Spring Break
"Taken" is a Heartstopping Thriller
Pauline McKim
Issue date: 2/25/09 Section: Entertainment
Every so often an amazing suspense thriller comes along delighting adrenaline junkie film goers everywhere. Taken is definitely this type of film. In this movie Liam Neeson stars as Bryan Mills, a retired CIA operative desperate to track down his daughter Kim (played by Maggie Grace) after she is kidnapped in Paris, France.
Although the plot relies heavily on cliches, Albanian mobsters serving as Kim's captors and Arab businessmen serving as the human traffickers' customers, for the most part the movie is very well done. It trudges along in the beginning but soon picks up speed after the characters are established.
Neeson and Grace have a considerable chemistry and make a very believable father daughter team. Neeson is on the phone with Grace as she is kidnapped. Watching him listen to the terror in the voice of his daughter is truly heart wrenching and viewers cannot help but feel connected to him from that moment on. As the movie continues, Neeson continues to play his role with emotion uncommon to the suspense thrillers and his performance adds a great deal of depth to the film overall. Likewise Famke Janssen does a fantastic job cast as Neeson's ex-wife Lenore.
Aside from the acting, the other elements of the film are also quite impressive. Director Pierre Morel did an amazing job with the cinematography. The fight and car chase scenes are heart stopping because they are filmed in such a way that audience members feel as if they too are truly part of the action.
Flashback sequences are also sewn seamlessly into the plot and do not interrupt the flow of the movie, a problem common to this type of film device. The dialogue is also surprisingly well written considering the genre. The exchanges between characters are quick and witty, often serving to break the tension and keep Neeson from seeming too sinister.
While the events of Taken are by no means realistic, it accomplishes everything a good action movie should. Its plot has enough suspense to keep the audience guessing, the action sequences are breathtaking, and the protagonist takes out his justified anger by beating up anyone who crosses him. Taken may not break new ground for this popular genre but it puts on a good show is definitely an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.
Although the plot relies heavily on cliches, Albanian mobsters serving as Kim's captors and Arab businessmen serving as the human traffickers' customers, for the most part the movie is very well done. It trudges along in the beginning but soon picks up speed after the characters are established.
Neeson and Grace have a considerable chemistry and make a very believable father daughter team. Neeson is on the phone with Grace as she is kidnapped. Watching him listen to the terror in the voice of his daughter is truly heart wrenching and viewers cannot help but feel connected to him from that moment on. As the movie continues, Neeson continues to play his role with emotion uncommon to the suspense thrillers and his performance adds a great deal of depth to the film overall. Likewise Famke Janssen does a fantastic job cast as Neeson's ex-wife Lenore.
Aside from the acting, the other elements of the film are also quite impressive. Director Pierre Morel did an amazing job with the cinematography. The fight and car chase scenes are heart stopping because they are filmed in such a way that audience members feel as if they too are truly part of the action.
Flashback sequences are also sewn seamlessly into the plot and do not interrupt the flow of the movie, a problem common to this type of film device. The dialogue is also surprisingly well written considering the genre. The exchanges between characters are quick and witty, often serving to break the tension and keep Neeson from seeming too sinister.
While the events of Taken are by no means realistic, it accomplishes everything a good action movie should. Its plot has enough suspense to keep the audience guessing, the action sequences are breathtaking, and the protagonist takes out his justified anger by beating up anyone who crosses him. Taken may not break new ground for this popular genre but it puts on a good show is definitely an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.
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