Neeson is great

Rating: 8/10 (25 September 2008)

If you've seen the trailer then there is little to be said about the plot, because you know it - Liam Neeson's 17 year old daughter, in Paris on vacation, is kidnapped by Albanian sex-slave traders. Unfortunately for them, Neeson is a retired US government covert operative of some kind, with skills and resources which enable him to pursue the kidnappers, extract information, and exact retribution.
This is a good action thriller, somewhat in the Bourne mould, with a solid and credible performance by Neeson at its heart - the emotional stakes are clear throughout, but Neeson's character's professionalism is completely in charge as long as it is necessary. It is refreshing to see a protagonist doing what he has to do with utter ruthlessness, with no gentlemanly pussyfooting around.
There are some plot threads left untied (literally in the case of a thread which he finds at the kidnap scene but then never pursues, as far as I could see), and there is some pretty wild variance in how easily he takes out the kidnappers. But for all that, the action never lets up, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.