Taken Into Consideration

Rating: Null/10 (14 July 2011)

Taken starts out in a modern, American town. Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), a former Central Intelligence Agency agent, struggles to keep a close relationship with his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), who lives with his divorced wife (Famke Janssen) and her wealthy step-father (Xander Berkeley). When Kim requests his permission to fly to Paris with her 19-year-old friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy), Bryan reluctantly gives in, demanding that she calls when she arrives and every night before she sleeps. After neglecting to call when she arrives, she contacts him a few hours after arriving at the hotel. During the conversation, she observes men dressed in black kidnapping her friend at the opposite end of the building. When the kidnappers reach Kim, Bryan promises to find and kill them, and his quest to rescue his daughter begins.
Despite the amount of action, Taken explores three legitimate topics. First, it beautifully portrays a father's love for his daughter. Even though Bryan knows the improbability of recovering his daughter, he risks his life and freedom to find her. In spite of his age, he pushes his body to its absolute limits to find her, depriving himself of sleep and nourishment. Second, it demonstrates the immense impact of career on our lives. Bryan's long career with the C.I.A. provided him with deadly skills that were still second nature to him years after his retirement. Lastly, Taken points out the heartbreaking issue of human trafficking.
Since it came out, Taken assumed its place among my top favorite movies. Compared to testosterone-drenched movies like The Expendables (2010), the violence in Taken has reason and intellect behind it. My favorite aspect is the analytical mindset of Bryan. Throughout Taken, viewers witness Bryan demonstrate superior tracking skills as he pieces together Kim's kidnapping. In one of my favorite scenes, he uses an unconscious hostage to camouflage himself among the bodies when reinforcements arrive, proving his uncanny ability to think clearly in all situations. Any time I desire intelligent action with a touching storyline, I take Taken into consideration.