23 October 2008 @ 9:16Taken (2008) review

Bryan (Liam Neeson) is a divorced father of a teenage daughter (Maggie Grace) and a former government spy. When his daughter gets kidnapped while in Paris and becomes a victim of the Albanian slave trade, Bryan dusts of his “particular set of skills” to hunt down an kill his daughter’s assailants.

Taken starts off just a bit slow, but it helps to build the viewer’s understanding of Bryan as a father who wishes for more time with his daughter, a husband who is not completely over his ex-wife, and a former spy who really has no desire to return to that line of work.

I tend to think of Liam Neeson as more of a thinker than a fighter, so this may be the reason some people are saying he was miscast in Taken. Regardless, I think he pulled off the character really well.

The plot of Taken is not overly complicated, but in this particular instance, it works well. This allows us to focus on the action and the simple idea of vengeance.

Comparisons have also been made between Bryan and Jason Bourne. The similarity is that both are doing what they do out necessity, not because they like it or it’s their job. I think that is what makes this sort of movie especially interesting. The hero has his back against a wall and will do anything necessary to protect himself and his family.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes an action thriller, to fans of Bourne and Bond, and to fans of Liam Neeson.

Watch the trailer for Taken

Directed by: Pierre Morel (cinematographer of the following: The Transporter, Danny the Dog / Unleashed, War)

Starring: Liam Neeson as Bryan, Maggie Grace as Kim, Famke Janssen as Lenore, Xander Berkeley as Stuart, Katie Cassidy as Amanda, Jon Gries as Casey

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Posted in film | Link to this

Comments:

  1. jeremy | 23 Oct 2008 @ 11:01 #

    I am seeing this one for Liam Neeson and Famke Janssen. They’re both usually good.

  2. Jon | 23 Oct 2008 @ 12:05 #

    Don’t expect a large role from Famke Janssen in this movie.

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