Genres

Visitors Review

2013-05-18 00:52:56

Liam Neeson releases his inner Jack Bauer

TAKEN**** ½ Out of 5Release Date- February 27th, 2008 (France) January 30th, 2009 (USA)Running Time- 93-MinutesRating- PG-13Screenplay- Luc Besson & Robert Mark KamenDirector- Pierre MorelStarring- Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Xander Berkeley, Oliver Rabourdin, Katie Cassidy and Famke JanssenUpon seeing the preview for Taken I was quite interested in seeing this flick I came across the abduction scene when flipping through the stations and it got me hooked and I found it quite intense and was very much looking forward to this movie. In recent years the action genre has really gone downhill. And even action flicks made outside of Hollywood feel as if they were made by Hollywood. Taken does sort of feel like that at times, but this is the type of movie Hollywood once made when the produced quality movies.Taken isn't the most original movie ever made and you've seen variations of the plot done many, many times and maybe it's just me, but Taken also sort of had a feel of the TV series 24 in tone and in some of the scenes and in the main character. As much as it is an action movie Taken is also a suspense flick and both these elements work very well.The screenplay by Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen was well written, but not without its flaws. The lead character Bryan Mills played by Liam Neeson is a former CIA agent and due to that he has connections that allow him to track down the people who abducted his daughter, but the problem I had is things come a little too easy. Bryan gets a little too much done too easy and certain aspects of the plot aren't developed enough, but despite that Besson and Kamen do a solid job. Bryan Mills is the main character and really the only character that truly matters.And Besson and Kamen do a bang up job with the character. He's well developed and is a take no prisoners kick butt character. The rest of the characters are just sort of there and not given a whole lot to do, but in no way does this hurt the movie. Luc Besson has made some movies under Hollywood, but most of his flicks are French productions, but clearly geared at American audiences, but his movies are just a whole lot of fun. They might have a Hollywood feel, but they work better than most of the junk coming out of Hollywood these days. Robert Mark Kamen best known for the first three Karate Kid movies often works with Besson and both these guys work very well together. In general you may not get a cinematic masterpiece, but you do get your money's worth and Taken is by far their best work to date as writing partners (and possibly even on their own).Director Pierre Morel does a solid job even if sort of by the books. The pacing is solid and early on it moves slowly, but steady and is interesting and none of the scenes feel like fillers. The action sequences are highly enjoyable even if they lack some originality. Quite a few times I couldn't help, but think of 24, which I suppose is more due to the script, but some of the scenes feel like something done on 24. But despite some lack of originality, Morel does an excellent job and shows some potential as a filmmaker. Taken is well made and moves at a very nice pace and always remains interesting. Even if the action scenes lack originality at times they are again highly enjoyable and there are some scenes that are highly suspenseful. Also don't let the PG-13 rating scare you off. A lot has changed in cinema and movies that would once be R-rated get awayWhat really elevates Taken is the performance by Liam Neeson; Neeson is one of the most talented actors of his generation and is one of the few actors that can pull off any role and do it great. Here as Bryan Mills he delivers one of the best if not the best performance of his career and is without a doubt one of my personal favorite performances of 2008. Anytime I write a review for an action flick I always mention how the action stars out there now really leave a lot to be desired. Gone are the Stallone's and McQueen's of the action genre. Liam Neeson though makes for the perfect action star; he has the no nonsense persona done perfectly and is also a great actor. While there are many actors who have done action flicks and gave excellent performances most of the time it isn't about the actual performance, but Neeson plays the tough guy role perfectly and also delivers one hell of a performance.Maggie Grace as Kim gives a slightly awkward performance; I haven't seen a lot of her work outside of The Fog, which was simply a put a pathetic waste of time, but I thought Maggie did well with horrible material and showed some potential. At the time this movie was made I guess she was about 23 maybe and she just didn't fit playing a 17-year old girl and actually the character comes off a lot younger than 17. It's very common for actors in their mid 20s and in some cases late 20s too play teenagers and some pull it off and some don't. Maggie Grace doesn't deliver a bad performance per se, but slightly awkward. Again she wasn't bad, but just didn't fit the age of the character and came across younger than 17, but some of that is more on the writing and directing, but again it was just awkward.Famke Janssen, Xander Berkeley and Oliver Rabourdin are solid in small, but vital roles and Katie Cassidy was good, but not given a whole lot to do. All the performances are mostly solid, but like I stated before its Liam Neeson that takes center stage here and really elevates Taken. Without Neeson, Taken would have been an enjoyable flick, but Neeson takes the material and makes far more out of it.Overall Taken is a solid movie that just slightly falls short of being brilliance, but when all is said and done the movie works on pretty much every level and again I have to state it's Neeson that really elevates the movie.The Blu-ray release is quite solid in terms of picture and sound; the action sequences sound amazing and the picture is sharp. I haven't gone through all the extras yet, but they all seem to be solid.

Tiw Lado 2013-05-17 13:03:54

Neesonish Review

I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you arelooking for a long detailed review, I can tell you I don't have timefor that. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills;skills I have acquired over a very long time of watching movies. Skillsthat make me a trustworthy when it comes to reviewing the movies. Ifyou think this movie is just a good fast paced action, has good actingfrom main character and is enjoyable, if you are ready to suspend yourdisbelief, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I willnot pursue you. But if you think this is cinematography masterpiece,jewel of modern film-making and is on par with the greatest movies ofall time, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.

cbrhank 2013-05-16 20:52:19

Well worth seeing

I'd have to describe Liam Neeson's acting as a worthy combination ofJames Bond and Rambo. He plays his part so well, fitting into theex-CIA operative wonderfully -- totally believable. He shows theaudience that this Bryan Mills guy is one you don't ever want to #&@$with! It makes you wonder why he wasn't selected to be one of theserial Bond actors. He'd have done a great job. If you're looking foraction this is the place to go. Plenty of flash and dash with a tokenamount of skin thrown in. Cars, boats, luxury, guns...you know thedrill. As to negativity...his ex wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) is so-so,not particularly into her role. Another problem I have is with all themicro-cinema shots that accentuate the action while not allowing you tosee the whole picture. This type of shooting gets boring quickly. Oh,at the end there is the ultimate bad guy, a 'sheik' of course. Thisportrayal has really run its course in media tales. In summary, themovie has a decent plot but the real draw is the talent of Liam Neeson.For that reason alone you should get to see "Taken."

Paul Andrews 2013-05-16 01:36:18

Decent action thriller.

Taken starts in Los Angeles where former hardened spy Bryan Mills (LiamNeeson) attends his daughter Kim's (Maggie Grace) seventeenth birthdayparty, separated from Kim's mother Lenore (Famke Janssen) he tries tostay close to Kim & involved in her life. Kim ask's her father to signdocuments that will allow her to travel alone with her friend Amanda(Katie Cassidy) to Paris & throughout Europe, at first Bryan ishesitant to sign the papers but finally agrees. Once in Paris the twogirls are kidnapped by Albanian gangsters who specialise inprostitution & the slave trade, Bryan manages to fly to Paris & useshis contacts to obtain the information he needs & sets about findinghis daughter Kim & saving from a life of drugged up prostitution &dishing out a little revenge on the way...This American, English & French co-production was directed Pierre Morel& is a very gritty action thriller that is almost great but not quite,while it has some good action scenes & a solid plot I thought it lackeda little something & I ended up wanting a bit more. The script takesitself very seriously & the overall film has a gritty feel, there's noone-liners or messing around here when Bryan goes in he goes in hard &fast with no messing. The central concept is ever so slightly racist asthe idea that Europe is dangerous & your liable to get kidnapped & soldinto prostitution is a little overplayed, the other central theme ofthe unity of the family & that nothing else matters is rather broad.The bad guy's keep changing, from a guy at an airport to Alabanianpimps to mega rich oil sheiks, Bryan brings them all down in the endthough. At about 90 minutes in length Taken moves along at a decentpace & there's enough shoot-outs, fights & action to keep oneentertained but I didn't find any of it particularly memorable. Thecharacter's are alright but I found the coldness of Bryan played byLiam Neeson distracting & I didn't like it at all, even the othercharacter's are a little thin.Available in an Uncut Internationa version & an edited US theatricaledition there's a couple of minutes of difference between the two butnothing that noticeable. The action scenes are good, they are swift &fairly brutal without any prolonged fights or shoot-outs, if Bryanwants to kill someone he just kills them. There's a decent car chasethrough a building site too.With a supposed budget of about $25,000,000 this ended up being a bigbox-office just about everywhere it was released, filmed in Paris & LosAngeles. The acting is OK, as I said I didn't like Neeson's coldperformance at all though. Australian pop singer Holly Valance turns upas a pop singer.Taken is a solid action thriller with a tough gritty edge, I can't sayit's particularly original but is good for what it is. Action fansshould like it & definitely worth a watch.

2013-05-09 14:33:15

A better Out of Reach/ Man on Fire - Wow surprisingly well done!

This review is from: Taken (Two-Disc Extended Cut) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) Wow, I was really surprised by this movie. I was tired of Liam Neeson because of his roles in Star Wars and Batman Begins - he just didn't pull them off to me. Moreover, I wasn't really interested in seeing another save the kidnapped girl or daughter movie, until I read a few reviews of this blu-ray disc. I was looking for some more good blu-ray discs and so I checked this out. After watching the first half of this movie, I immediately thought of Seagal's Out of Reach 2004 DVD and Man on Fire 2004. Similar plots, but Liam actually out performed Seagal. Liam's acting was intense and very convincing and he was taking people apart just like Jason Statham in Transporter, etc. There were also hints of Jet Li's Kiss of the Dragon (find the kidnapped girl in France while breaking a lot of bones). His personality was more like Denzel in Man on Fire - relentless get the bad guys at all costs. He comes up with these implausible ways of figuring things out, but it is very satistfying to watch. Also, reminds me of the revenge scenarios in Bronson's Death Wish. I have cited a lot of good movies here - most of which you may not have seen - however, if you check out Out of Reach, I think you will see that Taken is far more intense and well acted and more on a par, but even surpassing Man on Fire in many ways. Anyhow, revenge is a dish best served cold (Kahn) and this movie shows that even this worn out plot can be redone effectively and this director did a fantastic job of doing it and Neeson was unbelievable - a perfect mix of Seagal and Statham - and on blu-ray the picture was fabulous - I loved it!

ma-cortes 2013-05-09 04:41:10

Thrilling and violent movie with a phenomenal Liam Neeson as avenger father

Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is a retired agent who left the SecretService and nowadays he's working as bodyguard for a star singer (Holly Valance). Mills has a daughter named Kim (Maggie Grace) living inCalifornia with her mother Lenore (Famke Janssen)and her stepfather(Xander Berkeley) . Kim manages to convince her distrustful dad toallow a trip to Paris with her friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy). When thegirls arrive in Paris they share a cab with a stranger . After that , agang of human traffickers abduct Amanda at a flat . Kim barely has timeto call her daddy and give him information about an Albanese kidnapper.Bryan gets to speak briefly to one of the kidnappers and he promises tomurder him. Bryan swears revenge and retaliation against his kidnappers. He confronts his enemies in order to find out location his daughter,but someone is still after him and is forced to once again take upviolent means to survive. He attempts contact some Eastern mobsters butis chased by strange pursuers .He takes the law on his own hands andacting as a relentless revenger .This exciting film contains suspense, thrills, frenetic action,shootouts and violent fights. From the beginning to the final the noisyaction and fast movement is unstopped. Liam Neeson acting ashard-rock,two-fisted retired agent is top-notch . Good cinematographyby cameraman Michel Abramowicz using Steadicam and zooms with numerouslocations from Paris. The musician Nathaniel Mechaly creates astirring, moving soundtrack fitting to frantic action. Lavishlyproduced by the successful French producer and director Luc Besson. Theflick is stunningly realized by the habitual cameraman, Pierre Morel inhis second film, the first was ¨13th District¨. Rating: Better thanaverage, well worth seeing. The picture will appeal to explosive actionfans

ftyl 2013-05-06 12:35:23

Taken is a series of violent sequences in search of a plot

In Taken, Liam Neeson plays an overprotective father with a violentpast whose paranoia is proved right when his daughter is snatched whileon a trip to Paris. Mere hours later he is on the ground in the Frenchcapital, determined to find his daughter and punish those responsible.What follows is a haphazard series of fights, interrogations, carchases, more fights, several smashed windpipes and an ending totally atodds with the film which preceded it. The action should have been harsh and brutal and while it is sometimeseffective it is crippled by being framed too close and by the PG-13rating. Who thought that a film dealing with violent revenge, dozens ofdeaths, torture and prostitution rings should be watched by people intheir early teens?Taken is all the more disappointing given the talent behind the camera.Luc Besson may not always come up with masterpieces when he's creditedas a writer, but he can usually be relied on to churn out somethingthat is fast paced and fun (Unleashed, The Transporter, etc). Likewisethe director, Pierre Morrell was last responsible for the ridiculousbut exhilarating free running action of District 13. Yet together theyhave managed to come up with one of the most underwhelming action filmsin recent memory. As for Neeson, he handles the few emotional sceneswith his usual impressive restraint and, with his size and reach, lookslike he might actually pack quite a punch in real life. But when theaction pulls out a little and he's forced to run or throw himselfthrough the air to avoid a hail of gunfire his 6'4" frame just looksunwieldy and slow – essentially a really big, easy to hit target. Thereare also endless moments where Neeson suddenly appears behind anothernondescript soon-to-be-corpse which always made me wonder what magicmassive closet he had found to hide himself in. He is fine when he'shitting things and emoting but I think his career as an action starwill be rather short lived. I wanted to like Taken. It had potential as a gritty revenge film withthe realistic action so popular since the advent of the Bourne series.Neeson is always a likable lead and the Besson pedigree with the Frenchsetting should have worked in its' favour. Unfortunately, the weaknessof the story and random, unmotivated nature of the violence is simplyboring, the potential wasted. Taken also shoots itself in the foot withits choice of subject matter. By delving into the subject of kidnappingtourists for prostitution it appears as though initially Morrell andBesson have some moral lesson for their audience. It soon becomes clearthat they were merely looking for a backdrop for the action and theugly stereotyping of the Eastern European characters in the film isirresponsible, even for a film of this type. Also, for a film ratedsuitable for young people, the lessons imparted by the hero are lessthan reassuring – if something bad happens to someone you love youreally have no option but to kill dozens of people mercilessly untilyou reach some kind of resolution. This is fundamentally at odds withthe initial plot of the film, as Neeson is trying to leave his pastbehind in an attempt to reconnect with his teenaged daughter (playedwith vapid gawkiness by Maggie Grace – proving her vacuous performancein Lost was not an accident). I'm not suggesting every film should havea blatant message of peace and love and there's no denying thatnihilism can be cool but when it is taken to this level it has aneffect on the overall coherence of the film.Disappointing and bland, if this film was kidnapped in a foreigncountry I'd leave it there.

witster18 2013-05-06 06:05:54

WOW! get outta the way!

This is one heck of wild ride.Think if 'Trade' met 'Kill Bill Vol.1'. 'Taken' is one of the mostfuriously exciting action movies I've seen in a long, long time. Theonly reason this goes from 10 to 9 is because there is so much actionthat the character development wanes a bit, but I PROMISE, you will notcare.There is nothing original about the plot. There are no Oscar worthyperformances(Neeson is great though). Taken derives it's power fromit's lead characters' strength and willingness to do ANYTHING to savehis daughter.Have you ever watched one of these movies about despicable people andyou're always sitting there wondering why the hero never makes them payenough of a price? Well, in a nutshell, that's why I love this movie.It's the gift that keeps on giving.The action will drain you and the movie flies by like the concord.I doubt there will be a more exciting movie released in the U.S. in2009. Taken is one that I'll be adding to the library. The most funI've had watching a popcorn action flick in years.Simple premise. A little cheesy to start. Then foot on the gas.Fammke and some of the other cast bring it down a notch but from minute25 to minute 90 you'll be on the edge of your seat. A very small priceto pay.I can't stand the negative reviewers on this one... in a movie likethis someone has to be stereotyped... some nationality... some group...you have to... so what you have is about 5 negative reviews fromAlbanian's and Frenchmen that dislike the stereotype... nothing more...to give this any less than 6 stars is disclosure for, "I am an idiot".Cliché'd, yes. Overly violent, yes. Tough subject matter, yes. THeoccasion bad line or suspect acting, yes. BUT, WHO CARES? This moviemakes the Bourne series look BORING. I had a grin on my face for thelast hour. This is what I want from a movie... my money's worth.. 8/10 85/100

qomatt 2013-05-05 04:53:57

Great movie.

I really liked the movie. It's like book Jason Bourne in his 40. Ireally enjoyed the movie, rewarding scenes getting up from thecouch..this is one of the best movies I've seen for a long time. Irecommend to all Bourne fans that were little disappointed after howthat movie missed the book. The only thing that I didn't like is hisdaughter acting..she run like a child while she was 17(giving creditsfor the scene when she was "taken")..it's little thing that I laughseeing that girl performance..but all other parts: action, story, fightscenes, the character was really great. Loved really Loved the scenewhen guy walks into that house where they keep the girls and tries torecognize the guy on the phone..How he acts as a different person,confident, taking over all conversations, making those guys scared andthan fight scene..THANK YOU for this movie..Thank youWhat can I more say that I really loved loved the movie. I give it10/10.

Peter Swanson 2013-05-04 17:06:32

Excellent violent fun

I knew this would be good when I saw Luc Besson's name in the credits.For those who don't know, he wrote and directed La Femme Nikita, one ofthe great Violent Entertainments of all time. I enjoyed Taken. Imaginethe daughter of a 50-year-old Jason Bourne being kidnapped, and thepure shitstorm which would descend upon the perpetrators, and you'llhave a pretty good handle on this story. As others have mentioned, theplot is simplicity itself: Liam Neeson is going to get his daughterback, and no thing or individual will prevent that. There is, ofcourse, the usual need for suspension of disbelief—in the firstgunfight, our hero has inconsistent marksmanship; aboard the yacht atthe end it's one bullet, one kill—but hey, that's film making. Viewerswhose expectations are within the Revenge Mission scope of this filmwill enjoy it thoroughly. Anyone looking for social depth or complexcharacter development will be disappointed.

jortony 2013-04-24 04:21:05

Better than the latest bond and perhaps the previous one as well

The plot is one that has not to my knowledge been explored before. Ithighlights one of the most poignantly exquisite pains possible from aman's perspective and a resolution which would be life satisfying. Theperformance by Neeson was keenly done and brought me into the story. Itwas realistic enough in terms of physics, and violence trivia thatsatisfied me. The only potential need for imagination comes from theexistence of the types of crime portrayed, and the almost unassailablefighting prowess by Neeson. I have to leave this with the comment thatNeeson has been changed in my views to an equal of any action star, andfrom a childhood in the late 80's through mid nighties, I idolized thegenre and have been shaped by it.

2013-04-23 16:33:44

A One Man Battalion

Wasn't sure what I was getting into when wife and oldest daughter wanted me to watch this movie. The first several minutes are slow but so is a roller coaster that ratchets up to the top of the big one...Hang on to your seats boys and girls. This is a thrill ride!The bad guys are really bad. But, surprise, surprise, they're up against a one man battalion with a sole mission: to rescue his daughter.Dad directs his retribution with the focus of a laser and the reprobates get their just reward.Enjoy the adrenaline! This is a good one!

2013-04-23 11:27:27

TAKE THAT!

This review is from: Taken (Single-Disc Extended Edition) (DVD) Liam Neeson is totally convincing as an action star. Give the man credit, he can act. The film is an adrelanine rush as a retired special ops man goes to find his daughter as she is kidnapped in Europe. The film exposes what happens all over the world as young women are forced into prostitution. You will find yourself embracing the violence as a dad hunts for his daughter!

2013-04-23 06:31:45

Convincing

Liam Neeson is awesome in this movie. The fight sequences in this movie where very realistic and didn't look heavily choreographed. The gun play in this movie was great too. I liked everything about this movie. Most of the time I'm frustrated by martial arts movies that seem so choreographed that the heroes never get knocked down or injured during a fight. I hope that Liam does another movie of this type maybe a sequel or even a prequel to this movie would be great.

concubis 2013-04-16 04:06:24

Bowel Movement Inducing

After watching the first 20 minutes or so of this film, I seriouslyconsidered taking a walk. As mind-numbingly silly and atrocious as itis, I decided to wait in hopes of a single interesting thing to happen.What you get at the beginning is a borderline obsessive father who onlythinks about his 17 year old daughter, a birthday party for saiddaughter who gets a freaking horse from her stepfather (a HORSE?!), anungrateful ex-wife, and a Britney Spears wannabe.The daughter is the main reason this film is a turn-off. I don't doubtthat Maggie Grace may be an adequate actress, but here she portrayssuch a dumb, childish, naive, annoying 17 year old with the mind of a12 year old that perhaps it's the writing that is at fault. Just watchher run and jump clumsily with glee when she gets what she wants andyou won't believe your eyes. It wouldn't be a spoiler to say that themovie has a happy ending (it's implied in the tag-line!), but I stillfound myself hoping for the worst for this pitiful, spoiled brat. When the film does "start", there are a few cool sequences involvingLiam Neeson maintaining his cool as he breaks bones in search for hisdaughter. However, Daniel Craig's Bond he is not.Finally, I use the term "happy ending" loosely. Sure the girl isrescued, but what about the numerous others who are locked in thesex-trade industry? This film could have been so much more if it hadportrayed some government initiative to bring it down, rather than therescue of just one truly obnoxious American girl.

jkd15-1 2013-04-15 15:20:00

The best action movie of the past twenty years!!

The only reason this movie does not get a ten is the ending which Ithought could have been better. The very end when he has his daughterback Absolutely superbly made and directed. Liam Neeson is a superb actorand plays this part as good as anyone.He basically cuts a path of destruction through many many bad guys, allwho deserve an early demise.It's done with style and righteousness which hasn't been done in a verylong time.What I like about the movie the most is the intention of the lead actorLiam. His sole purpose is to get his daughter back safely. There is noposing for the camera or extra kill shots to emphasize the revenge. Hejust wants to get his daughter and anything in his way gets it good.Not since the Patriot has a movie of this type and quality been made.If you want an hour and a half of blazing action with non stop thrillsdone with class then this is for you.

honorhorror 2013-04-15 03:18:13

This movie made me hate French, but it's made by French.

Just wondering how the movie will affect the travelers who planned avacation to French. If Paris is really that corrupted, I'd say thanksto the production team for warning me from traveling to Paris. LOL!Well, apart from being an excellent action thriller, Taken is a seriousmovie took the topic of Kidnapping-prostitution business in one of themost civilized country,Frence. The makers definitely took the positionof a international prosecutor who punishes everyone in this industry.The story is about an ex-CIA agent(Liam Neeson) who was estranged fromhis family and got divorced years ago. Had to allow his 17-year-olddaughter to travel around Europe with no guardians, he eventually foundhis daughter kidnapped by an international prostitution organization.Traced the steps of his daughter, he had to risk everything he had, andprobably everything French people had, to save her. This is not a newkind of story. What amuses me is the undertone of the movie, which isloudly blow-ed-out self-righteousness and revenge against thecorruption of a nation. Yes, that's right, a NATION. Every class andeveryone is involved in the crimes committed in this movie. From theslum small-times to the ones behind the desk, from illegal immigrantsto the billionaires, the movie is an outrageous accuse to the ignorantsystem of Paris. With such social commentary, Taken is suddenlydifferentiated from its homogeneous movies. Maybe that's also why it'srated 8.0/10 on IMDb.My rating:9/10 Recommend to: everyone who thinks he's a good person.

cinemaniac_x 2013-04-14 21:12:22

Predictable, unoriginal, and unbearable

"I told you so" would be an understatement for Liam Neeson's character,ex-CIA ­operative Bryan Mills, in the film Taken.Mills retires from his job to spend more time with his 17-year-olddaughter, Kim, who now lives with her mother and wealthy stepfather.Kim plans to travel to Paris and seeks her father's permission, but heis worried about her safety. Kim's disappointment and the anger of hisex-wife convince Mills to change his mind.However, almost as soon as Kim arrives in Paris, she is ­kidnapped. NowMills is faced with his worst fear, losing his daughter. He uses theskills he learned from his job to track down her captors.Taken does not have much of a storyline (and what little plot it has isclichéd and predictable). Nor does the film ­feature original,developed characters; the audience is forced to put up with theseemingly ­superhuman Mills, his spiteful ex-wife, the naive, spoiledKim, and the inept "bad guys." Consequently, Taken relies on action andsome suspense to engage its ­viewers. Perhaps the best scene of themovie is Kim's kidnapping, in which the element of suspense is­executed very well.Unfortunately, the strengths of the film are negated by the ending,which I can only describe as terrible. There is a complete change inmood, and there is no transition for the change to make sense. The­finale also leaves many loose ends and seems to question theaudience's intelligence with the amount of liberties it takes.Bottom line, expect a mildly entertaining action flick withone-dimensional characters, a dull script, and a predictable plot.

gigan-92 2013-04-09 14:41:18

Not too Shabby, Not Too Shabby At All….

In the long line of espionage/rouge-agents genre, you have varyingqualities. Arguably one of the greatest may be the Bourne trilogies,which are in themselves films of very good caliber. Then you have theopposite end of the spectrum, such as the cliché crapfest that was"Salt". "Taken" manages to stand quite nicely amongst these films,above all else due to the presence of Liam Neeson. He plays a role weare familiar with, but Neeson never lets his audience down. His actingkeeps the emotional aspect of the film intact, and fine I suppose FamkeJanssen as well. I also highly enjoyed Oliver Rabourdin in the film.The movie's obvious focus is action, and it does this superbly. Thereare many well choreographed fight scenes and believe it or not theystay well within the walls of realism for the most part. The plot has anice pace to it, and the uglier side of reality is seen throughout thefilm as it displays the gruesome nightmare of the sex slave industry.I recommend the extended version for more ass-kicking, and definitelycatch this one.

Patrick Mulligan 2013-04-09 01:08:57

Slap-a-thug

So the thing about Liam Neeson is he has a very special set of skills.One of them being acting, unfortunately he doesn't always choose thebest movies. Well, maybe financially Taken was a good decision, but Ithink he could do better. Taken is the story of a man in pursuit of hisdaughter who has been kidnapped to be used as a sex slave. Liam Neesonplays the father, an ex-super secret blah blah blah that can kick anyones ass and take a beating without it really showing. As much as mostpeople liked it I didn't see anything particularly remarkable in thisfilm. Shaky action movie camera work and one liners don't always do itfor me. Sure the movie had a certain amount of entertainment,unfortunately due to the lighting you can barely see any of it. Whichmay be for the best because I would have gotten tired of seeing Neesonusing his "special set of skills" to slam Euro-thugs for two hoursstraight. To me this movie is nothing new, nothing innovative, and notwell executed enough to make up for it's unoriginality.