Not awful, but could've been better

Rating: 6/10 (27 January 2009)

The fact that this movie has already been released in other parts of the world for a better part of a year now should be a major red flag. I mean, if the movie was good (or at least the studio execs thought it was good) it would've been premiered in the United States, right? After viewing it, I can see why it wasn't.
Improper character development, campy dialog, and bad acting (especially by the daughter, played by Maggie Grace - you know, Shannon from "Lost".) hamper the overall enjoyment of this movie. I didn't care about a single character in this film, and I think that's pretty important. Check out the daughters running skills. Every time she has to run she looks like - well, just check it out, it's ridiculous.
That being said, I still enjoyed the action sequences, and seeing Liam Neeson kick some ass was surreal - yet believable. Some of the more violent scenes were pretty brutal, which is refreshing to see in this current watered-down Hollywood climate.
All in all I was entertained by the movie. Taken is no Bourne Identity, but it worth a video rental when it comes out on DVD.