TAKEN [2008] review
June 8, 2009 · Print This Article
If you are looking for a good little action movie that also happens to be a vehicle for Liam Neeson, that is free of gimmicks and CG and a convoluted or non-existent plot, then TAKEN is a good tonic to cure one of all the former ills. My motivation to see this movie solely came from Verizon advertising it constantly as a new on-demand choice. The trailer was effective and I’ve always like Liam.
The plot is thankfully simple…over-protective former CIA operative dad’s daughter gets kidnapped in Paris, said dad sets out to retrieve said daughter with all necessary force and malice. Their is a bit of mystery to how far the ties of the bad guys reach, but other than that it’s good no-nonsense action and revenge without any super ridiculous stunts. In fact, the action scenes were the most realistic I’ve seen since THE BOURNE IDENTITY’s.
The message I got out of this movie? If your father is a CIA badass, you should probably listen to what he says about taking precautions for your own safety. Otherwise you might get kidnapped…quickly.
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Overall I was very impressed with this movie. I too have always liked Liam, and since watching the first Batman, it was obvious that he possesses, or at least makes a good show of possessing, superior ass kicking skills.
The movie was fast paced and interesting, and kept me on the edge of my seat almost the whole time. Acting from all participants was top notch, and the fight scenes were excellent.
I agree that the story was a bit simple, and the bad guys seemed to have very little infrastructure, but that didn’t bother me too much.
The only weak point I thought was the ending, where Liam and his daughter get off the plane in the US like they’d just come back from a vacation. Surely the police would’ve organized themselves by that time to stop him from boarding a plane, even a private jet? Perhaps them getting home was an adventure in itself, but I was prepared for Liam to get killed at the end while sacrificing himself for his daughter, or at least have to go into permanent hiding to avoid any future repercussions from the Albanian mob…
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I’m glad Liam survived the ending. He did all that to try and have some relationship with his daughter, and would have been a shame for it to not come to fruition.
I hope this taught silly American girls how to travel smarter and to most of all, DO NOT trust anyone you meet at the airport, anywhere.
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