Neeson Kills it as He Kills All of the Bad Guys

Rating: 9/10 (26 March 2014)

Imagine having Liam Neeson as your sworn adversary. Imagine Neeson being a seasoned bodyguard and well trained by the American government to track down people like you that don't want to be found. Imagine he's got nothing left to lose in his life but his daughter, and that Neeson doesn't care about anything but her. Now imagine you just kidnapped her. Good luck. Taken is a 2008 action/crime drama directed by Pierre Morel that shows you exactly what happens to you when you kidnap Brian Mills' (read: Liam Neeson's) seventeen year-old daughter, played by Maggie Grace during her vacation abroad to Paris with her nineteen year-old friend Amanda, played by Katie Cassidy. This thrilling tale of a father's complete and utter devotion to his daughter will captivate audiences as they witness his genius yet violent quest to rescue his daughter from human traffickers.
After Brian Millis retires from his job as a CIA agent doing bodyguard work, he moves to California to be with his daughter, Kim, who he barely saw when she was growing up. Now as a seventeen year-old, Kim and her mother Lenore (Famke Janssen) convince Millis to allow her out of the country for what he thinks is a multiple week stay in Paris with Kim's friend Amanda and Amanda's family from Paris. Too late Millis finds out that Kim's trip is actually a Europe-wide tour of the band U2. Shortly after arriving at the airport, the two teens meet a friendly, handsome man who finds out where they are staying and invites them to a party. Unfortunately for the girls, there never is any party. Within fifteen minutes of getting to their cousin's apartment (who actually are away at the time) a bunch of thugs break in and kidnap Amanda and head for Kim. Fortunately, Brian is on the phone with her at the time, so he hears the whole thing and begins his trek to find his daughter.
Liam Neeson definitely plays his role well. His character becomes this one-track mind Terminator-style character that stops at nothing to find his daughter. The movie goes into great detail of explaining that she is the only aspect of life he cares for anymore, so his focused and vengeant personality reflects this deep paternal care as he struggles to find his daughter deep in the heart of Paris.
I really enjoyed this film. It is definitely focused on an older crowd; not only is violence a heavy emphasis, the theme of a father caring this much about his daughter will definitely strike a chord in more parents than teens. The premise of an ex-CIA using his skills to save his daughter is believable and is really cool too. The action scenes are also very crisp. Each one shows Neeson as a careful and calculated killer who is able to take down any man due to his CIA training. Overall, I'd rate Taken a 9/10. While the scenery could have been better, the plot and Neeson's character more than make up for this shortcoming.