Taken

Taken was released in Europe a year ago, and from the reviews I have grazed over from those who watched it, they seemed to give it super high marks. They rated it high on action, comparing Liam Neeson to James Bond and praising the writer, Luc Besson, sounds like a good movie right? Well, yes and no. It had its moments where it could have developed into something more but didn’t. I liked the premise, but the execution appeared to me to be a TBS original film and not a major theatrical release. But as an American, I have most likely been jaded by Hollywood and do not appreciate the cleaver gems from our neighbors across the pond.

Neeson plays a divorced, retired CIA operative, whose 17 year old daughter lives with her mother and her new husband in a god damn palace or something. So, Neeson is hanging with his ex-CIA buddies and is asked to help in a job. Quick money for one night of being the body guard to a pop diva. Neeson shows his stuff protecting the talentless singer and is awarded her attention and a contact for his daughter who also wants to be a singer.

The next day we find that Kim, his daughter, is going to be following the band U2 on their European tour. People do this? Anyway, Neeson is not hot on the idea but we wouldn’t have a movie if the kid didn’t go and get into trouble right? Kim is told to call him religiously when she is abroad. So donning the ugliest denim jacket this side of the millennium, she and her friend are off to Paris.

At this point the movie picks up. The girls arrive and end up flirting with a cute boy and sharing a taxi. They get to the flat and begin to get situated, when Kim goes to the other wing to answer her father’s phone call. From where she is in the house, she sees men enter and grab her friend. Neeson tells his daughter to hide while he instructs her on what she needs to do in order to be found. She is taken by the men who pick up the mobile that Kim was talking on, when Neeson tells the man on the other end that he is a fucking killing machine and his ass is grass. I’m paraphrasing of course.

Hell yeah, it’s on. Neeson’s 12 foot frame travels to Paris to find his daughter who has been taken by sex-slave traders. Using his special set of skills, Neeson tracks down the clues through the trade ring, kicks asses and takes names.

I wanted to like the movie, I thought the idea of these “skills” of Neeson’s would translate better into the story than it did. I enjoy Neeson’s acting, but he is no action hero.