Paint-by-Numbers Action Thriller

Rating: 5/10 (9 June 2012)

What would it be like if your dad was Jason Bourne and you were an American teen with a step-father with money to burn. Well you'd go to Europe, get kidnapped by evil Eastern Europeans intent on pumping you full of heroin and prostituting you to rich Asians. However, luckily your dad has been spending much of his career training for just such an event, and since he's now "retired" and he's got time on his hands he'll fly over to Europe and using his network of intelligence operatives and ninja skills, he'll bludgeon his way through the opposition, killing everyone in his path until he eventually finds you, and returns you to an everso grateful mom and stepdad. And they all live happily ever after.
Firstly, Neeson is a terrible choice for an action hero. The part was obviously made for Bruce Willis, and you can almost hear the dialogue being delivered in a Willisesque tone. Besson's writing has covered many bases, but this is a generic, paint-by-numbers action thriller with hints of torture porn. The basic story lacks any depth and the narrative is predictable. The Dialogue is dull and the cinematography is uninspiring. The film just clunks through the motions expected of a high octane action film, it pushes all those buttons, which is probably why it receives such a high rating on IMDb, but it brings nothing new to the table.
Dull, predictable and lacking any real depth. Just what the doctor ordered for those who like their films shallow and brainless.