Taken

Taken

Liam Neeson kills, beats and tortures a lot of people in this action film. Like many other reviewers, this movie feels like a theatrical version of the show 24.

Taken is a decent action drama that has more going for it than against it.

For the most part, the plot is simple to follow. A ‘teenage’ girl, whose father is a retired agent, is kidnapped in Paris. The father, Neeson, takes it upon himself to find his daughter by any means necessary.

The movie has a nice pace to it with some good action scenes. Pierre Morel, the director, does a good job with sometimes seedy locations and people involved with the kidnapping. For a PG-13 movie, the violence is pretty intense and the story is surprising forthright about the sex trade plot.

The story, written by Luc Besson, isn’t the best or original. This has to do with things that happen merely for plot progress instead of logically finding a way to get to another plot point. However, the reason this movie works is because of one person.

Liam Neeson just brings it in this role. He will be the reason you even go out and see this movie. Neeson can play a heartwarming father/teacher figure, like he plays in all his movies, to a ruthless ex-agent out for revenge. Neeson makes the plot progression problems believable.

The scene where he tells his daughter to hide under the bed and be ready from them to take her is a brilliant sequence. He calmly instructs her what to do exactly.

So, go out and watch this movie to see Neeson’s performance and his ability to kick ass. If you look pass some of the conventional plot tools, you may find yourself enjoying this movie.

Grade: C+

Notes

-Maggie Grace, from LOST, is NOT seventeen, but for some reason the producers thought she could pas for 17, but they were wrong. Grace is good, but she can’t pass for a teenager.

-Every time I see Famke Janssen, I keep thinking about her role in the X-Men series. She is a lovely woman.

-Nathaniel Mechaly music isn’t that compelling. I personally think they should have used Zimmer or one of his Media Venture people.