Friday, May 29, 2009

Movie Review: Taken


"I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."

Think of Liam Neeson saying those words...sort of gives you chills, doesn't it. Those words really start the whirlwind that is "Taken" starring Liam Neeson. In this action film, Neeson plays Bryan Mills, an ex-government agent trying to reconnect with his daughter. But, about 20 minutes in, his daughter is kidnapped by the mob in Paris, and the action ensues.

"Taken" is a 90 minute thrill ride. It starts out very nicely, building the somewhat strained father/daughter relationship, while giving us glimpses into Bryan Mills, the character. Then, as soon as the kidnapping occurs, the action builds and builds to the final scene where Mills rescues his daughter.

Liam Neeson is fantastic in this movie. He is really proving that he can play an action role, from Qui Gon Jinn in "Star Wars" to Raz Al Ghul in "Batman Begins", to this role. As a big man, Neeson seems to fit perfectly into the action role, and while I'm sure camera work helps, he pulls off the fight scenes very well. The rest of the cast doesn't really matter, because "Taken" is about the 2 sides of Neeson's character...the loving father, and the highly trained government agent.

If you are an action film junkie like me, you'll really enjoy "Taken". It's a 4.5 star movie...I wish I could give it 5, but when I compare it to other 5 star movies, it's not quite on the same level, but definitely worth 90 minutes of your time.

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