Action, exactly as you would expect it.

Rating: 6/10 (27 May 2014)

Taken: An hour and a half of well executed masculine warrior fantasy for aging baby boomers.
Which is to say it's Genius. Playing into the the need for revenge, the need for men alienated from family and society to feel powerful and relevant, Taken is a guaranteed blockbuster. It fits snugly into the tradition of Rambo and Die Hard behind it, but it replaces Rambo's wounded loner, and Die Hard's blue collar every-man with a bitter spook struggling with his impending irrelevance.
The only problem is Taken is not as good as any of those movies. Early in the movie you realize that every character is two dimensional, with the possible exception of a corrupt French officer, and the only thing each set piece of action accomplishes is an inexorable march to the rescue of the hero's daughter. As soon as you realize this, that this movie has no point other than showing Liam Neesen rescue his daughter after a bunch of well executed gun fights, the movie losses all dramatic tension.
The worst part? Apart from Liam Neeson's speech to the kidnapper that's shown in the movie trailer, the are no good quotes or one liners.
Just re-watch Die Hard.