Taken

Taken seems like a formulated kidnap movie: Semi-innocent Girl gets kidnapped by ominous group and father like figure sets off to catch the perpetrators. And even though Taken starts off generic in nature, you quickly become emotionally enthralled in movie.

Liam Neeson plays Bryan Mills, an over-protective father who is desperately trying to make up for lost time with his daughter. Mills is retired military and when he begrudgingly lets his daughter go to Paris. Things quickly start to hit the fan; fortunately, Mills is prepared for everything and immediately sets off to find his daughter.

Neeson gives an extraordinary performance as Mills and its heart-breaking seeing him caring for someone he barely knows. The audience quickly falls in love with him, cheering and clapping for his actions, something rarely done at any movie I’ve been to lately. Taken is strongly routed in reality, more than any other action film I’ve seen in years. The protagonist is still nearly invincible, however, the smartness and brutality of Neeson makes you feel like he should have survived every dangerous meeting in the film.

It’s a somewhat bitter-sweet experience though because everyone wants Neeson to succeed, but his daughter is a lifeless ingrate beforehand that I didn’t really want to be saved. But I did, which is one of the reasons that Taken is such a great movie. It takes the audience into an unknown world and tells a simple tale that you can’t help but care about. What happens in Taken could and does happen, which explains why people care so much about Neeson succeeding in rescuing his daughter.

In short, Taken is an incredibly solid film that should be seen as soon as possible.

Joel Samson Berntsen (Ride-The Vines)