An actually thrilling Thriller...

Rating: 8/10 (26 March 2014)

"Taken" is a French thriller film produced by Luc Beeson's Eurocorp. It premiered in France on February 27th, 2008, and it premiered in the United States on January 30th, 2009. The cast is pretty lackluster and even Liam Neeson was not all the well known or popular at the movies inception, but "Taken" launched his career into fast forward and he is nearly a household name and probably considered an A list actor.
The movie opens with former United States Central Intelligence Agency operative Bryan Mills (Neeson), saving an international pop star from an attacker after her performance. To repay Bryan, the pop star agrees to mentor his daughter Kim in signing. Kim soon wants to travel to Paris with her friend. Bryan in no way wants the girls to and travel alone, but in order to try to be closer with his daughter and not upset her he agrees with his ex wife to let her go. The arrive at the airport and unknowingly make friends with a scout for a kidnapping gang. Kim and her friend are taken and trafficked as sex slaves. Kim was on the phone with her dad as she was taken so the former CIA operative springs right into action and gets to Europe. Bryan begins hunting them down and eventually saves his daughter after she was sold to a wealthy sheikh due to her virgin status.
This plot obviously is very gripping as well as cold and chilling, as it gives a pretty realistic look into the world of sex trafficking in eastern Europe. These young girls have their entire lives in front of them and have it all taken away and are defiled. They are treated worse than dirt, as man after man after man pays a few bucks to have their way with them. And like it is said in the movieif they are not found within 96 hours you will never be able to find them again. They also do not have a secret agent killing everyone that holds them captive and freeing them, because in real life people cannot do that, only in movies does that happen. They is virtually no way of finding these girls in real life once they are taken.
I would recommend this movie to a mature audience that can handle intense action sequences and some disturbing topics of prostitution. I give this movie an 8 out of 10. A 7 out of 10 for the story, and a 9 out of 10 for the action.