Genres

Visitors Review

germ-x 2012-05-24 13:23:34

"Taken" just does not do enough to separate itself from the pack.

Taken. While there's a select few moments that will earn a couplepoints, "Taken" just does not do enough to separate itself from thepack.Bryan Millis is a CIA man; kind of. He's "retired." He regrets missinghis daughter grow up; rather he was fulfilling his past obligations andduties of working for his country. Now that he's "retired," cookingsteaks and drinking beers with his buddies, the biggest goal in hislife is to re-establish and re-connect with his recently turned 17 yearold daughter.When Bryan agrees with his ex-wife and makes a torturous decision toallow his daughter and her friend to travel across the globe alone, to"check out the museums in Paris," when she arrives, if you did notalready know by the title, she's taken. Kidnapped. Pulled into theunderground world of trafficking women; slavery and prostitution.This is where it turns into your typical story of - guy get's pi**edoff, uses all the tricks in the book, and proceeds to take outincalculable amounts of protected and powerful people... by himself. Hecan do anything, even obtain a full medical kit in just a cut of ascene. Then everything he was after is saved, he's the hero, andeveryone forgets how he was the "***hole" just an hour and a half ago.As the writing behind the project showed a select few believableoccurrences and original concepts (the torture method, the cab driver,and the result of Peter), they were foreshadowed by lines of weakdialog and cliché filled action and characters. Unnecessary flashbacks,which where implemented to create added suspense in the audience didthe complete opposite; re-showing us action that just occurred doesnothing but dim the suspense by showcasing more detail. And, it's a wayfor the director and post-production crew to attempt the overplayedflashback, filled with bright lights and quick cuts that remind of popmusic videos - developed for those in the crowd with attentiondisorders.But, kudos to the director, Pierre Morel, for showcasing a variety ofhand-held action and fight sequences that were presented nearlyperfect. It was the highlight of direction and cinematography in thisfilm, but really, the only plus.The sound - below average. Throwing in over-the-top sound effects tocompliment and better showcase the action just doesn't work. Yes, LiamNesson is a bad a**, but the sound of his punches should not replicateand make me think "Hulk SMASH!" This movie is one of the better flicksyou'll see during these months of the year. It's, for the most part,enjoyable. If your an action buff, like to see a one guy kick a**, anddon't want to spend a lot of time asking logical questions - you willlike it. If your a kidnapper, this will make you re-think and perhapsshow you to better prepare for who you capture.SKIP IT/ WAIT FOR THE RENTAL: C-

XavissimuS 2012-05-23 20:50:50

Hell and Back (TV)

Life can be mysterious: As I left Paris for a visit to my family, Iread during the trip the Council of Europe (CoE) issue about the newconvention against human trafficking (GRETA). In the evening, I pickedthe Sin City story called "Hell and Back" and I was surprised to seethat it was about the same criminal activity. Today, as I got up forbreakfast, I turn on the satellite mosaic and among all the screens, Inoticed someone looking like Famke Jansen. I picked the channel and itwas indeed her! With Liam Neeson her ex-husband, they said farewell totheir daughter leaving for … Paris ! As American movies about France are my weakness, I just went onwatching. As the daughter was abducted, I was indeed taken! I couldn'tswitch it off until I know her final fate. Then, a great thrillerstarted with an excellent Liam! Sure, he can inspire some security andcourage! It's "funny" to notice how his character and Frank Miller'sWallace are close: the two are hard-boiled, terribly lethal and forachieving their rescue, discover a modern criminality! As CoE states,this activity is hard to notice, makes a lot of money, which explainsit has become the great deal of criminals today! It was a greateyes-opener for me all the more than the action happens in my city: forexample, the car chase in which he drives full speed against thetraffic is the same place when I got stuck with my bike and unable tocross the road with too many cars! So if the movie was a good moment, the only problem was maybe hisdenial! It's great to have a Superman as father but for all the peoplewho haven't one, the story would be different! For example, Liam is toofocused about his daughter that it isn't clear if he took theopportunity to save the other girls by the way! Finally, it's a pitythis movie is just action or adrenalin and forgets the real tragedy: itwould have been great in the closing credits to have lines about thenumber of cases of unresolved disappearances, just to have a definitivepicture about this terrible drama!

Guy Ducker 2012-05-20 20:11:22

A nasty piece of work

It's difficult to believe that any Europeans were involved in themaking of "Taken", least of all someone reasonably smart, like LucBesson. Liam Neeson's character is clearly an over-protective dad, but he'salso someone whose CIA past means that he knows how dangerous the worldcan be. Is he justified in his anxiety about letting his daughtertravel to Paris (yes, not Damascus, Kinshasa or Caracas - Paris)? Ofcourse it is. His daughter and her friend are barely out of the airportwhen they're abducted by swarthy types (clearly a daily occurrence atCharles de Gaulle). And do these bad guys seek to ransom the clearlyvery wealthy young women? Mum, Famke Jannsen, and her new fella havegot to be good for a few million. No, it makes better financial senseto get the prom queens addicted to heroine and sell them into the sextrade (apparently Eastern European women cost too much to transport?).Clearly Europe is also a place where venal corruption goes to the top,plus it's just a short walk from... the Middle East. Keep yourdaughters safe, America! Fortunately foreign laws doesn't apply to U.S.citizens, so anyone even tangentially involved in the kidnapping iswelcome to a bullet in the back. Problem solved.One of the most xenophobic films I've seen in a long time, clearlyintended to reinforce American distrust of Europe and loathing of theEast. Its moral compass is so absurdly right-wing it might persuadeHarry Callahan to vote Democrat.

Joe W 2012-05-20 09:14:48

Here's the plot in summary -- not a spoiler.

Kidnap. Skills. Skillie Skill Skills. Punch. Kick. Stab. Car chase. Kick. Punch. Shoot. Car chase. Punch. Kick. Punch. Rescue. I love you, Dad.

j_graves68 2012-05-18 03:54:29

"...I have sskillllllllssszzzzzzzzzzz......"

Computer skills? Language skills? Math skills? The unintentionallyfunny line that I heard on the TV screen of coming attractions atBlockbuster made me want to rent this and see if that was just aone-time blunder. Nope. It wasn't plausible in any way and reminded merather of a violent Lifetime movie. And that isn't a completeeuphemism, I mean the casting and acting reminded me of Lifetime. Ikept thinking, "why did Liam Neeson agree to do this? Didn't he learnfrom 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace'?" I guess at the end of the day,it's all about paying the bills so you can live next month (or maybe inhis case, the next YEAR). His daughter was way too old to be playing aconvincing teenager. The karaoke machine vs. pony-for-a-birthdaypresent is so played-out. His friends don't look like anythingbouncers/security dudes at all (especially Leland Orser). Not tomention that they're so well-mannered when they're kicking backdrinking and barbecuing- no swearing or anything! So far-fetched abouttracing the bad guys voice over a cell phone. And shooting the Frenchdetective's wife- are we still supposed to root for this guy? He justshot an innocent woman. Is this to show us how "tough" and "ruthless"he is? Liam Neeson is no Bruce Willis or Steven Seagal (and I'm sayingthat because those guys are a helluva lot more convincing as actionheroes than Neeson). But, oh well. I know there's an audience for thismovie: look how much G#@damn money it made.Brace yourself for a franchise.

Knoxcountyjail 2012-05-17 15:41:10

Satisfying little action flick but--

way too many story holes, from the beginning, the super-rich stepfathercould never risk allowing the girl(s) to travel unprotected overseas.What about the French/Paris police and how could he possibly evadearrest(especially during airport hi-jinks w/ the taxi)? Also Bryanducked and dodged a little too much automatic weapon fire, from theconstruction site scene forward. However, the film was very well-madeand left me with a good feel--I'd recommend it to most folks. BTW--ifthere's such a market for high-priced sex-slave traffic/trade younggirls, wouldn't it be easier for an enterprising group of Albanians tostart up a little country genetic "body farm"?

bangersuper 2012-05-17 11:17:30

Don't ignore this film

This movie will remind you of Man of Fire and the Bourne series in one.This movie is fast paced and has kills and fights every minute. Liam isrelentless and unforgiving. If I had to pick something bad the firstten minutes does foreshadow way too much, but once the action startsit's FIRST rate. Now why I'm mad: This movie was supposed to bereleased in September 2008. For unknown reasons FOX studios pushed itto January 2009, which for those of you who don't know, January andFebruary are the "Dump Months". This is the time when productionstudios dump the movie's they know are flops or don't expect any moneyfrom. FOX are idiots. In my opinion this movie would have been one ofthe top three action films of 2008, but it's being completelydisrespected with the likes of Paul Blart and Bride wars. GO SEE THISMOVIE. Liam Nieson is a bad ass, the plot is original and the action isup there with the Bourne series. It's awesome to see a good guy who'llhurt ANYBODY to win. Liam doesn't hesitate which is a rare thing to seein good guys. Go see it. Go see it. Go see it.

Mr Ben 2012-05-17 01:08:53

Bleak but brilliant - 85%

This is a movie of real surprises, at least for this viewer. It was asurprise finding former Jedi Knight Liam Neeson indulging in the darkerside of being a hero. It also didn't feel like the "little" movie Iexpected it to feel like. But what "Taken" does is provide you with athrilling, gripping, gritty action movie that revels in its influencesand has an emotional depth lacking from most Parisian-based actionfilms.Neeson plays Bryan Mills, a now-retired spy who dotes on his onlydaughter Kim (Maggie Grace) despite being estranged from his ex-wife(Famke Janssen). Despite his reservations, she leaves with a friend toParis but things soon take a sinister turn. While on the phone toBryan, Kim is abducted by a mysterious group of men and Bryan soontakes it upon himself to rescue her. But can his enormous repertoire ofskills be enough to locate Kim and bring her back before she is lostforever? Make no mistake, this is what "The Bourne Identity" might have beenlike if they weren't filtering out the more unsavoury aspects of JasonBourne. The minute the film arrives in Paris, the action is prettynon-stop and extremely satisfactory for battle-weary fans of the genrelike myself. However, there is a sense of deja-vu to proceedings andespecially when a riverside car chase begins do you realise how muchlike "The Bourne Identity" it really is. But in terms of story, "Taken"does feel more basic and derivative. I never got the sense thatNeeson's character was fallible or that the 96-hour time-limit (asstated by another character) was adhered to. And although only a criticwould watch "Taken" for the acting, performances are pretty goodthroughout - Grace is particularly good during the kidnapping sequence,as her screams and shrieks are overheard on a phone and the actualimage is left to the imagination. Directing is also very good byBeeson's one-time apprentice Pierre Morel although I would have likedthe realism of the fight scenes transmitted to the driving scenes,tainted as they were by the tell-tale hint of green screens.However, I'm being picky because the truth is that "Taken" is a qualityaction movie and proof that all big budgets result in, with regards toaction movies in general, is just bigger explosions. This is a tenseand brutal action film that will satisfy seasoned action fans butcrucially, one that doesn't need enormous explosions (I counted justthe one) or transforming CG robots scrapping to make it worthwhile.This is an action movie from the old-school, which is a good thing inmy opinion, and one that dispels the notion that Neeson is asoftly-spoken father figure. He is, in fact, an extremely competentaction man who doesn't mind what he has to do to get the job done. Itmay be dark and it may be uncomfortable to watch at times but "Taken"is a fine addition to an overcrowded genre. Well done!

vintage_soul5 2012-05-09 11:23:25

Great movie, must see.

For all of you fellow Liam Neeson fans, you must see this! It is agreat recovery from his role in Love Actually (which is a completelyrespectable film), and it's the first time in a while that he seemedreally into his character. This movie definitely shows a darker side ofhim, a bad-ass side. Refreshing, it is. Makes you realize that actorsdon't have to be type-cast all the time. And Maggie Grace, though herrole can be described as little more than a cameo, gave a convincingperformance. I think the under the bed scene was a little overdone onher part, almost like she was in a hokey low-budget horror film.Anyway, the plot is decent, keeps you on the edge of your seat, and isworth your buck.

garybarrows 2012-05-09 02:00:08

Jason Bourne + John Creasy = Liam Neeson in Taken

Anyone here in the states if you need a break from the realities of acrashing stock market, high unemployment or plunging housing pricesthen go see this movie! It is absolutely a great escape for the 93minutes that you will be enthralled in this movie.Imagine if you will any of the Bourne movies and add in a the rampageof John Creasy from Man On Fire and you will have exactly what thismovie is. An incredible blend that will keep you on the edge of yourseat even though you know that within the next 2 or 3 minutes someoneis about to be pushing up daisies.This is truly a great movie and as soon as it shows up here in thetheater come the end of the month I'll gladly go and pay my money towatch this movie.Trust me...you won't be disappointed.

Joden Bandiling 2012-05-06 20:09:21

Say what you will about the expectedness, but rest assured it's Neeson's thrill compelled performance yet.

We know what's good about a Luc Besson produced and written movies; thegoose chases, auto-mobiles, perplex plot, and strong character drivenperformances. Looking back, it's a sense of deja-vu from La FemmeNikita, The Transporter and Unleashed. However, these devices areliterally booked to be back on "Taken". Starring Liam Neeson as aformer spy that is long distant from his family he'll be forced to bedriven close by distress. Say what you will about the expectedness, butrest assured it's Neeson's thrill compelled performance yet.Neeson plays as Bryan Mills. He's separated from her wife Lenore (FamkeJanssen); formerly called Lennie as the movie explains earlier. And hisdaughter Kim (Maggie Grace) chose to be at the mother's side. It'srather ambiguous whether Kim had to choose on either two. The moviebegins with Bryan dreaming about her daughter's fifth birthday. Bryan'snot only dreaming this. He wants to remember how fond they were whenshe was young and innocent. Kim's going to be seventeen the next day. Bryan decided to give her akaraoke machine as a present. This girl could be attested whether she'dprefer a present given by a middle-class stepfather or on his ownfather. I can close the argument on this, because no doubt that she's17. At this age, women are really spoiled to their parents. That's thefoundation for Kim, anyway.Bryan and his mates have the opportunity for a concert security gig.They guard a pop star in exchange for bucks. Take note, it's a singer.Did Bryan mentioned about Kim dreaming to become one? This subplotwounds up really close on what's going on between the family. WhenBryan asks the singer about a singing advice, she replies, "Tell her topick another career." She's right, because somehow this happens.There's a threat for killing the pop star and he tends to counter it.You know what's the celebrity and Bryan's wife have in common?Mistrust.They say mother knows best. At the fine dining restaurant, Kimhesitantly asks for Bryan's permission to leave the country to France.Lennore already agreed. The reason is to visit the museums there. Bryanknows how dangerous leaving her daughter not to mention underage alonewith a cousin to leave. Nevertheless, he agrees. He maybe thought onhow fully equipped he is to fight for her daughter just in case there'sharm. What's much worse is that Kim lied about exploring the art galleries orwhatsoever. She will follow U2's European tour with her friend Amanda(Katie Cassidy) which somehow should forbid the two for going. Bryanfounds out about this when he saw the map crossed to different routesof their stops. Brats nowadays. He still admitted Kim to carry on. Nodoubt, he will insist on calling her maybe 4 to 5 average calls per dayto guarantee her safety.In France, Kim and Amanda already takes bait to a French culprit namedPeter (Nicolas Giraud). Good thing that Kim is more self-aware ofstrangers than Amanda is. No wonder that this didn't even help. They'rein trouble now. The address where they're staying has been traced bythe criminals and kidnaps the girls. Bryan allows Kim to be taken toget the job done. The culprits are Albanians shipping different womenfrom Eastern Europe and smuggling them for drugs and sex. Their latestoperation is to kidnap young women travelers such as Kim and gets theminvolved in a sex trade. For that, he gets four days to get herdaughter back.As I said, Bryan is an ex-CIA. So he doesn't need help on this. He gotall of his skill set back in the day and it's his job to give itanother shot. He has the necessary clues for the criminal's mode ofoperation. Altogether, Bryan is ready for this even he's deeplydisturbed on the situation per se. The movie is fueled with martial arts fighting style. A Luc Bessonproduced movie prevents this movie from being induced by comma aftergetting to know the characters better. Better action twists is at hishands. Pierre Morel, the director, not only knows a simple tragedy butalso takes notes on how complicated a kidnapping is. Maybe a couple ofreferences are intact, but it's refreshing to remember. If a sequel hasbeen made, what's the plot going to be? I dunno. But it's on the worksas a matter of fact.

defek8 2012-05-06 06:01:37

decently but generally average action flick

This is a decent action flick that suffers from a few flaws. First, itis completely predictable -- there is never any suspense about how it'sgoing to end, or where the plot is going to go. The plot, in anutshell, is this: ex-special forces type retires to lead a peacefullife, then bad guys take his kid and he reverts to his one-man-armyprevious life and pretty much kills everyone in his path to get his kidback....which, of course, he does.The fact that the action is absurd is OK since this is escapist fare --things like when bad guys shoot at the hero with machine guns theyalways miss, but when the hero shoots back with one shot at a time hemanages to kill everyone. This I can stomach. But the already thinpretense for why the hero starts killing everyone in the first place isREALLY absurd. What is it? -SPOILER ALERT- Bad East European immigrantsrunning a sex trade decide the best place to get new flesh is bycapturing rich tourists in Paris of all places. Apparently, routinelykidnapping kids of rich and connected people & turning them intodoped-up whores is the path of least resistance.A lot of people compare this movie to the Bourne series in terms ofstyle. I suppose there's some overlap. But, really, the Bourne moviesare far more entertaining and have a more clever plot. This movie isjust entertaining nonsense.

unemployedvirgin 2012-05-05 17:26:31

WoW, What A Film!

This had everything and more, such a simple story yet so beautifullytold on screen. Hat's off to the director and screenplay, the editingwas sharp yet so smooth throughout. Composition and soundtrack wereperfect from scene to scene. The fundamental aspect of a father's lovefor his daughter isn't shown anywhere else as well defined as it ishere.I have to say I did have a lot of preconceived notions walking intothis picture. Stuff like: well its Liam Neeson - the man is known forhis iconic role in Schindler's List but can you really picture a fatherin his 50s still kicking ass in an action film? how wrong i was.The fight scenes were choreographed so well and once again, smoothlyedited like i said earlier. Taken really captivates your imaginationwhen there are those quiet sombre moments and thrills the excitement ofstepping into unknown territory. Camera shots have to be praised forbeing so darn clever in capturing long sort after details in a matterof seconds. That way you know where the story is going instead of beingthrown randomly into a "Day 2" or a "3 weeks later" scenario.Taken is on the edge, fast paced and script worthy enough to bepublished as a book. I really enjoyed it, can't say one bad thing aboutit. I hope you who are reading my review have as much fun as i didwatching it!

t-ferdy 2012-05-04 20:43:51

A standard action flick without any special angle

Bad points:- Nothing surprising or original here. Yes it's a pop-corn flick butone without anything particularly different. - Some of the script is over-simplistic and too unrealistic - Liam Neeson's character assumes the persona of an indestructibleperson quite early in the movie, greatly reducing tension in the fightscenes.Good points:- It's not too long, just the right length- The soundtrack is held-back, not too in-your-face and over the top- Some original moments of surprise are there.Conclusion:This is a basic action-by-numbers movie best viewed if you haven't seenmany action movies and like them. It does what it says on the label butlittle or nothing more.

Mario Nicolaou 2012-05-02 14:27:08

One Word: Liam

I saw this movie at the stand of my DVD rental. I had nothing to dothat night so, i decided to rent this movie just because Liam Neesonwas in it. I heard nothing about this movie before so i had noexpectations what-so-ever. I have to say: I was blown away with thismovie. The brilliance of the direction kept my heart pounding, thirstyfor more information about the development of the plot. The actionsequences were beautifully made with some parts kinda hasty-made inediting, but it was something neglect- able because of the exquisitequality of the stunts. Liam Neeson managed, as always, to capture hisrole so tightly that you could tell that he was actually made for thecertain part. And you actually KNEW that he would kill you by twistinghis pinkie. Neeson is a great actor and always excels in what he does.Think of him as the opposite of Nick Cage.All in all I give this movie a great 8/10. I loved the story, theacting was brilliant, the stunts were cool and it was a greatproduction after all.

Superunknovvn 2012-05-02 07:14:17

Entertaining no-brainer

The only reasons I'm reviewing this movie is its high rating on IMDb(8.0 as of January 2009) and the fact that it was made in 2008. "Taken"is definitely not worthy of that high rating as it is nothing specialat all. In fact, this is just an old school action movie that couldhave been made in the 80's. I was expecting Arnie to show up at anyminute.In stead of Schwarzenegger Liam Neeson is starring, though. He plays aspecial-agent-whatever-kicker-of-asses whose daughter gets into thehands of evil Albanians. That's right: evil Albanians. Like in the80's, the bad guys are just from some little country the audience knowsnothing about, except that it's probably populated by EVIIIIIILLLLpeople.Anyway, Neeson (I forget his character's name) is that typical fatherthat only exists in Hollywood: He totally loves his daughter Kim and isalways there for her, but his ex-wife just won't acknowledge all hislove and concern, because of his absence in the past or whatever. Wifeyhas already found a new boyfriend, a rich guy who's able to buy Kimmore expensive presents than Neeson... like a pony... a pony for a 17year old-girl. Yeah, you go make sense of it.Anyway, when asked to agree that Kim goes on a trip to Paris over thesummer, Neeson in all his special agent-educational wisdom rejects hisallowance at first knowing that the world is a bad place and not onefor a 17 year old-girl and her 19 year old-friend to travel. However,in the end Kim and her mother bitch until Neeson finally lets hisdaughter go... Oh, boy, had they better listened to good ol' Spy Dad.Within the very first minutes in Paris the girls get abducted, ofcourse, and Neeson has to go overseas to get them back."Taken" is full of clichés, from the wooden dialog, to the depiction ofteenagers (17 year olds who love ponies, 19 year olds who have neverhad sex, girls who are fans of U2 and Holly Valance at the same time)up to a plot that just falls into place a little too neatly (much tooneatly). The hero is a Dad with superpowers. Bullets magically misshim, while the ones coming from him hit their targets every time. We'veseen this before and better BUT: It's a concept that never gets old,isn't it? And, well, the movie is very entertaining. It moves alongquickly and the 90 minutes rush by in an instant."Taken" is not quite as stupid as "The Transporter", but then it's notchoreographed as stunningly, either. It's just an old school actionflick for anybody who's willing to turn off the old brain and watchOskar Schindler kick some butt.

Knuckle 2012-04-29 23:09:14

Surprisingly Smart Action Film

Liam Neeson delivers an excellent performance in this movie, giving usa cold, calculating intelligence agent and loving father withoutresorting to any sort of hackneyed acting tricks. The script, likewise,avoids such obvious displays of his hard edge, like kicking a puppy orsomething like that.The main story is taken straight from the headlines, and while it mayor may not be accurate in its details, it does give us something torally behind and so we don't mind that Neeson resorts to trickery andoutright brutality in his quest to find his daughter. Some might callit pandering, but since scumbag slavers do exist in real life, I don'tmind being pandered to here.The action sequences, while a little too quick with the editing, show alot of thought. Neeson uses whatever is at his disposal to end thefight quickly and there are no idiotic quips or comments. He's there todo a job and talking just gets in the way.Top notch effort from all involved and certainly the best movie to comeout of Luc Besson in a while.This movie is well worth watching on the big screen.

Wolfgang Hamilton 2012-04-29 16:39:15

Good action movie? No. Good movie? Hell no.

Yeah, as much as I'm gonna get flamed for this, I didn't enjoy thisunrealistic, boring excuse for an action movie one bit. There wereseveral scenes that were done well (certain shots of Paris), but otherthan that this was pretty generic.Liam Neeson tries his best, but is obviously not working with goodmaterial so his skills seem pretty damn limited. It amazes me that thismovie is so popular (7.9 rating on IMDb). I kept looking at my watchwaiting for it to end. I'm giving it three stars just to be generousbecause the girl who played the daughter did a good job.This could've been better with it's source material, but come on. Atleast try to make a good movie. Still, this isn't as bad as many othermovies I've seen.

peterdavis 2012-04-26 19:21:12

Liam Neeson as a Bourne-again Schwarzenegger?! ...Well okay then

Just a little bit more over-the-top than Damon's Jason Bourne, Neesonhere has gone the full-Schwarzenegger from Commando (1985).Once you're over that shock (couldn't Neeson have shot more people inLove Actually? - that movie could really have been something!) this isa surprisingly good vigilante genre flick in the best cruel andblood-thirsty sense.Can't say I'm normally a fan of formercinematographers-turned-directors (look at your Jan De Bonts, DeanSemlers, even Barry Sonnenfeld is pretty hit & miss) but thanks go toPierre Morel, who has been patient enough to nurture the charactermoments between all the wham-bam that makes you want to buy into thewhole hackneyed kidnap/track-down and one-man-revenge-juggernautpremise all over again. The actors carry it off too - this is Neeson'smovie of course, but even the teenage daughter is played quitegenuinely (ie: genuinely irritating... these kids today, I don'tknow...) and you can feel Luc Besson's touch in the jarring mix of thesweetly sad/sensitive/sentimental protagonist with an explosivelyviolent side to his personality. What's up with Luc Besson - did heonly direct as a stepping-stone to screen writing? He can really smasha film like this home... but I digress.I enjoyed this film lots, it was a free preview screening but lookingback it would be well worth paying for.Caution: If you're French, Albanian or Arabian... prepare to beoffended!

Tweekums 2012-04-26 10:06:13

Mindless action but entertaining enough

In this thriller Liam Neilson plays Bryan Mills a former CIA agent whois not too pleased when his seventeen-year-old daughter Kim tells himshe wishes to go to Paris with a friend. His ex wife believes he isjust being paranoid and eventually he lets her go. When his daughterand her friend get there a friendly local gives them a lift to wherethey are staying to save on the cab fare; of course he isn't reallyfriendly he is acting as a spotter for a group of Albanians who arekidnapping young travellers to force them into prostitution. While Kimis on the phone to her father the kidnappers strike; there is nothinghe can do to stop her being taken but he isn't going to sit at home anddo nothing. He flies to Paris and quickly starts tracking down thekidnappers; working his way up the chain killing and torturing thevarious kidnappers as he goes. The closer he gets to Kim the moredangerous it gets and the more people get killed.This thriller had lots of exciting action and Liam Neilson put in adecent performance as Mills, the viewer does have to put their brain inneutral and suspend disbelief though as he quickly finds the trail ofthe kidnappers and works his way up the chain without getting badlyhurt in the process or getting arrested for all the deaths he causesdespite the authorities knowing what he is doing. If you are lookingfor something deep and meaningful I'd give this a miss but you could doa lot worse if you are just seeking an hour and a half of mindlessaction.