Remember that time period when Hollywood used to release incredible action/thriller movies in an orderly pace? Neither do I. What used to be a great trend to participate in back in the 90s (Terminator 2, Speed, Face-Off, The Rock, Con Air, Die Hard: With a Vengeance, Jurassic Park, The Mummy, The Matrix, Bad Boys, Under Siege, True Lies, Desperado, Clear and Present Danger, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Saving Private Ryan, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction) suddenly became a distant memory, as the 2000s served very few decent Hollywood thrillers. Instead, we have to head overseas to find them. The 2000s consisted of many surprise-surprise excellent European actioneers with Hot Fuzz, Run Lola Run, Transporter, Kiss of the Dragon, Unleashed, and this superb flick.
What happens nowadays is that Hollywood is scaling back its amount of action in order to make the extra money. In the first paragraph, 15 of the 19 movies I mentioned from the 90s were rated-R. In other words, they did not care about the PG-13 rating. Now, nearly every action movie must hit the PG-13 barrier. Even the fourth Die Hard was edited to not reach rated-R (which was a Die Hard staple). To add to that movies from overseas (like this one) become edited in the States in order to hit the weaker and friendlier PG-13. But don't let that stop you. Taken is one of the most vicious PG-13 movies you'll ever see, and you'll enjoy every minute of its inability to cut back on the gruesomeness. It sounds barbaric, I know, but if you truly want to see what good action used to look like from the studios of Tinseltown, look no further than this excellent effort.
Luc Besson and his talented filming crew provide yet another gripping story to sink your teeth into. This time it's about a retired spy (Liam Neeson) who searches all of Europe in order to find his kidnapped daughter (Maggie Grace). He is given a small time frame, since his daughter is about to be sold into the deep, disgusting, and grueling underworld of sex trafficking. The movie starts off with Bryan, the spy, trying to adjust to a life without espionage, and the rest is just a wild roller coaster ride containing plentiful action scenes and fight after fight. Written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, Taken provides a healthy dosage of father-daughter sentimentality as well as provide an insight into a dangerous illegal world not seen often in movies.
But it's not just the delightful taste of gunfire, fights, and chases that maintains the entertainment in Taken. Liam Neeson does an excellent job portraying the retired spy. While there are indeed great action stars, very few of them are excellent actors as well. Liam Neeson can proudly say he fits both billings, as his version of a spy is just as cold and calculating as even Daniel Craig's James Bond. Most amazing fact is that he is over 55 years of age. While Jason Bourne remains the most lethal of all the movie character spies in the last decade, Bryan isn't too far behind. While everyone else in the movie delivers decent performances, it's Neeson that runs and carries the show with a mix of emotion, determination, and rage.
Pierre Morel directs this movie well, by keeping the action within a decent view, maintaining good pacing, and also allowing for the actors to breathe out a scene when more emotion is involved. The fights themselves are brutal, and not held back in the least bit. You will feel every blow, you will chuckle at every clever maneuver and trick, and sometimes even jump in surprise as to what's happening. The movie is quite cold, as sometimes you'll forget that Bryan is the good guy, especially in moments where innocent people are within the crosshairs. Like Jason Bourne in The Bourne Supremacy, it's at times difficult to root for Neeson when he involves people that well….aren't really involved. But that feeling is quickly vanquished when you see him waste the next sap that is part of the sex trafficking ring.
Bottom Line: This movie proves multiple things: Neeson can be an action star at a relatively old age, Europe is suddenly a rising force in the action/thriller genre, and also that you don't need fancy CGI or special effects to craft a good movie that will also lead to good money. Taken quietly emerged as the top action film of 2009, and becomes another great film with Luc Besson's stamp on it (The Fifth Element, Unleashed, Transporter, Nikita, Leon). The movie has the trills and the tension, but also has the heart that is sorely missing in most mainstream action films. You will cheer this movie on as it delivers with a great storyline, great acting, and just an overall satisfying cinematic package.
Did I already mention that Liam Neeson is 57 years old?
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