Jack Bauer: The Retirement Years

Rating: 8/10 (12 March 2017)

While watching "Taken", the first thing that crossed my mind was: "Wow, this could be the story of fictional TV character Jack Bauer's retirement years!". Considering the success of 24, suffice it to say that I mean that as a compliment and thoroughly enjoyed this film.
Basically, the plot of this film centers on Liam Neeson's character, who is estranged from his daughter (played by Maggie Grace) and really has no way back into her life anymore. Though tenuous about her decision to travel to Europe for a summer with a friend, he knows that not signing the consent form will only further drive a wedge between them, so he allows it. Of course, her and the friend are immediately targeted by European slave traders and kidnapped right out of their apartment, sending Neeson into action to try and get them back. The kicker, though, is that "Neeson", now retired, was once a government agent who worked for an agency not unlike that of "CTU" of "24" fame (at least that is how it is described). As a result, Neeson actually has a fair shot at tracking down his daughter's abductors for the remainder of the movie.
What really separates this movie from other action fare, though, is the character development at the very beginning. Where other pure action films (Eagle Eye comes to mind) spend just a few precious minutes to develop the characters, the entire first 30 minutes (out of only 90 total) of "Taken" really fleshes out the father-daughter relationship. This makes you the viewer root even harder for Neeson cause when his daughter is taken.
The acting is also very solid, albeit in a subdued fashion (at least from Neeson). Whereas Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer emotes wildly and often, Neeson's take on "government agent" is much more simmeringly intense. We understand how badly he wants his daughter back, but he doesn't have to pitch a fit to convince us. Also, Grace ("Shannon" of LOST fame) transitions from well from small to big screen, as her innocent portrayal of a young girl also helps the audience become emotionally involved with the film.
Thus, while this film is not epic in any sense of the word (hence the four-star rating), it is still very entertaining in a straight-forward sort of way by doing all the things that a good film should: developing characters, creating emotional attachments, and having enough of a plot to keep the action moving forward. If you are a fan of the "thriller" genre, please check this movie out...it may not shoot straight to the top of your "favorite movies" list, but you will also likely not be disappointed, either.