Review: Taken (2008)

Director: Pierre Morel

Cast: Liam Neeson (Schindler's List, Chronicles of Naria, Kinsey), Famke Janssen (X-Men, GoldenEye), Maggie Grace (Lost)

The Deal: Bryan Mills (Neeson) is a retired "preventer", a skilled government operative. He has recently moved closer to his daughter Kim (Grace) who is living with his ex-wife (Janssen). After reluctantly agreeing to let Kim travel to Paris with a friend, she is abducted, but gets off a last ditch phone call to him. Using his "preventer" skills, Bryan travels to Paris, pieces together the clues, and single-handedly hunts down the assailants to save his daughter.

Thoughts: This is the type of premise that is getting more common in Hollywood, and usually they end up being forgettable, but that's not the case with Taken. The story is fairly original, fast paced, full of action, and makes just enough logical sense to avoid being utterly ridiculous.

Neeson is brilliant in his role, constantly displaying a scary blend of calmness and ruthlessness. It was pure enjoyment watching him trek around Paris hunting for his daughter while putting all of his vaunted skills back in play. I didn't recognize Maggie Grace right away, as her brunette hair completely disguised her from her blonde-haired days on Lost. She does a pretty decent job, particularly in the end. The look on her face when she sees that her father has come all of the way to rescue her is heartwarming.

This isn't a very complex story, and since it moves very quickly, it seems at times unbelievable to think Mills had made so much progress. But the combination of the characters background and some wonderful luck, it's not entirely unbelievable. It's the type of film guys like because Neeson comes off as a total badass in every action scene. The film does a good job of maintaining big action sequences without getting too over the top.

Verdict:  The story is enjoyable and the acting is pretty good. A fast paced action thrill ride, and very much worth the time to see. ☆☆☆☆