Taken

Taken is one of those action thrillers that doesn’t waste time getting to the point. The plot is straightforward but gripping, setting up just enough character development before throwing you into a tense, fast-paced ride. It plays on a real-world issue in a way that feels urgent, making you root for the protagonist as he fights against an unrelenting system. While the villains aren’t particularly deep, the generalization works in the movie’s favor, highlighting the unsettling reality of indifference toward human trafficking. The story keeps things simple but effective, balancing emotional stakes with action that never slows down. The direction by Pierre Morel is sharp and efficient, keeping the pacing tight and the tension high. The cinematography leans into a gritty, realistic style that enhances the intensity, with some great handheld shots that put you right in the middle of the action. Fight sequences are well-executed, focusing on clean, brutal choreography instead of flashy, over-the-top stunts. It feels raw and believable, making every punch and takedown hit harder. The script, while not overly complex, delivers exactly what’s needed, with dialogue that is to the point and a few memorable lines that have stuck with audiences for years. Liam Neeson carries the film effortlessly, giving a performance that is both emotionally grounded and intimidating. He turns what could have been a standard action role into something much more compelling, making you feel every ounce of desperation and determination in his character. The supporting cast does their job well, though some characters don’t get much depth, which is expected given the movie’s runtime. The score complements the film’s tone, keeping the tension high and the momentum going without being distracting. Overall, Taken is a lean, intense action thriller that doesn’t try to be anything more than what it is, and that’s exactly why it works so well.

Your arrogance offends me. It is proof positive that you can still have a basic and formulaic genre piece and the multiplex crowd will forgive it the sins of film making. For here we have a revenge thriller that is over reliant on a ream of contrivances? The kind that people scoff at when horror pictures not wanting to be serious get screamed down for?. There is also some pretty poor acting performances on show, the usually reliable Famke Jansen looks lost when asked to show emotion, Maggie Grace needs to go back to acting school, whilst some of the French actors on show give French actors a bad name. However the true saving grace in the movie, outside of some serious revenge fuelled torture sequences, is Liam Neeson in the lead role of Bryan Mills. Charismatic and believable as a father hell bent on finding the one thing worthwhile that he has in his life, it's only here that Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen's uneven writing gets any sort of urgency to go with the tidily put together action sequences. Taken is an enjoyable film if taken within the context of its genre, and for sure the subject matter of skin trafficking is a noteworthy plot, but no one can surely deny it doesn't have a shallow core and honestly isn't giving anything new to a pretty stagnated formula... By the by, the thrills ensure popcorn pleasing pleasures and thus it's rated as such. 7/10

This is a very good action/thriller flick. It currently holds a 7.9 rating at IMDb which it certainly deserves. The few people giving this a 1 or 2 star rating must be disgruntled French people who do not like to see the French government officials portrayed as corrupt bastards (which they often are anyway). I generally like Liam Neeson so the fact that he is in the movie kind of got the movie off to a good start already. In this movie he plays a real badass, I-kick-the-shit-out-of-anyone-standing-in-my-way, former CIA agent hunting down the despicable low-life that kidnapped his daughter. I really, really liked the role he played in this movie. He makes characters like Bourne look like wussy. Even I was surprised when he actually shot the wife of the corrupt French government bastard to get him to talk. That was just awesome. The movie is pretty much action all the way. Well, it starts off laying the groundwork for the story and here Liam Neeson is indeed playing a fairly timid father that seems to be a bit out of his depth. Once he gets thrown into his right element he quickly casts of the sheep's fur and reveals the wolf (sabre-toothed) underneath. This is really a textbook action/thriller movie. A very enjoyable hour and a half indeed.