Something for the aficionados.

Rating: Null/10 (20 October 2008)

As a critic, to draw comparisons between Taken and the James Bond series would be like taking a gun and shooting yourself in your foot, and so I must continue on with this review in a limp. While this latest effort from director Pierre Morel isn't exactly as compelling or engaging as most of Mr. Bond's movies, what it does have in common is a riveting mix of action that runs on adrenaline and kicks with personality; of course, Liam Neeson is hardly a James Bond type, and quite frankly, neither is his character, but the trials and tribulations that Bryan goes through here share the same sense of personal conflict that often occurs during the best Spy-Thrillers. This isn't a movie riddled with politics, evil villains looking for world domination or fancy gadgets. No, instead Morel adopts a much more grounded, everyday threat to work with here, and as such achieves a good sense of focus and pacing that drives the feature forward. Unfortunately, despite this keen eye for bringing action that we care about to the screen, the script's lack of just about anything else hinders the movie's ability to work anything but the brain. It can be touching, but only momentarily; Taken is fine for a couple of hours of thrilling mystery, but if you crave more than a six-pack, you're probably best waiting for a martini.
Telling the story of an ex-spy and father Bryan, who is on the hunt for his daughter's kidnappers in France, Taken takes a much more domestic, heart-driven source of narrative to drive itself forward. Compelled only to find his enemies for the sake of saving her daughter within a contrived timeline before she gets sent somewhere out of his reach and knowledge, Bryan makes for a cold, unrelenting character to follow. Throughout the feature, Neeson proves he has what it takes to fulfil such shoes, conveying the abrasive, goal-driven attitude of his character with enough conviction to maintain our own interest in his story. Of course, when it comes to showing how he feels outside of a piece of combat however, both Neeson and his persona fall a little short.
Bryan is a regretful father, who in the past neglected his ex-wife and daughter in order to be good at his job. Yet realising how much bonding time he lost in doing so, decided to quit his job in order to move closer, and spend time with his daughter. In this arc there is genuine sympathy to be felt for Bryan, and Neeson does enough to get this across, even if he is far more compelling when firing off a weapon and breaking people's bones. The closing sequences are where the majority of all this development does finally pay off however, in an emotive climax that provides adequate catharsis involving the two central characters. However compelling such moments are though, there is no denying that the majority of Taken is driven by pure logic and visceral action; moments involving the heart are sporadic and almost immediately forgotten, and as such, the movie's tone can get a little erratic at times.
As a whole, the feature isn't as remarkable as it could have been, but it is in no way disappointing either. Instead Taken takes a much more focused route, and delivers a spy-thriller that delivers on all the elements needed to create tension, conflict and does so with a character that is convincing in his role as a source of unrelenting pain for those who have crossed him. Those looking for a taste for the genre before Bond comes out should find themselves at home here, and while Taken is certainly a lot darker, more grounded and at the same time, less charismatic than cinematic icon 007, there's enough action and plot here to justify a watch. Perhaps with a little deeper characterisation the production as a whole could have been stronger, but for what it is, Taken is pretty much standard for the genre; no too remarkable but not too disposable either; something for the aficionados.

A review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net)