In 2008, Liam Neeson’s career changed forever with the release of the now-beloved action thriller Taken. The actor became widely known as the man with a particular set of skills, one that helps him rescue his daughter in a foreign country after she is kidnapped. The film spawned a full-fledged franchise with two sequels, but they failed to recapture the magic of the first. Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped Taken fans from enjoying them all the same. And they will be able to do so on Hulu, when Taken and Taken 3 become available on the streaming platform starting February 1.
Currently available on Max before it arrives on Hulu, Taken was the film that started the pop culture phenomenon and made Neeson’s ex-CIA agent a household name. The story follows Brian Mills as he travels to Europe in search of his missing daughter, Kim, played by Maggie Grace, who was kidnapped by human traffickers. An action-packed film filled with enough tension to make any parent break into a cold sweat, Taken was lightning in a bottle. However, the same cannot be said for its two sequels, one of which will be available on Hulu.
In 2015, the final installment of the franchise, Taken 3, was released in theaters. Up until recently, it was not available on a streaming platform. Now on Hulu next month, fans can watch an ex-covert operative take revenge on those who killed his ex-wife Lenore, played by X-Men: The Last Stand star Famke Janssen. A shake-up to the franchise’s formula, Taken 3 sees Neeson’s character on the run from government agencies after he is framed for the aforementioned murder. On Rotten Tomatoes, Taken 3 failed to impress both critics and audiences, garnering a disastrous 13% critic rating and a slightly more positive 43% Popcornmeter score from general viewers. However, it still made $326 million worldwide on a $48 million budget, grossing $100 million more than the original 2008 film.
Is ‘Taken 4’ Going to Happen?
Unfortunately, those anxiously anticipating another Taken sequel can stop holding their breaths. In 2016, shortly after the release of the third film, Liam Neeson confirmed that Taken 4 would not be happening. He previously said it hinged on how people responded to Taken 3, and it seems the actor and studio took it to heart. It made money, but failed miserably to live up to expectations of a worthy sequel. Neeson’s statement from 2016, which is quite funny, can be read here:
“No, there’s not. There’s only so many times your daughter can be taken. Actually if we do have another it will be, ‘Please can you take my daughter’?”
Related
One of Liam Neeson’s Best Action Thrillers Is a Saintly Streaming Success
The action outing boasts 83% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Of course, Neeson fans have been eating good when it comes to action films. In fact, he’s since made several movies that easily eclipse the quality of the two Taken sequels, including Non-Stop and The Grey, among many others. However, he hasn’t pigeonholed himself to one genre. Neeson is set to star in the upcoming The Naked Gun sequel from The Lonely Island’s Akiva Schaffer, which wrapped filming last year. After his hilarious role in Ted 2, fans are highly anticipating his take on the iconic franchise. If there is anyone currently working today who can pull off the deadpan comedy from the series, it’s Neeson.
Release Date
January 30, 2009
Runtime
90 minutes
You can view the original article HERE.
