Original, thrilling, and totally badass thanks to Liam Neeson

Rating: 10/10 (30 January 2009)

In a world of James Bonds, Jason Bournes, and Frank Martins, it's hard for a little random ex-spy named Brian Mills to get some love. On the surface, his film seems a little formulaic, and he seems a little...well...old. However, once we get into Mills's story, and see how infinitely badass the wonderful Liam Neeson plays him, you'll probably be saying something along the lines of "James who?". 'Taken', which follows Mills as he pursues those responsible for kidnapping his daughter, is a heart pounding thriller with a stupendous display of badassery from Liam Neeson. It may have a plot that's sort of unbelievable, but it's one of the best action thrillers in years.
Why do critics dislike this movie? Is it because they have no ability to see beyond the obviously far-fetched events of the movie? Is it because they take themselves too seriously and don't know how to have fun? It's probably both of those two reasons, but I find peace in thinking that they're complete idiots who don't know what they're talking about...sometimes. The fact remains that 'Taken' is plain fun, popcorn entertainment, that doesn't resort to cheap explosions in looking for thrills. It relies on the gritty closeups of the marvelous hand to hand combat and stylistic action (Liam Neeson's 'Batman Begins' training certainly paid off here).
The film is the brainchild of Luc Besson, the mind behind the Transporter films. Here, he relies on a director that may be inexperienced as a director, but one who also has more experience in shooting action on film than most. Pierre Morel, responsible for the photography in action films such as 'War', 'Unleashed', and of course, 'The Transporter', does a great job in choreographing some very good action sequences, especially giving them some flavor when they end. The film was not just pure action, which was good, as it also showed Neeson's character working as a spy and shows some intelligence in that aspect.
Speaking of Neeson, it appears that his days as the kind hearted mentor figure in films such as 'Narnia' and 'Star Wars' are behind him. His ruthless, badass, and perfectly natural performance makes the movie watchable and carries it from start to finish (which isn't too long, as the film clocks in at one hour and 45 minutes including previews). Neeson is a veteran, and it really shows. His performance goes deep, and will excite the viewer in all ways. Maggie Grace was also noteworthy as his daughter (it was tough to recognize her without her blonde hair!).
This is probably the best example I've seen in awhile of how stupid and self-righteous most film critics can be. They fault 'Taken' for having events occur that aren't entirely realistic. Do they recognize the film for being a great roller coaster ride that will leave most viewers happy (pretty much my entire theater of 150 people seemed happy)? No. It's further proof that Liam Neeson is one of the best leading men around, and that these critics really need to catch up with the times.