Liam Neeson does not look happy. Admittedly, Bryan Mills often looks peeved or displeased, but that’s the nature of his life, where anyone from his family can be kidnapped at any time and he has to go and rescue them while taking out the bad guys. But in Taken 3, it appears – for UK audiences, at least – he’ll have to do so with a little less violence. 20th Century Fox has decided to edit the movie to receive a 12A.
The lower certification is in line with the studio’s release of recent films such as** A Good Day To Die Hard**, and is aimed at boosting the box-office potential. But it also runs the risk of alienating action fans that want Mills to be at his neck-snapping, head-crunching, bullet-firing best. Especially following [the release of this 12 Skills Of Christmas promo](http://<iframe width="630" height="354" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_ZLh4CaXwzM?rel=0&showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>){
UK classification board the BBFC announced the new rating, adding an explanation for the change. “During post-production, the distributor sought and was given advice on how to secure the desired classification. Following this advice, certain changes were made prior to submission,” runs the statement. “This film was originally seen for advice in an incomplete form. The BBFC advised the company that the film was likely to receive a 15, but that their requested 12A could be achieved by making reductions in scenes of violence. When the finished version was submitted for formal classification, those changes had been made and the film was classified 12A.”
So while we don’t expect Bryan to start offing villains using a feather duster for full-on tickle death (especially since the plot of the third film finds him framed for his ex-wife’s death and on a crusade to clear his name while protecting his daughter), you may have to wait for DVD to see the movie as director Olivier Megaton and producer Luc Besson intended. Taken 3 will gently arrive on our screens on January 8.