"Taken" by Surprise.

Rating: 9/10 (25 May 2009)

Prior to seeing Taken, I had no real expectations. I knew what the plot was about basically, but for the most part I thought it was a great film.
Liam Neesan plays a man who once worked for the government in forensics or something. His daughter goes on a trip to Europe and gets kidnapped by a group of guys that put girls on drugs and then use them as prostitutes. Neesan's character then goes off to rescue his daughter using all of his abilities that he possesses.
I thought the plot was simple and worked. Neesan loves his daughter and is great at forensic stuff. So him going off to rescue his daughter was interesting and exciting at the same time. Great story, one that is quite similar to that of "Commando" except this time it is a former forensic guy, not a former military guy.
Liam Neesan is great in this film. His calm and composed character fits well in this film and makes him a guy who you can cheer for. I think he was great in both "Batman Begins", and "The Phantom Menace" but I think this is easily his best performance in a film now.
The action is pretty good too. There are great shooting scenes as well as great hand to hand combat scenes. Some of the better action in a film that has been made in recent years.
I also think that the overall message and theme of the film is great. It shows what a father will do for his daughter. Most fathers can probably relate to this film and how a guy will do anything for his daughter.
So I really liked this film. It has great action, a great theme, great story, and a great performance by Liam Neesan. I recommend it greatly.