Taken called up the European tourism board and left one sinister voice mail.

Rating: 7/10 (1 July 2019)

Iconic. This generic action thriller is your typical run-of-the-(Bryan)mill(s) situation. Father desires to have a better relationship with his daughter, but unfortunately is kidnapped by an Albanian sex trafficking ring. Y'know, that common holiday occurrence. Well, atleast that's what people thought judging by the harsh decline in Paris tourists back when this was released! It's fine though. Grab a baguette, put on a beret and chill. Because this "taken" girl, who yearns to be a pop star, has the most protective daddy in the entire world. He will "tear down the Eiffel Tower" to find his daughter, just so she can use that karaoke machine he lovingly bought for her birthday.
Taken is an enigma. It has everything going against it. A cheesy first act with questionable dialogue, several moments of disbelief, the occasional clumsy editing and the hero returning back to the United State on a commercial flight (despite wiping out a third of Paris). Yet, beneath the unintentionally realistic horror of human trafficking, is one heck of an entertaining film. Morel just takes the entire scenario so seriously, that you can't help but root for Bryan Mills to smack a gun on someone's throat or interrogate an Albanian using good ol' fashioned parrilla (electrocution between you and me...).
It all stems from Neeson's career redefining performance. It has to. It must! The phone call outlining his "particulate set of skills"? Iconic. Neeson embodying the likeness of a relentless one-hit KO machine? Gimme more! Shoot first ask questions later? Definitely. It's a role that Neeson needed, and I couldn't be any more thankful for his choice. He must've said "I'll take it!" quicker than the momentum of this film's pacing. It's unstoppable! No time to think about the implausibilities, just run, gun and fun. Ninety minutes of pure entertainment, cementing the second best fictional father in cinema history (after McClane that is...). If you haven't watched it. Go out now, buy it and enjoy the ride! "Good luck".