Neeson makes Bond look like a schoolboy

Rating: 9/10 (27 February 2009)

Liam Neeson in an action role. He is not the actor you'd instantly cast. But it's done so well. Neeson plays Bryan, a retired "preventer of bad things". From this movie, we learn that being the "preventer of bad things" means being able to beat this shite out of anyone in under 10 seconds. But when Bryan's daughter is kidnapped, Bryan is forced out of retirement.
It's not a new idea, but the way it's executed is. The way the plot develops and how the characters grow is the appeal of the movie. We really want Bryan to succeed but at the same time, we have doubts as to his brutal methods. Is it right that he tortures a bad guy who is absolutely terrified? As Bryan's daughter is kidnapped, we are shown an extremely powerful scene. I won't spoil it for you but it's easily one of the best in cinema.
As Bryan rips through Paris, he takes out bad guys in extremely realistic fashion. There are no fancy kicks or drawn out fights. Bryan uses logical attacks - hit the throat or head until they stop moving.
Having said that, there is one lengthy fight. There is one guy in the entire film that lasts more than 20 seconds against Bryan. It works so well because when half a minute has passed, we're thinking "Erm...ok Liam, hurry up." The result is an edge-of-your-seat battle with hardcore moves. Does Bryan survive the fight? That's the question I was dying to find out throughout. And more importantly - will he save his daughter? All in all, TAKEN is an action-filled thriller with very strong emotion and powerful themes, coupled with incredible acting and beautiful direction. A must-see for any thriller fans, whether you're into action or not.