Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and language.
91 Minutes

Directed By: Pierre Morel

Written By: Luc Besson and Robert Mark Karmen

Staring: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, Radivoje Bukvic, Katie Cassidy, Holly Valance, Xander Berkeley, and John Gries

I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don’t have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you. -Bryan

Review

It’s hard when a movie has buzz like this one to turn the other ear and wait to make your own decision, but the talk up of Taken was impossible to ignore, and high standards were expected despite my general cynicism to anything the masses claim.  I think I might have enjoyed it more without the chatter and going blind.  I have high standards for films considered at this caliber, and shot in the “Bourne” idealogy, but it didn’t touch Bourne, though did help taken action in the direction the Bourne movies has already set standards for.

The setup of this film is pretty wishy washy with an overload of convenience, but that kind of falter can be an acceptable and forgivable grievance if a film in this genre delivers in other categories, to which Taken was mostly successful.  The dad, played by Neeson , has played a small role in his daughters life throughout due to a demanding job that is not so elusively referred to as “something with the government”.  She is now seventeen and he’s retired to catch what he has missed.  Ten minutes in we already know what’s going to happen, how it’s going to happen, andNeeson’s “job” with the government has already foreshadowed something far more dangerous than pencil pushing.  When the inevitable happens the audience knows what and how things are going to go down, and even how the film will finale.  It has a tough responsibility of making that road suspenseful and entertaining.

Neeson’s physical abilities are challenged in this, but his age factor doesn’t generally come into play.  The fight scenes generally weigh on precision in movement and outsmarting his opponents rather than brute force.  While some of his abilities are out of reach with reality, the film makes it believable in it’s reality, making he viewer excited to root for the idealism of an uber talented Dad coming to save the day.  The swift and systematic way he faces the bad guys feels a lot like the Bourne series, but his character’s nonchalant acknowledgement of the sanctity of life for his foes is what makes this film really delicious.  All the passion he has for his daughter is complemented by a rigorous cold blooded killer that he ruthlessly shifts into each moment he faces off with some who may or may not have contributed to the kidnapping of his daughter.

The plot is riddled with holes, the dialogue weak at moments, and some of the obvious foreshadowing a bit much at times, but Taken makes up for it with excellent action, a driving passion and motivation, a unique performance by LiamNeeson , and a dark and hopeless theme that follows him like a cloud throughout the story.  Even though then ending has so much cheese you may think it was filmed on a dairy farm, it was a payoff for the heaviness and malaise of the better part of the movie.  This didn’t live up to the hype of what friends and other film aficionados had promised, but it was still a fun and exciting addition into the action genre, that is slowly metamorphosing into something fresh.  I’m certain Taken will find it’s way onto my DVD rack at some point.  Popcorn, drinks, and snacks make this a great Saturday night movie.

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