Taken

Will someone be in charge of reminding me that I have two daughters before I rent Gone Baby Gone, or go to the theater (by myself) to see Taken?


Taken: PG-13
Director: Pierre Morel
Cast: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Framke Jansen

Did you like the Bourne Movies? Well, this is very different, but Liam does a pretty solid Jason Bourne impression with some of the hand-fighting. The plot goes a little haywire part of the way into the film, but I enjoyed it. There were lines that they just abandoned, but without de-railing the movie.

Although, if you're into realism you were hoping for more intrigue and less killing. Off the top of my head I am going to say that Liam Neeson (reprising his role from Krull??? Remember Krull?) kills around 30 men. Also, and this just can't be a spoiler... The movie deals with some of the grit of the tragedy of human trafficking. I hope the director is trying to make a statement, because he portrayed that aspect well. Parents: I'm not sure how this is only a PG-13 movie. I mean... I know, but I don't KNOW. It is very hard to watch as Neeson seemingly takes down an organization or two, but there is no debriefing, no conversation about what he did once the story slows at the end.

I enjoyed it. I would say 3 stars, and 3.5 if you give it some slack for genre. However, if you don't like superhero movies you will be annoyed that there is no accountability to the actions he takes. He does not have recourse to the violence he is responsible for. That is not Neeson's fault - he acts it well, and even appears to be less interested in justice than his daughter (which is a tricky as the movie goes on). However, any realism dissipates as he kills and kills. It is intense, the plot is good enough, the acting solid, and the intrigue is neither too little nor too much.