It’s really something when a film can be talked about negatively in an overall way in spite of some very fine elements. Taken is one such a film; it has some impressive fight sequences and a well judged pace but it’s morally suspect and thus most of the enjoyment gets sacrificed and overall leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth.
After his teenage daughter gets kidnapped while travelling in Europe, a former spy (Liam Neeson) must use his acquired skills to track down the kidnappers and get his daughter back.
In a post-Bourne world any action hero role such as the one Neeson plays here is going to pale in comparison. The action is similar to that franchise, in particular the fighting and the scenes of pursuit. Neeson grabs the generic bad guys one by one, snapping their necks and shooting holes in their chests without a moment's second thought. His only mindset is finding his daughter at any cost — and I mean any cost. Now there are plenty of movies and TV shows which have employed such a mentality with a main character, 24 to name just one. But Neeson is about 15 years too old to be believable as this character, with the stunt double being more obvious than suspension of disbelief will allow.
But that doesn’t take away from some of the fine technical action as bad guys get thrown off boats and get their heads slammed off of sinks. The film employs that same Bourne-style fast action where we only realise seconds later what injury a certain bad guy has sustained. Pierre Morel, director of the hugely enjoyable French ‘free-running’ flick District 13, clearly knows what he’s doing when it gets down to the punching and kicking. And it’s in that respect that there’s some merit in Taken. However much its morals are dubious at least it’s not all bad.
Aside from the inability to believe Neeson in the lead role there’s also a lot of other miscasting going on in the supporting corner. Famke Janssen plays a role she could play in her sleep, adding nothing to a film that without her would probably be no different. And ex-Lost star Maggie Grace plays Neeson’s 17-year-old daughter and although she looks the part, this is nothing another, correctly aged actress couldn’t have done. It’s a role that calls for being scared and acting like the generic damsel in distress. Taken has a central kidnapping storyline that’s uninspired and unimaginative out with the small element of Neeson’s character promising to get the kidnappers and having the skills to back up that claim.
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Article comments
1 - Andrew
Hi
I read your view it was most pleasing to read, however, I disagree with several points.
You said: "Taken has a kidnapping storyline that’s uninspired and unimaginative out with the small element of Neeson’s character promising to get the kidnappers and having the skills to back up that claim"
I would disagree and say Randsom has an unimaginative kidnap plot, where as Taken has a more darker kidnap plot. Kidnap is every parents nightmare but kidnap into the sex trade is that much worse.
Infact 24 series one follows simialar ground of a government agent usuing his special skills to get his daugher back. But a film cannot be as clever as 24 due to the time constraints.
24 and the Bourne series have done so well and are very popular. Taken is a combination of these two and I enjoyed every minute of it.
I at first did agree with you about the bidding scene, however, he is a secret agent and is using his initiative to get her back. If he took her by force he would likely put her in the middle of a shoot out and get her killed. The job of a secret agent is to do it covertly, which he is trying to do usuing his speical skills. That means to get her and get her out with as little trouble as possible.
The part of the film that I didnt like was the mother.
2 - Rand
It appeared there was nothing the father wouldn't do to get his daughter back. Why not kidnapp Jean Claude's wife or children and force him to get his daughter back?