Pierre Morel avoids the 'sophmore slump' after the highly enjoyable District B13

Rating: 8/10 (28 January 2009)

Ex-CIA operative, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) lets his 17 year old virgin daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace of "Lost" fame) travel to Paris with her friend not knowing it's to follow the band, U2, when he gives his reluctant permission. It seems that daddy does indeed know best, as the girls are not in the City of Lights too long before they're abruptly abducted for nefarious purposes. Bryan is on the phone with Kim at the time and upon hearing what's happening, uses his CIA training and prepares to go all Jack Bauer on their collective asses.
The middle to late 2000's have been great for Liam Neeson with fantastic roles in Batman Begins, Seraphim Falls, and a memorable videogamed role in the superb Fable 3. This film does nothing to change the mojo he currently possesses despite a slow start and a few action film clichés. Neeson is damn good in his role here and is quite the bad ass (a lot of people were surprised, I'm not one of those because I witnessed it in Seraphim Falls as well) and he carries the movie himself, as Maggie Grace just blew her role (I can't even begin to tell you how). Famke Janssen doesn't fare much better as Bryan's ex-wife, yet both these parts were relatively small enough to casually dismiss. This is Liam's movie through and through.
My Grade: B