it's a real pleasure to see Liam Neeson tracking down some of the most sick, reprehensible villains in recent cinema history

Rating: 8/10 (2 June 2010)

"Taken" is one of the more pleasurable films regarding the subject of abduction and revenge to come out in recent years. And this may sound kind of morbid, but it's pleasurable in terms of the way that violence is projected. The violence is stunning, cruel, hair-raising, and may turn knots in your stomach and the movie does not shy from showing full-blast views of it to the audience. So why does this add up to a pleasurable film? Simply because these acts of violence and torture are conducted not on innocents (often) but upon some of the most sick, twisted, and morally reprehensible villains that we've seen in a motion picture in a long time. We don't really come to know these villains very well, and we really don't want to because of what we do see of them is truly horrible, and it's a pleasure to see vigilante justice being acted upon them.
The vigilante is played by the great Liam Neeson, one of the most underrated and talented actors of modern times. Neeson gives what may be his best performance since "Schindler's List" as a former CIA agent, known as a "preventer" who reluctantly allows his estranged daughter (Maggie Grace) to travel to Paris with a friend for vacation. Neeson, being reasonably over-protective, manages to make a phone call with his daughter while she's in France just at the moment when Albanian terrorists kidnap her. Armed with nothing but his skills and a little insight as to the men he's dealing with, Neeson goes to Paris and begins to track down everybody responsible for the kidnapping in a heart-pounding race to save his daughter from being trafficked into prostitution and never found.
This is a very sensitive and relevant subject and the movie plays on it with sincerity and authenticity. I mentioned earlier in my review that we don't really come to know these villains, the Albanian terrorists, and yet that's a positive element. The reason: what we do see of them is enough to know that these are some of the most despicable villains of recent cinema years - obviously because they're based on real-life scumbags from various parts of the world - and all we really want is to see them being killed off brutally and mercilessly. In a lot of thrillers of the past, I really didn't care what became of the villains, whether they died or went to jail or even got off scot free, but here, I was rooting every second of the way for them to get what was coming to them. And that is the core strength of the picture. The plot of a man trying to rescue his estranged daughter is not really new, but the fact that it's built around such a solid foundation for a taut, germane thriller makes it work.
"Taken" is a very well-made film beautifully shot with deliberately gray and grim cinematography that gives it a harrowing and troubled atmosphere. Acting is superb. Liam Neeson shells out yet another terrific performance as the former "preventer" desperate to save his daughter from a fate worse than the brutal deaths he's about to deliver. The other key performance is the film is by Maggie Grace. Grace, at the time, was I believe 25 when making the film and yet she plays the 17-year-old with astonishing conviction. These are two very good modern performers and, partly because of the script, but more because of their performances, I bought them as human beings and related to them. Most other characters in the film come and go, but that's alright. The movie is about a father hoping to rekindle his relationship with his daughter and finding himself with the greatest challenge yet: saving her life.
"Taken" is a great film, but it was treated with some disrespect before being released. I had some quirks on my note list after seeing the movie for the first time, mostly about the action scenes. I found it a little tiresome how Neeson could hit all of his enemies with the first shot and that sometimes he'd shoot them once and when they hit the ground, we could see 2-3 bullet holes in their chest. Other scenes seemed a little lacking, as if there was more to them. I tell you now: that's because there was. While the theatrical release of "Taken" is strong, the extended edition, available on DVD, is superior. Very little new footage, but extended moments of violence that completes the picture, adds competence to the action scenes, and makes many gritty scenes even grittier. Bottom line: both versions are quite good, but the extended edition is the one to see.