“Taken” is an action thriller that brings to life every father’s worst nightmare--the kidnapping of his child. From the start, the viewer will empathize with the hero’s plight and his mission to rescue his daughter. A convincing performance from actor Liam Neeson as the Dad, and a crisp screenplay create a drama which will keep viewers gripping their chair seats. Second-time director Pierre Morel establishes a memorable family dynamic in a very short amount of time, then turns the characters’ world upside down. “Taken” is gritty without being gory and exciting without lacking intelligence. It is a stand-out among thrillers, exceeding its genre.
Bryan Mills retired from his all-consuming job to spend more time with his family. The problem is that he is divorced from his increasingly bitter ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen; “X-Men” trilogy) and his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace; TV’s “Lost”) is a 17-year-old who is consumed with her own life. Kim talks her parents into allowing an unsupervised trip to Paris, causing her father serious concern. While in Paris, Kim and her friend Amanda are kidnapped by Eastern European thugs looking for young girls. Bryan switches into action mode, reacting quickly by flying to France and investigating the scene of the crime. Bryan is not your run-of-the-mill dad; he used to be “a preventer” working for the government to keep bad things from happening. Bryan must use those skills to track down his own daughter within 96 hours, before she disappears into the international sex trafficking trade.
Neeson may be an unlikely choice as an action hero but his emotionally complex performance and intimidating presence sell the film. There are no wasted actions or poorly considered decisions for Bryan, he has done much of this before. Trying to push back his feelings and focus on the job ahead of him, the character’s struggle makes it easy to root for him. In a limited role as Kim’s mother, Janssen crafts a vindictive person who is sheltered from worrying about life’s dangers. She unmistakably loves her daughter but resents her ex-husband, pushing him away from Kim. Grace portrays Kim as childish and a bit spoiled but loving of her father and an overall good person. The situation she falls into is terrifying but feels realistic.
The international kidnapping and sex trade is a real problem worldwide. “Taken” exposes it in a visceral way, giving the viewer an opportunity to fight back through the actions of a very capable parent. The fight sequences are well choreographed, short and often lethal. Bryan’s actions are justifiable, even when he is pushed to the edge of his own moral code. The story is spare and well-paced once Neeson is on the trail of the kidnappers. The writers of “The Transporter” trilogy, Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, have a winner on their hands. Should they decide to craft a series around Neeson’s character, hopefully they will prevent the gradual drop in quality which marked the “Transporter” films. “Taken” is a thriller with a great set-up boiled down to its emotionally effective, hard-hitting essentials.
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and language.
