Film Review: Taken

Every once in a while, it does the body good to watch an intense action movie. While I have no scientific data to support this claim, I do live in the United States where we are supposedly masters of the subject.

Living in our American action bubble can lead to action blinders. Though we may be the country that most delights in the explosive over the artistic, plenty of others know how to do it right. One such example is the recently released French action film, Taken.

Taken is a very simple story. A man’s daughter is kidnapped, and goes on a mission to track her down. That basic structure is really all that is important, because the tale is not the focus of the movie. Taken is a one-man-versus-the-world, blow-it-up-and-ask-questions-later, unnecessarily-hyphenate-every-exciting-word film, and it is extremely entertaining as such. Films in a similar vein include the Die Hard series and to some degree even the television series 24.

I was asked by a friend if when watching Taken I could take Liam Neeson seriously as an action hero. The answer is a resounding yes. If you are not exhilarated after Neeson’s first or second fight scene, you need to check your pulse. It might be the fight choreography, it could perhaps be the camera-work. Whatever it is, Neeson excels in this lead role. Forget Jack Bauer, forget John McClane. The new agent that one simply does not cross is Bryan Mills.

That persona is essential to the success of Taken. Though the movie is gritty and raw, it does have a Superman complex that the audience must accept. If they did not buy Bryan Mills as a potential Superman, Taken would be a complete failure. The audience must also be willing to just enjoy the action. Too often in movies today do we question the realism of a film. If you fall into that camp, let me remind you of something: it is a movie. If we were satisfied with the gun fights in our own lives, we would have no need to visit the theater and see Liam Neeson take out some bad guys. With that in mind, agree that you will avoid realistic gun fights and enjoy those that have actors flying through the air sideways. It is a much safer and much more theatrically entertaining life.

And believe me, Taken will do its part in the entertainment department. The amount of domination (ownage for the kids) in this film is astronomical. After many scenes my body left its seat in celebration of what just occurred onscreen. I cannot say that many action films have this effect on me (The Protector comes to mind) so that must be a good sign. The fight and chase scenes are almost always accompanied by a line that adds insult to injury wit to the wound.

While many of the things about the film are lighthearted, do not mistake Taken as children’s fare. In actuality I was very surprised to find out that it is rated PG-13. After the amount of violence I witnessed and the level of its brutality, I was sure it was rated R.

Taken also sports one of the best trailers in history, and I am not afraid to say that. The ending gave me chills the first time I watched it. Seriously.

I enjoyed Taken as a pull-no-punches action film. It is very tight and focused (only 93 minutes) which leaves no room for extra frills. Taken is one of the best action films of the decade, and an example of great pace and a dedicated singular focus.

8/10