as Pollux, and manages to get the location of where the bomb is planted. The tricky part now is getting out unscathed from Erewhon prison.
Castor Troy, now faceless, arises like phoenix from the ashes, and manages to get a face for himself - that of his rival Archer. And along with the new identity he has certain perks – a lovely wife, a beautiful home and a whole lot of ways to make sure that he uses the FBI to get rid of Archer once and for all. In order to earn the trust and praise of the department, Castor defuses the bomb - and becomes a hero. He takes to his new role like a fish to water, while the actual Archer faces near death in a prison riot, but manages to escape; once out, his aim is to get in touch with all of Castor’s network - his buddies and girlfriend, included.
Déjà vu when Castor (actually Archer) sees Adam, Sasha’s son (Castor’s ex) - and memories of Michael come flooding back. On the other hand Archer (actually Troy) is making inroads with Jamie - the daughter, who says she can never bring herself to forgive her father for what happened to her brother Michael. Having climbed the upper echelons of the Department ladder, Archer now takes matters into his own hands after he kills an FBI big gun and is himself promoted to Assistant Director In charge - virtually untouchable AND hopping mad because Cage killed his brother Pollux.



Meanwhile the actual Archer (in guise of Troy, played by Cage) approaches Eve, his wife and convinces her that the man in her home is the impostor Castor Troy; she tells him that Troy will be attending the funeral of the official he’d killed. But Castor, a veteran to cat and mouse games, is a step ahead, and he takes Eve hostage. In the gun fu that ensues Castor manages to escape in a speed boat, only to be brought down by Archer, who wins back his family and self respect, with a second chance at caring for the child Adam, whose mother Sasha was killed in the crossfire.
John Woo is known for bringing the Asian character to his films - they may be a little over the top, however, audiences love them. Both Travolta and Cage were two actors he had worked with earlier in Broken Arrow and Windtalkers. An excellent play is conducted by Woo on the words and names in the Film. For instance, Castor and Troy, according to ancient Greek Mythology - are brothers who make up the constellation Gemini, the prison Erewhon is the word “nowhere” written backwards.
With a rousing musical score by Hans Zimmer, the Movie was well received by audiences and critics alike - it was nominated for the Academy Award for Sound Editing (70th Academy Awards, 1998), losing to the Titanic. It won the Best Action Scene in the MTV Movie Awards and the Best Directing and Writing in the Saturn Awards.