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Taken is the latest film to come from Luc Besson's EuropaCorp studio and Besson himself produced and co-wrote it.Although he is officially retired as a director he apparently had an active role in the making of this film.As an admirer of much of Besson's work (especially Leon) I was really looking forward to seeing this.
Bryan Mills (played by Liam Neeson) is a retired CIA agent whose 17 year old daughter Kim goes to Paris with her best friend.They are going to stay with her family in their luxury apartment.Once they arrive in Paris they are approached at the airport and share a taxi which the rather charming Peter,who is a 'spotter' for a gang dealing in the slave trade.When they get to the apartment Kim phones her father just as the gang burst in to kidnap them.Bryan hears the whole chilling ordeal.He then learns that in most cases after a mere 96 hours the victims are never seen again.He jumps on the nearest plane to Paris as the clock is ticking.
Liam Neeson is watchable enough as ever especially in the films opening half hour.His character is strongly against letting his daughter go to Paris in the first place.Her mother (Bryans ex-wife played by Famke Janssen) warns him if he does not she will resent him forever and finish his already delicate relationship with her.Neeson handles these scenes very well and you actually feel for his character at this point.The rest of the cast are pretty forgettable to be honest as is the last hour of this film.
Once Bryan arrives in Paris the film jumps from being what I hoped would be a gritty thriller into a pretty lame action movie.At one point I almost expected Neeson to whip out his light sabre then use the Jedi mind trick !,what actually happened was only marginally less believable.The other thing was the racial stereotyping in it.You just know anyone with slightly dusky skin or who speaks in a funny accent is not going to see the end of the film.Yep,all the kidnappers are of eastern origin,look the same,sound the same and all meet the same fate.In fact there is not a single surprise to be seen here as this is a strictly by the numbers affair.After 20 mins you can pretty much guess the rest of the film.
Taken is not a dreadful film by any means,it is however a pretty disappointing one.Especially after Ben Affleck's Gone Baby Gone,which had a similar plotline but was massively superior in every way.It felt for me like I had just watched a Steven Seagal movie made with a half decent actor and I was expecting a lot more than that.
A very average 6.5/10,shame.
Bryan Mills (played by Liam Neeson) is a retired CIA agent whose 17 year old daughter Kim goes to Paris with her best friend.They are going to stay with her family in their luxury apartment.Once they arrive in Paris they are approached at the airport and share a taxi which the rather charming Peter,who is a 'spotter' for a gang dealing in the slave trade.When they get to the apartment Kim phones her father just as the gang burst in to kidnap them.Bryan hears the whole chilling ordeal.He then learns that in most cases after a mere 96 hours the victims are never seen again.He jumps on the nearest plane to Paris as the clock is ticking.
Liam Neeson is watchable enough as ever especially in the films opening half hour.His character is strongly against letting his daughter go to Paris in the first place.Her mother (Bryans ex-wife played by Famke Janssen) warns him if he does not she will resent him forever and finish his already delicate relationship with her.Neeson handles these scenes very well and you actually feel for his character at this point.The rest of the cast are pretty forgettable to be honest as is the last hour of this film.
Once Bryan arrives in Paris the film jumps from being what I hoped would be a gritty thriller into a pretty lame action movie.At one point I almost expected Neeson to whip out his light sabre then use the Jedi mind trick !,what actually happened was only marginally less believable.The other thing was the racial stereotyping in it.You just know anyone with slightly dusky skin or who speaks in a funny accent is not going to see the end of the film.Yep,all the kidnappers are of eastern origin,look the same,sound the same and all meet the same fate.In fact there is not a single surprise to be seen here as this is a strictly by the numbers affair.After 20 mins you can pretty much guess the rest of the film.
Taken is not a dreadful film by any means,it is however a pretty disappointing one.Especially after Ben Affleck's Gone Baby Gone,which had a similar plotline but was massively superior in every way.It felt for me like I had just watched a Steven Seagal movie made with a half decent actor and I was expecting a lot more than that.
A very average 6.5/10,shame.
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were we reading the same review?
Like Emmie said, nice review and well done on the GAD.
Cheers !.
Nice Review Pete, and well done on the GAD win.
Taken is the latest film to come from Luc Besson's EuropaCorp studio and Besson himself produced and co-wrote it.Although he is officially retired as a director he apparently had an active role in the making of this film.As an admirer of much of Besson's work (especially Leon) I was really looking forward to seeing this.
Bryan Mills (played by Liam Neeson) is a retired CIA agent whose 17 year old daughter Kim goes to Paris with her best friend.They are going to stay with her family in their luxury apartment.Once they arrive in Paris they are approached at the airport and share a taxi which the rather charming Peter,who is a 'spotter' for a gang dealing in the slave trade.When they get to the apartment Kim phones her father just as the gang burst in to kidnap them.Bryan hears the whole chilling ordeal.He then learns that in most cases after a mere 96 hours the victims are never seen again.He jumps on the nearest plane to Paris as the clock is ticking.
Liam Neeson is watchable enough as ever especially in the films opening half hour.His character is strongly against letting his daughter go to Paris in the first place.Her mother (Bryans ex-wife played by Famke Janssen) warns him if he does not she will resent him forever and finish his already delicate relationship with her.Neeson handles these scenes very well and you actually feel for his character at this point.The rest of the cast are pretty forgettable to be honest as is the last hour of this film.
Once Bryan arrives in Paris the film jumps from being what I hoped would be a gritty thriller into a pretty lame action movie.At one point I almost expected Neeson to whip out his light sabre then use the Jedi mind trick !,what actually happened was only marginally less believable.The other thing was the racial stereotyping in it.You just know anyone with slightly dusky skin or who speaks in a funny accent is not going to see the end of the film.Yep,all the kidnappers are of eastern origin,look the same,sound the same and all meet the same fate.In fact there is not a single surprise to be seen here as this is a strictly by the numbers affair.After 20 mins you can pretty much guess the rest of the film.
Taken is not a dreadful film by any means,it is however a pretty disappointing one.Especially after Ben Affleck's Gone Baby Gone,which had a similar plotline but was massively superior in every way.It felt for me like I had just watched a Steven Seagal movie made with a half decent actor and I was expecting a lot more than that.
A very average 6.5/10,shame.
Bryan Mills (played by Liam Neeson) is a retired CIA agent whose 17 year old daughter Kim goes to Paris with her best friend.They are going to stay with her family in their luxury apartment.Once they arrive in Paris they are approached at the airport and share a taxi which the rather charming Peter,who is a 'spotter' for a gang dealing in the slave trade.When they get to the apartment Kim phones her father just as the gang burst in to kidnap them.Bryan hears the whole chilling ordeal.He then learns that in most cases after a mere 96 hours the victims are never seen again.He jumps on the nearest plane to Paris as the clock is ticking.
Liam Neeson is watchable enough as ever especially in the films opening half hour.His character is strongly against letting his daughter go to Paris in the first place.Her mother (Bryans ex-wife played by Famke Janssen) warns him if he does not she will resent him forever and finish his already delicate relationship with her.Neeson handles these scenes very well and you actually feel for his character at this point.The rest of the cast are pretty forgettable to be honest as is the last hour of this film.
Once Bryan arrives in Paris the film jumps from being what I hoped would be a gritty thriller into a pretty lame action movie.At one point I almost expected Neeson to whip out his light sabre then use the Jedi mind trick !,what actually happened was only marginally less believable.The other thing was the racial stereotyping in it.You just know anyone with slightly dusky skin or who speaks in a funny accent is not going to see the end of the film.Yep,all the kidnappers are of eastern origin,look the same,sound the same and all meet the same fate.In fact there is not a single surprise to be seen here as this is a strictly by the numbers affair.After 20 mins you can pretty much guess the rest of the film.
Taken is not a dreadful film by any means,it is however a pretty disappointing one.Especially after Ben Affleck's Gone Baby Gone,which had a similar plotline but was massively superior in every way.It felt for me like I had just watched a Steven Seagal movie made with a half decent actor and I was expecting a lot more than that.
A very average 6.5/10,shame.
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