Tuesday, 27 August 2013

Movie Review: Taken (2009)


If you’re a sore realist, then Taken is not your movie. You’ll start wondering why CIA agents are not as good as Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) who becomes a one-man rescue squad to save his daughter who goes on a stupid vacation fraught with an open invitation to “kidnap my friend and I, we’re only females.”

 If you’re the type out for action and drama, then Taken is truly for you. You’ll enjoy the endless rescue skills, laser-eyed sharpshooting, pursuit driving, pocket-picking, impersonations, knife-fighting, tortures, and karate fighting, not to mention the ultimate killing machine that Liam Neeson turns out to be.

Bryan Mills is in retirement in Los Angeles and has more time to spend with his 17-year-old daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), who now lives with his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) and her millionaire husband (Xander Berkeley). He warns Kim not to go to Paris with a female friend because it’s dangerous for an all-female duo. The warning proves correct when Kim and friend are kidnapped by a notorious Albanian kidnap ring.

Now comes the exciting part. Mills has 96 hours to rescue Kim and her friend before they are drugged and sold as prostitutes. The virgins are auctioned off to Arab sheiks who, after having sex for several days, will have the girls killed.

 So with this in mind, is there any father – trained in the arts of CIA spycraft – who wouldn’t suddenly turn into a “Bourne” type of killer and leave behind a trail of dead or maimed Albanian bad guys to save their kid?

In spite of the critic the film received, Taken proves one thing. Liam Neeson, together with director Pierre Morel, and script writer/producer Luc Besson can bring realism and credibility to any role or any film just by playing or assembling the film very well. Just take a look at Besson’s past film record (The Fifth Element, Taxi, The Transporter) and you will see why Liam is truly cut out for Mill’s role.

Perhaps one day, Liam can be cast in one of the “Bourne” Whatever series. In the meantime, download Taken for your action viewing pleasure.  

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