Movie Review: Taken

Two things I learned from watching this movie: 1) Liam Neeson is a serious bad ass and 2) None of my nieces are ever travelling abroad alone!

Taken was released in 2008 but I just got around to watching it this weekend, and it was worth the wait. Liam Neeson stars as Bryan Mills, a recently retired CIA agent. He retired from the spy game to make up for lost time with his daughter Kim (played by Maggie Grace, Shannon on ABC's Lost). Kim's summer plans differ from her dad's quality time plans; Kim and a friend are flying to Paris so they can follow U2 (lucky girl!) on the European leg of their tour. Bryan reluctantly agrees to let his only daughter go, but not without some ground rules and an ever important international cell phone. Kim and her friend land in Paris and immediately meet a charming young man who offers to share his cab with them. Not a smart move. The girls haven't even unpacked when a group of men come crashing in. Luckily Kim is on the phone with her dad as she witnesses her friend being carried out and is able to give Bryan key information that will help him at a later time. Bryan instructs his daughter on what she needs to do and informs her that she will be "taken". As Kim is whisked away one of her abductors picks up the phone and Bryan gives him a warning --let her go or suffer the consequences. The abductor simply replies, in his euro trash accent, "good luck". From that moment IT--IS--ON! Bryan quickly enlists the help of his ex-CIA buddies who uncover that the men who took his daughter are slave traders/sex traffickers. Bryan has 96 hours to find her or she will be lost forever. Can he rescue his daughter in time?

This film was co-written by Luc Besson, director and writer of 1994's Leon: The Professional and still one of my favorite assassin movies (if you haven't seen it yet, please Netflix it, if not for the action then to watch a young Natalie Portman play an aspiring assassin). Mr. Besson knows how to write intelligent action movies, which may sound like an oxymoron to you, but believe me such films do exist. Of course the concept would not work unless you had a skilled actor to bring the script to life. I think Liam Neeson was perfect for this part. He has balanced his more dramatic roles (Schindler's List, Kinsey) with some action roles in big franchise films (Batman Begins, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace) but in this film, he alone IS the action. He is completely believable and at 57 years old he is bringing the pain effortlessly. Mr. Neeson has eight films in various stages of pre and post production, two of them being the A-Team film adaptation and Clash of the Titans remake. I know I have blogged about my dislike of remakes, especially when it involves cult classics like Titans, but I must admit if Liam Neeson is in it there is a greater chance that I am buying a ticket.

Taken is a definite must see. It is a rare action movie which males and females will equally enjoy.

Liam Neeson Essential Film List:

1. Darkman (1990)--- first big starring role; cult classic
2. Schindler's List (1993) -- everyone should watch this and show it to their children
3. Nell (1994) -- watch for the silly language Jodie Foster speaks
4. Rob Roy (1995) -- Scottish hero comes to life
5. Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace (1999) -- He is Qui-Gon Jinn; enough said
6. Love Actually (2003) -- a great Christmas/Romantic film
7. Kinsey (2004) -- Do not watch this with your children
8. Taken (2008) -- read review