Taken Works Solely Because Of Liam Neeson's Stellar Performance.

Rating: Null/10 (14 October 2013)

Marking the dawn of a new era in Liam Neeson's acting career by reinventing his image and establishing him as a capable & charismatic action film star, Taken is a purely generic action thriller that's filled with all the known elements of action filmmaking, and has nothing new to offer but thanks to Neeson's stellar performance, it still makes up for a damn good ride.
The story of Taken follows a retired CIA agent named Bryan Mills who's trying to strengthen his relationship with his estranged daughter who's leaving for Paris with her best friend. But when both of them are kidnapped by human traffickers for sex slavery, Mills is compelled to go after the kidnappers and relies on his old skills to track them down before it's too late.
Co-written by Luc Besson & directed by Pierre Morel, Taken wastes no time in setting up its plot and once it gets going, it doesn't stop until the very end. The direction is slick, script is almost always focused on its lead character, its moments of action definitely benefit from its kinetic camera-work, while its tight editing makes sure that the narrative unfolds at a frenetic pace.
Coming to the performances, Taken is Liam Neeson's show all the way for the actor returns to form in grand style and delivers a swashbuckling performance which, despite being over- the-top at several instances, resonates a charm of its own for Neeson is believable as both an merciless assassin & a protective father. Other than him however, the supporting cast is dull & don't have much to contribute.
On an overall scale, Taken may not feature any moment that any action fanatic hasn't seen before but watching Liam Neeson beat everyone to a pulp is something that turns out to be refreshing & rewarding at the same time. Stylishly crafted, fiercely paced & elevated to new heights by Neeson's impressive input, Taken is an unexpected surprise & an undeniable fun flick that lives up to its cult status. Definitely worth a shot.