by Michael Allen

Created on: September 24, 2008   Last Updated: February 22, 2012

"Taken," is more than an action movie it is a cinema tale of a father's love for his daughter. "Taken," stars Liam Neeson as Bryan the father of a young daughter (Maggie Grace) who is kidnapped while travelling in France. Liam's character a former spy must break into the underground sex trade in order to rescue his daughter. The corruption of French officials hamper Liam's endeavour at every turn as he uncovers collusion between Albanian criminals and the French police.

Once the action begins in Paris the pace is full throttle until the end. Bullets fly, bodies fall, and buildings are blown up while Liam does whatever it takes to find his daughter. This is a solid action film that focuses on the brutality and corruption of the sex trade. The story seems a little unbelievable as France is mostly a safe travelling location but the writers have embellished the dangers of the Russian/Eastern European sex trade to heighten the action. Other supporting roles are played with varying degrees of awkwardness and believability.

Maggie Grace the daughter is a former member of the series "Lost" and along with her friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy) are somewhat annoying and take naivety to new highs as they wander Paris. The daughter of Liam is supposed to be seventeen but she is played by a twenty-five year old actress. Her performance is overall believable though thankfully she has very little screen time. The mother played by Famke Janssen is a small role yet, played with subtly until the point that the character's daughter is kidnapped then tears flow.

This movie begins as a drama and there are some similarities to the Jason Bourne series. The plot of "Taken" is somewhat predictable, yet, the creative action scenes make this film very watchable. The use of martial arts and espionage tactics add a wow factor to some of the scenes. And if killing was an art form then Liam's character Bryan is the new Picasso. The violence in Liam's character makes him a nightmare for those who get in his way. Whether innocent or guilty it doesn't matter.

"Taken," is well written and clever. Despite, a lack of a twist in the end the ninety minutes of action driven story will leave must viewers satisfied.

Trailer: http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/02/04/another-new-t railer-for-taken-with-liam-neeson/

Sources:

http://www.moviesonline.ca/movie_review_detail.php?i d=11423

http://www.cinemaroll.com/Action/Taken-A-Review.2476 33

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