Obviously, realism isn’t the top priority in this kind of film, but it can’t even do what ought to be its bread and butter right – action sequences in which Bryan dispatches his enemies using a number of methods are often so poorly cut, it’s difficult to ascertain the relative location of people and objects, and just what exactly is happening. Pierre Morel’s stylized direction is a good fit for the material, but it’s constantly undermined by the editing.

Troublesome too is the fact that our hero constantly goes overboard in terms of violence. The film goes out of its way to establish that he will not be deterred in his quest, but the unnecessarily brutal nature of much of his violence, including shooting an unarmed and innocent woman, make it hard to really root for him. If Taken would’ve examined the personal toll the experience took on him, then we might have something, but the unbelievably blithe ending makes the preceding 90 minutes a worthless game that carries no emotional impact.

Taken could have been more than a simple shut-off-your-brain thriller, but as it stands, it barely succeeds at that.

The DVD includes both the theatrical version and the uncut version, which is a mere three minutes longer. Special features include two commentary tracks that can only accompany the uncut version – one with Morel and two cinematographers and one with writer Robert Mark Kamen. A 20-minute long making-of featurette is pretty standard stuff, while a look at the French premiere of the film is unintentionally heartbreaking, showing a good deal of footage of Neeson with his late wife Natasha Richardson. Side by side comparisons of six action sequences, showing stunt work contrasted with the final cut, are also included.

Article Author: Dusty Somers

Dusty Somers hails from Seattle, and is a journalism student at the University of Oklahoma. He enjoys spending time and watching films with his wife, and looks forward to their imminent return to the great Northwest.

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