Pattern Exhaustion.

Rating: 3/10 (11 December 2009)

I'm about to not recommend this film but I ought to say that I only was able to get through the first forty-five minutes or so. Maybe it perked up and turned into a masterpiece in the last half. I doubt it.
I've always enjoyed Liam Neeson's work. He's a big hulking guy with a nose that begins in the middle of his forehead. He always sounds a little self conscious in front of the camera, as though he's reluctant to have his photograph taken. I like that in a guy.
He hasn't been on the screen much in recent years and I've wondered why. Now I believe that if this is the sort of garbage he's been offered, I can understand why he's enjoying his leisure time.
The genre is action movie. The propellant is the kidnapping of Neeson's daughter and her young friend to be sold into sex slavery. Neeson spends the movie traveling around, making threats and fulfilling them. He's an ex-spy and marshals all his skills to track the kids down in Europe. He bashes heads all over the continent. We've all seen it dozens of times before.
Given that it's formulaic, it still needn't be so terribly uninventive and uninteresting. "Die Hard" was an action movie that had its moments. "The Bourne Identity" had its action scenes wrapped around a bewitching puzzle -- who am I? "Taken" has none of that spark. It could have been written by some hack in a drugged stupor. Neeson does his usual best. He's aging but not too old for the part. Famke Janssen is mature too; still beautiful, still rangy, but ready for different parts now.
The most interesting feature of the movie was its villains. It's always interesting to see which kind of villain the benumbed minds of Hollywood will choose. For years it was Germans. Then the Cold War came along and it was Russians. There were odd bits of drug cartels here and there ten years ago. Arabs are beginning to show up. There is the occasional hybrid. "Die Hard" had a German gang, some of whom spoke with Russian accents. "Crimson Tide" and "Air Force One" had the Russians -- but splinter groups, not representing the Russian government.
"Taken" uses ALBANIANS. Not the first time Albanians have been used, and for good reason. Albania has historically modeled itself on Mao's China. "Tune in Tomorrow" used Albanians in a parody of villainy, as did "Wag the Dog." The Albanians are taken seriously here. Well, why not? Nobody knows where Albania is except the Albanians. It's terra incognita. Vaguely associated with the Balkans -- as in "Bosnia" -- or the Middle East -- as in "Iran." And, what the hell, they don't have any movie theaters in Bosnia anyway so there's nothing to lose.