An Excellent Action/Thriller

Rating: 7/10 (3 November 2015)

Taken may have been released back in 2008, but to be honest it is still one of the best Action/Thrillers that's been released within the last 20 years, and the part of Bryan Mills is played superbly by Liam Neeson. This isn't an over-the-top Action/Thriller; it's not a cheesy Action/Thriller; it's also not an Action/Thriller that lacks in the story department either as so many can - and usually - do. Nope, Taken is one of the more rarer Action/Thrillers that delivers a decent story along with plenty of tense, high-paced action.
Both the story and film start out decently enough, and continues at a steady enough pace instead of diving straight in with no backstory to anything. It gradually builds as it goes on and only increases in tension & pace from the moment that Mills' daughter is kidnapped. The build up to this moment alone was excellent...the suspense, the way the scene was edited together, and of course the "I will find you" speech delivered perfectly by Neeson. All of that doesn't just stop at that scene, though, as the rest of the movie is pieced together fantastically as the action & intensity both increase.
Neeson is perfect in the role as Bryan Mills and it's like it was made for him. This obviously isn't the 1st action film he's done, but don't think he's played this type of role very often - if at all - but he slot right into it with no problems. I learned that Jeff Bridges was offered the part before Neeson. No offence to Bridges, but I can't really picture him playing this kind of role and thankfully he dropped out paving the way for Neeson. Even though she's not in it all that much, Famke Janssen was good also and she has this knack for playing annoying women so perfectly, which is how I found Lenore to be in Taken...annoying and very naive, especially when it came to her daughter. The evil side of me wishes Mills would have said "I told you" to Lenore at the end.
Taken is definitely a film that should be on everyone's "must see" list.